Share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania
Tanzania: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 39.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 39.9% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania peaked at 39.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 1980.
Tanzania ranks 161st of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8.8% | — |
| 1981 | 9.1% | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 9.4% | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 9.8% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 10.1% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 10.4% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 10.8% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 11.2% | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 11.6% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 12.0% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 12.4% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 12.9% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 13.4% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 14.4% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 16.8% | +4.2% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 18.3% | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 19.9% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 20.7% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 21.6% | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 22.4% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 23.3% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 24.3% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 25.2% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 26.1% | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 27.0% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 28.0% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 29.0% | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 30.9% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 31.9% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 32.9% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 33.8% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 34.7% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 35.6% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 36.5% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 37.3% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 38.2% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 39.0% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 39.9% | +2.2% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 39.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.3%, 75% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 39.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.3% | 8.8% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 12.4% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 18.3% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.4% | 27.0% | 35.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.2% | 36.5% | 39.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More gender data for Tanzania
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 33,294 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.01 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 47,619 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 47,619 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.22 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.19 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.13 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.11 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Tanzania was 39.9% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 39.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 1980.
- How does Tanzania rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Tanzania ranks 161st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in meters squared.