Share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia
Zambia: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 39.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia is 39.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia peaked at 39.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 1980.
Zambia ranks 164th 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 13.2% | — |
| 1981 | 13.4% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 13.8% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 14.1% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 14.3% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 14.6% | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 14.9% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 15.1% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 15.4% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 15.7% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 16.0% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 16.6% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 16.9% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 17.3% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 17.7% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 18.6% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 19.1% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 19.7% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 20.3% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 20.9% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 21.6% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 22.3% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 23.1% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 23.8% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 24.6% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 25.4% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 26.2% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 27.0% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 27.9% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 28.7% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 29.6% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 30.6% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 31.5% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 32.4% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 33.3% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 34.3% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 35.2% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 36.1% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 37.0% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 37.9% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 38.7% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 39.7% | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.2% | 13.2% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.2% | 15.7% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 19.7% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.0% | 27.0% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 36.1% | 39.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More gender data for Zambia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 9,719 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.61 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 340,219 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 341,639 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 331,557 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 332,331 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 324,712 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 325,021 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 318,536 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 318,579 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Zambia was 39.7% 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 39.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 1980.
- How does Zambia rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Zambia ranks 164th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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.