Share of overweight men vs. women in Benin
Benin: Share of overweight men vs. women was 23.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in Benin, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of overweight men vs. women in Benin stood at 23.6%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in Benin peaked at 23.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 1980.
That places Benin 165th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of overweight men vs. women in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.5% | — |
| 1981 | 4.7% | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 5.0% | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 5.2% | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 5.5% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 5.7% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 6.0% | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 6.4% | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 6.7% | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 7.1% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 7.4% | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 7.9% | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 8.3% | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 8.8% | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 9.3% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 9.8% | +5.6% |
| 1996 | 10.3% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 10.9% | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 11.5% | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 12.2% | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 12.8% | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 13.5% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 14.2% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 15.0% | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 15.7% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 17.1% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 18.2% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 19.9% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 20.4% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 21.5% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 21.8% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 22.2% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 22.5% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 22.9% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 23.2% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | +1.7% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 23.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 79% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 23.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.6%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.7% | 4.5% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.6% | 7.4% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 12.8% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 19.2% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.9% | 22.2% | 23.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More gender data for Benin
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 6,548 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.19 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 10,071 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 10,071 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 229,200 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 237,041 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 223,456 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 230,273 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 219,192 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in Benin?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in Benin was 23.6% 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 overweight men vs. women recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 23.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 1980.
- How does Benin rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- Benin ranks 165th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin 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 overweight men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.