Share of overweight men vs. women in Congo
Congo: Share of overweight men vs. women was 21.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in Congo, 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 overweight men vs. women in Congo is 21.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in Congo peaked at 21.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1980.
Congo ranks 180th 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 overweight men vs. women in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6.7% | — |
| 1981 | 6.9% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 7.1% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 7.3% | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 7.5% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 8.0% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 8.2% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 8.5% | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 8.8% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 9.1% | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 9.3% | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 9.6% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 10.2% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 10.6% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 10.9% | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 11.2% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 11.6% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 11.9% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 12.3% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 12.7% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 13.4% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 14.2% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 14.6% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 15.0% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 15.4% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 16.4% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 17.0% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 17.3% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 17.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 18.1% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 18.8% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 19.2% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 21.0% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 21.5% | +2.3% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 21.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 72% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 21.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.6%, 95% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.7% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.4% | 9.1% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.0% | 12.3% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.6% | 16.0% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 19.7% | 21.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More gender data for Congo
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 2,740 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.35 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,543 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,543 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.93 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 93,771 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 95,629 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 91,657 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 93,441 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 89,756 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in Congo?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in Congo was 21.5% 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 21.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1980.
- How does Congo rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- Congo ranks 180th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo 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
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.