Share of overweight men vs. women in Namibia
Namibia: Share of overweight men vs. women was 28.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in Namibia, 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 Namibia is 28.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in Namibia peaked at 28.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 1980.
That places Namibia 157th 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8.2% | — |
| 1981 | 8.4% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 8.7% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 9.0% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 9.3% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 9.7% | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 10.0% | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 10.4% | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 10.8% | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 11.6% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 12.0% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 12.5% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 13.0% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 13.4% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 13.9% | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 14.4% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 14.9% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 16.0% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 16.6% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 17.8% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 18.3% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 18.9% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 19.5% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 20.1% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 20.6% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 21.1% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 21.6% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 22.1% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 22.5% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 22.9% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 23.3% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 23.7% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 24.6% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 25.0% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 25.5% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 25.9% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 26.4% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 26.9% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 27.4% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 27.9% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 28.4% | +1.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 28.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 28.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.6%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.6% | 8.2% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.7% | 11.6% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.2% | 16.6% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.0% | 22.1% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.4% | 26.4% | 28.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More gender data for Namibia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,172 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.3037 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 2,218 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 2,218 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.57 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 38,320 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 38,517 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 37,694 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 37,867 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 38,396 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in Namibia?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in Namibia was 28.4% 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 1980.
- How does Namibia rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- Namibia ranks 157th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.