Share of overweight men vs. women in Somalia
Somalia: Share of overweight men vs. women was 21.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 21.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in Somalia peaked at 21.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1980.
Somalia ranks 181st 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6.0% | — |
| 1981 | 6.1% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 6.3% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 6.5% | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.7% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 6.9% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 7.1% | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 7.4% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 7.6% | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 7.9% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 8.6% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 8.9% | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 9.2% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 10.4% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 10.8% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 11.1% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 11.8% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 12.1% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 12.5% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 12.8% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 13.5% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 14.2% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 15.6% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 16.0% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 16.5% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 17.4% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 17.9% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 19.0% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 19.6% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 20.2% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 20.8% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 21.5% | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.9% | 6.0% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.4% | 8.1% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.6% | 11.1% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.3% | 14.5% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.2% | 19.0% | 21.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More gender data for Somalia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 10,410 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.2 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 379,876 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 393,718 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 364,586 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 376,417 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 351,742 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 363,131 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 338,542 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 349,118 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in Somalia?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in Somalia 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1980.
- How does Somalia rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- Somalia ranks 181st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia 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.