Share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa
South Africa: Share of overweight men vs. women was 37.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa, 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 South Africa stood at 37.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa peaked at 38.8% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 1980.
That places South Africa 140th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 16.4% | — |
| 1981 | 17.0% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 17.7% | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 18.4% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 19.2% | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 20.0% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 20.8% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 21.6% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 22.5% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 23.4% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 24.3% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 25.2% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 26.1% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 27.1% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 28.0% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 28.9% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 29.8% | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 30.7% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 31.6% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 32.5% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 33.3% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 34.1% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 34.9% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 35.6% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 36.3% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 37.0% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 37.5% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 38.0% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 38.4% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 38.6% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 38.8% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 38.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 38.8% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 38.7% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 38.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 38.4% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 38.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 38.1% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 38.0% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 37.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 37.8% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 37.7% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 37.7% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 37.6% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 37.6% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.7% | 16.4% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.4% | 24.3% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.4% | 33.3% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 37.9% | 38.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.7% | 37.6% | 37.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 588,323 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 594,743 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 603,304 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in South Africa was 37.6% 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- South Africa ranks 140th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.