Share of overweight men vs. women in Zambia
Zambia: Share of overweight men vs. women was 21.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of overweight men vs. women in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 21.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of overweight men vs. women in Zambia peaked at 21.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1980.
Zambia ranks 178th 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.6% | — |
| 1981 | 5.8% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 5.9% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 6.1% | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.3% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 6.5% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 6.7% | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 6.9% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 7.2% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 7.4% | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 7.9% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 8.1% | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 8.7% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 9.0% | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 9.2% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 9.9% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 10.2% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 10.9% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 11.6% | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 12.3% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 13.0% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 13.3% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 14.4% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 16.2% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 17.3% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 17.9% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 19.1% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 20.4% | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 21.1% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 21.8% | +3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.4% | 5.6% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.9% | 7.6% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.1% | 10.5% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 14.1% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.4% | 19.1% | 21.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More gender data for Zambia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 9,719 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.61 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 340,219 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 341,639 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 331,557 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 332,331 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 324,712 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 325,021 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 318,536 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 318,579 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of overweight men vs. women in Zambia?
- Share of overweight men vs. women in Zambia was 21.8% 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of overweight men vs. women recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1980.
- How does Zambia rank for share of overweight men vs. women?
- Zambia ranks 178th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of overweight men vs. women rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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.