Obesity in adults in South Africa in 2024 — 31.8%. Ranked 149 in the world out of 199. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 21.1 pp.
1980–2024 · % of adults
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Africa
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 31.8 | +0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 31.4 | +0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 31.1 | +0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 30.8 | +0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 30.6 | +0.3 pp |
| 2019 | 30.3 | +0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 30.1 | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 29.8 | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 29.6 | +0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 29.3 | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 29.1 | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 28.8 | +0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 28.6 | +0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 28.4 | +0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 28.1 | +0.3 pp |
| 2009 | 27.7 | +0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 27.3 | +0.5 pp |
| 2007 | 26.8 | +0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 26.3 | +0.6 pp |
| 2005 | 25.8 | +0.6 pp |
| 2004 | 25.2 | +0.6 pp |
| 2003 | 24.5 | +0.6 pp |
| 2002 | 23.9 | +0.7 pp |
| 2001 | 23.2 | +0.7 pp |
| 2000 | 22.6 | +0.7 pp |
| 1999 | 21.9 | +0.7 pp |
| 1998 | 21.2 | +0.7 pp |
| 1997 | 20.5 | +0.9 pp |
| 1996 | 19.6 | +1 pp |
| 1995 | 18.6 | +1.1 pp |
| 1994 | 17.5 | +0.7 pp |
| 1993 | 16.9 | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 16.4 | +0.7 pp |
| 1991 | 15.8 | +0.6 pp |
| 1990 | 15.2 | +0.5 pp |
| 1989 | 14.7 | +0.5 pp |
| 1988 | 14.2 | +0.5 pp |
| 1987 | 13.7 | +0.5 pp |
| 1986 | 13.2 | +0.5 pp |
| 1985 | 12.7 | +0.4 pp |
| 1984 | 12.3 | +0.4 pp |
| 1983 | 11.8 | +0.4 pp |
| 1982 | 11.4 | +0.4 pp |
| 1981 | 11 | +0.4 pp |
| 1980 | 10.7 | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
The share of people aged 18 and over with a body mass index of 30 kg/m² and above. The series has been kept since 1980 and shows one of the fastest changes in the health of populations in the whole history of observation: in most countries the share has grown two- to threefold. The top of the ranking is held not by rich countries, as one might expect, but by the islands of Oceania and the Persian Gulf, where the shift to purchased food happened within one generation.
Important: The aggregate by country group is weighted by the whole population rather than the adult one: the share of adults differs between countries by a factor of about 1.5, so young countries get a slightly larger weight than they should.
Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
The share of adults with a body mass index of 25 and above — including those who are obese.
Nutrition Underweight in adultsThe share of adults with a body mass index below 18.5.
Nutrition Overweight in childrenThe share of children under five whose weight is above the norm for their height.
Diseases Probability of dying from noncommunicable diseasesThe chance for a thirty-year-old of dying before 70 of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease.
