Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value in South Africa
South Africa: Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value was 14 million No in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
In 2024, number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in South Africa stood at 14 million No. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in South Africa peaked at 14 million No in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.1 million No, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 12th of 162 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value in South Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.1 million No | — |
| 2001 | 6.5 million No | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 6.8 million No | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 7.2 million No | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 7.5 million No | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 7.9 million No | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 8.2 million No | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 8.6 million No | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 8.9 million No | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 9.2 million No | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 9.5 million No | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 9.8 million No | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 10 million No | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 10.3 million No | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 10.7 million No | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 11 million No | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 11.3 million No | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 11.5 million No | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 11.9 million No | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 12.2 million No | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 12.6 million No | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 13 million No | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 13.3 million No | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 13.7 million No | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 14 million No | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.69 million No | 6.1 million No | 9.2 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.82 million No | 9.5 million No | 12.2 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.32 million No | 12.6 million No | 14 million No | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 9 Nigeria 16.6 million No compare
- 9 United Republic of Tanzania 4 million No compare
- 10 Democratic Republic of the Congo 3.5 million No compare
- 10 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 15 million No compare
- 11 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2.4 million No compare
- 11 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2.4 million No compare
- 11 Germany 14.5 million No compare
- 13 Argentina 12.5 million No compare
- 13 Melanesia 2.2 million No compare
- 14 Iraq 10.4 million No compare
- 14 Viet Nam 1.7 million No compare
- 15 Colombia 9.9 million No compare
- 15 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.5 million No compare
- 15 Republic of Moldova 0.5 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in South Africa?
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in South Africa was 14 million No in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14 million No in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.1 million No in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value?
- South Africa ranks 12th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.