Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value was 79 million No in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value in Sub-Saharan 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 Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 79 million No. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 6.5% on the previous year and up 84.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 79 million No in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.2 million No, in 2000.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 17th of 36 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.2 million No | — |
| 2001 | 18.6 million No | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 20.1 million No | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 21.6 million No | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 23.3 million No | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 25 million No | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 26.7 million No | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 28.5 million No | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 30.3 million No | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 32.2 million No | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 34.1 million No | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 36.1 million No | +5.9% |
| 2012 | 38.2 million No | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 40.5 million No | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 42.9 million No | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 45.5 million No | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 48.2 million No | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 51.1 million No | +6.0% |
| 2018 | 54.4 million No | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 57.9 million No | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 61.6 million No | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 65.5 million No | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 69.7 million No | +6.4% |
| 2023 | 74.2 million No | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 79 million No | +6.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.35 million No | 17.2 million No | 32.2 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.89 million No | 34.1 million No | 57.9 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 70 million No | 61.6 million No | 79 million No | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 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
- 16 Saudi Arabia 9.8 million No compare
- 17 Thailand 9.6 million No compare
- 17 Polynesia 0.3 million No compare
- 18 Canada 8.4 million No compare
- 18 Micronesia 0.1 million No compare
- 19 Australia and New Zealand 7.8 million No compare
- 20 Philippines 7.4 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa was 79 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 79 million No in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2 million No in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 17th out of 36 groups with data for 2024.
- Is number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — value rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 84.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.