Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight was 12.8 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa is 12.8 %, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa peaked at 13.3 % in 2015 and was at its lowest, 11.3 %, in 2000.
That places South Africa 17th out of 148 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.3 % | — |
| 2001 | 11.5 % | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 11.6 % | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 11.7 % | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 11.9 % | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 12 % | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 12.1 % | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 12.3 % | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 12.5 % | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 12.7 % | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 12.8 % | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 13 % | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 13.1 % | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 13.2 % | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 13.2 % | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 13.3 % | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 13.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 13.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 13.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 13.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 13.2 % | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 13.1 % | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 13 % | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 12.9 % | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 12.8 % | -0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 12.8 % is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5 %, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 12.8 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.25 %, 3.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.96 % | 11.3 % | 12.7 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.18 % | 12.8 % | 13.3 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 13 % | 12.8 % | 13.2 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 14 Barbados 13 % compare
- 14 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13 % compare
- 14 Cabo Verde 8.4 % compare
- 14 Republic of Moldova 4.1 % compare
- 15 Lao People's Democratic Republic 3.7 % compare
- 16 Armenia 12.9 % compare
- 16 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 3.3 % compare
- 18 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2.7 % compare
- 18 Mongolia 12.3 % compare
- 18 North Macedonia 12.3 % compare
- 19 Timor-Leste 1.2 % compare
- 20 Serbia 12.2 % 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 percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa?
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in South Africa was 12.8 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3 % in 2015.
- What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3 % in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight?
- South Africa ranks 17th out of 148 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. 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 Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight (modelled estimates) (percent) — 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.