Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa
Western Asia and Northern Africa: Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight was 7.4 % in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Western Asia and Northern Africa recorded 7.4 % for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and down 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa peaked at 11 % in 2007 and was at its lowest, 7.3 %, in 2022.
Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 19th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.9 % | — |
| 2001 | 9.3 % | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 9.7 % | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 10.1 % | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 10.5 % | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 10.7 % | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 10.9 % | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 11 % | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 10.9 % | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 10.9 % | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10.7 % | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 10.5 % | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 10.2 % | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 9.9 % | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 9.6 % | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 9.2 % | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 8.9 % | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 8.5 % | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 8.2 % | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 7.9 % | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 7.7 % | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 7.5 % | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 7.3 % | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 7.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7.4 % | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.29 % | 8.9 % | 11 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.36 % | 7.9 % | 10.7 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.44 % | 7.3 % | 7.7 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Asia and Northern Africa
- 16 Armenia 12.9 % compare
- 16 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 3.3 % compare
- 17 South Africa 12.8 % 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
- 21 Botswana 11.5 % compare
- 21 Caribbean 6.7 % compare
- 22 Canada 11.4 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Asia and Northern Africa
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,828 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,365 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 25 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) 31.6 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 18.1 % (2024)
- Gross domestic product per capita, PPP, (constant 2021 international) 23,360 Int$/cap (2024)
- Percentage of population using at least basic sanitation services 91 % (2024)
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value 119 million No (2024)
- Dietary energy supply used in the estimation of the prevalence of 3,028 kcal/cap/d (2024)
- Percentage of population using safely managed sanitation services 61 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 7.4 % 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 Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11 % in 2007.
- What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3 % in 2022.
- How does Western Asia and Northern Africa rank for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight?
- Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 19th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight rising or falling in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Asia and Northern 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.