Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa
Eastern Africa: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 8.1 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Eastern Africa recorded 8.1 % for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 55.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa peaked at 8.1 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.6 %, in 2000.
Eastern Africa ranks 37th of 37 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.6 % | — |
| 2001 | 2.8 % | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 2.9 % | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 3.1 % | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 3.3 % | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 3.5 % | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 3.6 % | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 3.8 % | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 4 % | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 4.2 % | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 4.4 % | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 4.6 % | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 4.8 % | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5 % | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 5.2 % | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 5.5 % | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 5.7 % | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 6 % | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 6.2 % | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 6.5 % | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 6.8 % | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 7.1 % | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 7.4 % | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 7.7 % | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 8.1 % | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.38 % | 2.6 % | 4.2 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.39 % | 4.4 % | 6.5 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.42 % | 6.8 % | 8.1 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eastern Africa
- 35 Saint Lucia 34.8 % compare
- 36 Paraguay 34.7 % compare
- 37 Antigua and Barbuda 34.6 % compare
- 37 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 34.6 % compare
- 39 Bermuda 34.1 % compare
- 40 New Zealand 34 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Eastern Africa
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate -0.076 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate 0.1136 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate -0.1042 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate 0.2182 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Production, annual -0.6405 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Yield, annual 1.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Area harvested -1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered 6.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Production, annual growth rate 6.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Eastern Africa was 8.1 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Eastern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Eastern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6 % in 2000.
- How does Eastern Africa rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- Eastern Africa ranks 37th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eastern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.