Japan vs South Africa: Share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories
Japan
33.6%
in 2024
South Africa
36.2%
in 2024
Japan rank
144th
South Africa rank
141st
Share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 36.2% against 33.6% in Japan, a difference of 2.6%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 144th and South Africa ranks 141st of 199 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.5% | 17.5% | 1.0% | Japan |
| 1990s | 22.6% | 25.6% | 3.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 32.2% | 5.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 29.9% | 34.9% | 5.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 32.8% | 36.0% | 3.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 36.2% against 33.6% in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories between Japan and South Africa?
- 2.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories?
- Japan ranks 144th and South Africa ranks 141st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Being overweight is defined by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, and being obese is defined as a BMI greater than 30.