North Korea vs South Africa: Share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories
North Korea
36.6%
in 2024
South Africa
36.2%
in 2024
North Korea rank
140th
South Africa rank
141st
Share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories over time
- North Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 36.6% against 36.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.
North Korea ranks 140th and South Africa ranks 141st of 199 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.9% | 17.5% | 9.6% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 11.6% | 25.6% | 14.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 32.2% | 14.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 26.7% | 34.9% | 8.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 34.4% | 36.0% | 1.6% | 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, North Korea or South Africa?
- North Korea, at 36.6% against 36.2% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories between North Korea and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do North Korea and South Africa rank globally for share of adult men overweight or obese vs. daily supply of calories?
- North Korea ranks 140th 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.