Denmark vs South Africa: Share of men who are obese
Denmark
15.5%
in 2024
South Africa
14.5%
in 2024
Denmark rank
126th
South Africa rank
129th
Share of men who are obese over time
- Denmark
- South Africa
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 15.5% against 14.5% in South Africa, a difference of 1.0%.
That makes Denmark's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Denmark ahead.
Denmark ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 129th of 199 countries.
Denmark has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.5% | 3.5% | 2.9% | Denmark |
| 1990s | 9.7% | 7.6% | 2.1% | Denmark |
| 2000s | 13.2% | 12.8% | 0.4% | Denmark |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 14.4% | 0.1% | Denmark |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.4% | 0.8% | Denmark |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of men who are obese, Denmark or South Africa?
- Denmark, at 15.5% against 14.5% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of men who are obese between Denmark and South Africa?
- 1.0%, with Denmark ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Denmark and South Africa rank globally for share of men who are obese?
- Denmark ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 129th 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 men who are obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.