South Africa vs Switzerland: Share of men who are obese
South Africa
14.5%
in 2024
Switzerland
13.6%
in 2024
South Africa rank
129th
Switzerland rank
132nd
Share of men who are obese over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 14.5% against 13.6% in Switzerland, a difference of 0.9%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Switzerland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Switzerland ahead.
South Africa ranks 129th and Switzerland ranks 132nd of 199 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Switzerland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.5% | 8.6% | 5.0% | Switzerland |
| 1990s | 7.6% | 9.3% | 1.6% | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 12.8% | 11.3% | 1.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 12.6% | 1.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 13.3% | 1.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of men who are obese, South Africa or Switzerland?
- South Africa, at 14.5% against 13.6% in Switzerland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of men who are obese between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.9%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for share of men who are obese?
- South Africa ranks 129th and Switzerland ranks 132nd 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.