Share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of children who are overweight or obese was 1.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria stood at 1.6%.
That represents a change of up 6.7% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria peaked at 6.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2019.
That places Nigeria 157th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.9% | 3.1% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3216 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3105 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.8 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4187 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 860.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria?
- Share of children who are overweight or obese in Nigeria was 1.6% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are overweight or obese recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of children who are overweight or obese recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2019.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of children who are overweight or obese?
- Nigeria ranks 157th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children under five years old that are defined as overweight or obese. A child is classified as overweight if their weight-for-height is more than two standard deviations from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards.