Share of adults who are obese in Kenya
Kenya: Share of adults who are obese was 10.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of adults who are obese in Kenya, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 10.4% for share of adults who are obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 47.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese in Kenya peaked at 10.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1980.
That places Kenya 169th out of 199 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.
Share of adults who are obese in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.0% | — |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 1.3% | +5.0% |
| 1986 | 1.4% | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 1.5% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 1.5% | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 1.6% | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 1.7% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +6.3% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +6.4% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | +6.6% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 3.0% | +7.0% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | +6.9% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 4.7% | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 5.0% | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 5.5% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 6.7% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 8.4% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 10.4% | +3.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 10.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.6%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 10.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.6%, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 3.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 5.8% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese in Kenya?
- Share of adults who are obese in Kenya was 10.4% 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 adults who are obese recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1980.
- How does Kenya rank for share of adults who are obese?
- Kenya ranks 169th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 47.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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 adults who are obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Obesity is defined here as a body mass index (BMI) above 30. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.