Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia
Namibia: Share of adults who are overweight or obese was 38.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 38.4% for share of adults who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia peaked at 38.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1980.
Namibia ranks 151st of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 12.6% | — |
| 1981 | 13.1% | +3.6% |
| 1982 | 13.5% | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 14.0% | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 14.5% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 15.0% | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 15.6% | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 16.1% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 16.7% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 17.3% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 17.9% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 18.5% | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 19.1% | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 19.8% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 20.5% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 21.1% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 21.8% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 23.3% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 24.1% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 24.8% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 25.6% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 26.3% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 27.1% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 27.8% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 28.5% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 29.1% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 29.7% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 30.3% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 30.9% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 31.4% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 32.4% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 33.3% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 33.8% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 34.3% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 34.8% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 35.3% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 35.8% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 36.3% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 36.8% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 37.3% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 37.8% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 38.4% | +1.4% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 38.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.7%, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 38.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.6%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8% | 12.6% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.9% | 17.9% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.0% | 24.8% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.6% | 31.4% | 35.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 36.3% | 38.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More reference data data for Namibia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0579 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0157 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1306 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0853 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia?
- Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Namibia was 38.4% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 38.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are overweight or obese recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1980.
- How does Namibia rank for share of adults who are overweight or obese?
- Namibia ranks 151st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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 overweight or 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
Overweight is defined here as a body mass index (BMI) above 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.