Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Share of adults who are overweight or obese was 37.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Zimbabwe, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 37.0% for share of adults who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are overweight or obese in Zimbabwe peaked at 37.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.7%, in 1980.
Zimbabwe ranks 157th 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 20.7% | — |
| 1981 | 21.0% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 21.1% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 21.3% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 21.3% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 21.4% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 21.5% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 21.6% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 21.6% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 21.8% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 21.9% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 22.0% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 22.0% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 22.1% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 22.3% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 22.5% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 22.8% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 23.0% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 23.3% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 23.6% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 24.7% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 25.1% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 26.0% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 26.9% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 27.3% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 27.8% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 28.3% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 28.8% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 29.4% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 30.6% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 31.2% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 31.8% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 32.4% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 33.1% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 33.7% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 35.0% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 35.7% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 36.3% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 37.0% | +1.9% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 37.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.7%, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 37.0% 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 | 21.3% | 20.7% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.5% | 21.9% | 23.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.8% | 24.0% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 28.3% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.7% | 34.4% | 37.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 154 Switzerland 37.8% compare
- 155 Ghana 37.7% compare
- 156 Philippines 37.3% compare
- 158 South Korea 36.7% compare
- 159 Cote d'Ivoire 36.4% compare
- 160 Nigeria 35.8% compare
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Political opposition, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament and government, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are overweight or obese in Zimbabwe?
- Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Zimbabwe was 37.0% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 37.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are overweight or obese recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 1980.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for share of adults who are overweight or obese?
- Zimbabwe ranks 157th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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
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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.