Share of children who are overweight in South Africa

South Africa: Share of children who are overweight was 12.8 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
12.8
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
16th
of 162 countries
All-time high
13.3
in 2015
All-time low
11.3
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of children who are overweight in South Africa, 2000–2024

0510152000201220242000: 11.32001: 11.52002: 11.62003: 11.72004: 11.92005: 122006: 12.12007: 12.32008: 12.52009: 12.72010: 12.82011: 132012: 13.12013: 13.22014: 13.22015: 13.32016: 13.32017: 13.32018: 13.32019: 13.32020: 13.22021: 13.12022: 132023: 12.92024: 12.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 12.8 for share of children who are overweight in 2024.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children who are overweight in South Africa peaked at 13.3 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 11.3, in 2000.

That places South Africa 16th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Share of children who are overweight in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Share of children who are overweight in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 11.3
2001 11.5 +1.8%
2002 11.6 +0.9%
2003 11.7 +0.9%
2004 11.9 +1.7%
2005 12 +0.8%
2006 12.1 +0.8%
2007 12.3 +1.7%
2008 12.5 +1.6%
2009 12.7 +1.6%
2010 12.8 +0.8%
2011 13 +1.6%
2012 13.1 +0.8%
2013 13.2 +0.8%
2014 13.2 +0.0%
2015 13.3 +0.8%
2016 13.3 +0.0%
2017 13.3 +0.0%
2018 13.3 +0.0%
2019 13.3 +0.0%
2020 13.2 -0.8%
2021 13.1 -0.8%
2022 13 -0.8%
2023 12.9 -0.8%
2024 12.8 -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.96 11.3 12.7 10
2010s 13.18 12.8 13.3 10
2020s 13 12.8 13.2 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Barbados 13 compare
  2. 13 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13 compare
  3. 15 Armenia 12.9 compare
  4. 17 Mongolia 12.3 compare
  5. 17 North Macedonia 12.3 compare
  6. 19 Serbia 12.2 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children who are overweight in South Africa?
Share of children who are overweight in South Africa was 12.8 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children who are overweight recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 13.3 in 2015.
What is the lowest share of children who are overweight recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.3 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for share of children who are overweight?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of children who are overweight rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are overweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children who are overweight in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-who-are-overweight/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children who are overweight
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,050 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed