Share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya

Kenya: Share of men who are overweight or obese was 21.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
21.1%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
183rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
21.1%
in 2024
All-time low
5.6%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya, 1980–2024

51015201980200220241980: 5.6 %1981: 5.8 %1982: 6 %1983: 6.3 %1984: 6.5 %1985: 6.8 %1986: 7 %1987: 7.3 %1988: 7.6 %1989: 7.9 %1990: 8.2 %1991: 8.5 %1992: 8.8 %1993: 9.2 %1994: 9.5 %1995: 9.8 %1996: 10.2 %1997: 10.6 %1998: 10.9 %1999: 11.3 %2000: 11.7 %2001: 12.1 %2002: 12.5 %2003: 12.8 %2004: 13.2 %2005: 13.6 %2006: 14 %2007: 14.3 %2008: 14.6 %2009: 15 %2010: 15.3 %2011: 15.6 %2012: 16 %2013: 16.3 %2014: 16.7 %2015: 17.1 %2016: 17.5 %2017: 17.9 %2018: 18.3 %2019: 18.7 %2020: 19.2 %2021: 19.7 %2022: 20.1 %2023: 20.6 %2024: 21.1 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya stood at 21.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 26.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya peaked at 21.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1980.

That places Kenya 183rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.7% 5.6% 7.9% 10
1990s 9.7% 8.2% 11.3% 10
2000s 13.4% 11.7% 15.0% 10
2010s 16.9% 15.3% 18.7% 10
2020s 20.1% 19.2% 21.1% 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 180 Congo 21.5% compare
  2. 181 Somalia 21.5% compare
  3. 182 Gambia 21.4% compare
  4. 184 Mozambique 21.1% compare
  5. 185 Vietnam 20.7% compare
  6. 186 Haiti 20.2% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya?
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Kenya was 21.1% 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 men who are overweight or obese recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of men who are overweight or obese recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1980.
How does Kenya rank for share of men who are overweight or obese?
Kenya ranks 183rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of men who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 men 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

Indicator
Share of men who are overweight or obese
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 8,955 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed

A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in metres squared.