Body weight — Share of population who are obese in South Africa

South Africa: Body weight — Share of population who are obese was 30 Percentage of population in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
30 Percentage of population
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
7th
of 18 countries
All-time high
30 Percentage of population
in 2022
All-time low
14.1 Percentage of population
in 1990
Years of data
33
1990–2022

Body weight — Share of population who are obese in South Africa, 1990–2022

01020301990200620221990: 14.1 Percentage of population1991: 14.6 Percentage of population1992: 15.3 Percentage of population1993: 16 Percentage of population1994: 16.7 Percentage of population1995: 17.4 Percentage of population1996: 18.2 Percentage of population1997: 18.9 Percentage of population1998: 19.5 Percentage of population1999: 20.1 Percentage of population2000: 20.7 Percentage of population2001: 21.3 Percentage of population2002: 21.9 Percentage of population2003: 22.5 Percentage of population2004: 23 Percentage of population2005: 23.5 Percentage of population2006: 24 Percentage of population2007: 24.5 Percentage of population2008: 24.9 Percentage of population2009: 25.3 Percentage of population2010: 25.6 Percentage of population2011: 26 Percentage of population2012: 26.3 Percentage of population2013: 26.6 Percentage of population2014: 26.9 Percentage of population2015: 27.1 Percentage of population2016: 27.5 Percentage of population2017: 28 Percentage of population2018: 28.4 Percentage of population2019: 28.9 Percentage of population2020: 29.3 Percentage of population2021: 29.7 Percentage of population2022: 30 Percentage of population

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of population.

Analysis

In 2022, body weight — share of population who are obese in South Africa stood at 30 Percentage of population. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, body weight — share of population who are obese in South Africa peaked at 30 Percentage of population in 2022 and was at its lowest, 14.1 Percentage of population, in 1990.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Body weight — Share of population who are obese in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Body weight — Share of population who are obese in South Africa, 1990 to 2022.
Year Percentage of population Change
1990 14.1 Percentage of population
1991 14.6 Percentage of population +3.5%
1992 15.3 Percentage of population +4.8%
1993 16 Percentage of population +4.6%
1994 16.7 Percentage of population +4.4%
1995 17.4 Percentage of population +4.2%
1996 18.2 Percentage of population +4.6%
1997 18.9 Percentage of population +3.8%
1998 19.5 Percentage of population +3.2%
1999 20.1 Percentage of population +3.1%
2000 20.7 Percentage of population +3.0%
2001 21.3 Percentage of population +2.9%
2002 21.9 Percentage of population +2.8%
2003 22.5 Percentage of population +2.7%
2004 23 Percentage of population +2.2%
2005 23.5 Percentage of population +2.2%
2006 24 Percentage of population +2.1%
2007 24.5 Percentage of population +2.1%
2008 24.9 Percentage of population +1.6%
2009 25.3 Percentage of population +1.6%
2010 25.6 Percentage of population +1.2%
2011 26 Percentage of population +1.6%
2012 26.3 Percentage of population +1.2%
2013 26.6 Percentage of population +1.1%
2014 26.9 Percentage of population +1.1%
2015 27.1 Percentage of population +0.7%
2016 27.5 Percentage of population +1.5%
2017 28 Percentage of population +1.8%
2018 28.4 Percentage of population +1.4%
2019 28.9 Percentage of population +1.8%
2020 29.3 Percentage of population +1.4%
2021 29.7 Percentage of population +1.4%
2022 30 Percentage of population +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.08 Percentage of population 14.1 Percentage of population 20.1 Percentage of population 10
2000s 23.16 Percentage of population 20.7 Percentage of population 25.3 Percentage of population 10
2010s 27.13 Percentage of population 25.6 Percentage of population 28.9 Percentage of population 10
2020s 29.67 Percentage of population 29.3 Percentage of population 30 Percentage of population 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 4 New Zealand 34.2 Percentage of population compare
  2. 5 Australia 30.7 Percentage of population compare
  3. 6 Finland 30.2 Percentage of population compare
  4. 8 Ukraine 29.2 Percentage of population compare
  5. 9 Brazil 28.8 Percentage of population compare
  6. 10 Russian Federation 28.1 Percentage of population compare

See the full ranking of 20 places →

More population data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is body weight — share of population who are obese in South Africa?
Body weight — share of population who are obese in South Africa was 30 Percentage of population in 2022, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest body weight — share of population who are obese recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 30 Percentage of population in 2022.
What is the lowest body weight — share of population who are obese recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 14.1 Percentage of population in 1990.
How does South Africa rank for body weight — share of population who are obese?
South Africa ranks 7th out of 18 countries with data for 2022.
Is body weight — share of population who are obese rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Body weight — Share of population who are obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Body weight — Share of population who are obese in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/body-weight-share-of-population-who-are-obese/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Body weight — Share of population who are obese
Unit
Percentage of population
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
20 places, 480 data points, 1975–2025
Last refreshed

Unhealthy lifestyles and poor environments cause millions of people to die prematurely. Smoking, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are the root cause of many chronic conditions. This dataset presents the latest data for overweight and obesity (measured and self-reported data). Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.