Obesity Rate in Africa (2026)
Africa shows one of the widest obesity contrasts in the world. North African countries and a few higher-income island or southern African nations record much higher obesity rates, while many countries in East and Central Africa remain among the lowest in the global ranking. Obesity Rate in Africa compares adult obesity levels across 54 African countries, showing where obesity is most common and where it remains relatively low.
See Also:
Obesity Rate in Africa Rankings
| # | Country | Obesity Rate (Both Sexes) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇬Egypt |
42.84% | 15 | Africa |
| 2 | 🇸🇨Seychelles |
34.85% | 41 | Africa |
| 3 | 🇱🇾Libya |
33.53% | 47 | Africa |
| 4 | 🇿🇦South Africa |
31.3% | 59 | Africa |
| 5 | 🇹🇳Tunisia |
27.67% | 82 | Africa |
| 6 | 🇸🇿Eswatini |
27.06% | 86 | Africa |
| 7 | 🇩🇿Algeria |
24.27% | 101 | Africa |
| 8 | 🇲🇷Mauritania |
22.1% | 113 | Africa |
| 9 | 🇲🇦Morocco |
21.97% | 114 | Africa |
| 10 | 🇬🇦Gabon |
21.78% | 115 | Africa |
| 11 | 🇲🇺Mauritius |
21.11% | 120 | Africa |
| 12 | 🇱🇸Lesotho |
20.24% | 126 | Africa |
| 13 | 🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea |
18.8% | 129 | Africa |
| 14 | 🇧🇼Botswana |
18.09% | 134 | Africa |
| 15 | 🇱🇷Liberia |
16.71% | 138 | Africa |
| 16 | 🇳🇦Namibia |
16.66% | 139 | Africa |
| 17 | 🇨🇻Cape Verde |
16.53% | 140 | Africa |
| 18 | 🇸🇹Sao Tome and Principe |
16.32% | 141 | Africa |
| 19 | 🇸🇩Sudan |
16.13% | 142 | Africa |
| 20 | 🇰🇲Comoros |
16.11% | 143 | Africa |
| 21 | 🇨🇲Cameroon |
14.59% | 146 | Africa |
| 22 | 🇬🇭Ghana |
13.8% | 147 | Africa |
| 23 | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe |
13.14% | 148 | Africa |
| 24 | 🇸🇴Somalia |
13.02% | 150 | Africa |
| 25 | 🇹🇬Togo |
12.2% | 153 | Africa |
| 26 | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
12.06% | 154 | Africa |
| 27 | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast |
12% | 157 | Africa |
| 28 | 🇦🇴Angola |
11.78% | 158 | Africa |
| 29 | 🇲🇱Mali |
11.6% | 159 | Africa |
| 30 | 🇨🇬Congo |
11.53% | 161 | Africa |
| 31 | 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau |
11.41% | 162 | Africa |
| 32 | 🇩🇯Djibouti |
11.19% | 164 | Africa |
| 33 | 🇬🇲Gambia |
11.15% | 165 | Africa |
| 34 | 🇧🇯Benin |
10.91% | 166 | Africa |
| 35 | 🇹🇿Tanzania |
10.47% | 168 | Africa |
| 36 | 🇰🇪Kenya |
10.39% | 169 | Africa |
| 37 | 🇸🇳Senegal |
10.25% | 170 | Africa |
| 38 | 🇿🇲Zambia |
10.05% | 171 | Africa |
| 39 | 🇬🇳Guinea |
9.37% | 173 | Africa |
| 40 | 🇲🇿Mozambique |
9.36% | 174 | Africa |
| 41 | 🇨🇫Central African Republic |
8.86% | 177 | Africa |
| 42 | 🇺🇬Uganda |
8.17% | 179 | Africa |
| 43 | 🇸🇸South Sudan |
8.17% | 180 | Africa |
| 44 | 🇸🇱Sierra Leone |
7.32% | 184 | Africa |
| 45 | 🇧🇫Burkina Faso |
6.99% | 185 | Africa |
| 46 | 🇲🇼Malawi |
6.7% | 186 | Africa |
| 47 | 🇹🇩Chad |
6.32% | 187 | Africa |
| 48 | 🇳🇪Niger |
6.01% | 188 | Africa |
| 49 | 🇨🇩DR Congo |
5.86% | 189 | Africa |
| 50 | 🇷🇼Rwanda |
5.21% | 191 | Africa |
| 51 | 🇧🇮Burundi |
4.7% | 194 | Africa |
| 52 | 🇲🇬Madagascar |
4.07% | 195 | Africa |
| 53 | 🇪🇷Eritrea |
3.72% | 196 | Africa |
| 54 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia |
2.53% | 198 | Africa |
Key Findings
Egypt Has the Highest Obesity Rate in Africa
- Egypt ranks #1 in Africa with an obesity rate of 42.84%, followed by Seychelles (34.85%), Libya (33.53%), South Africa (31.30%), and Tunisia (27.67%).
- These countries sit far above the African average and show where obesity is most widespread on the continent.
North Africa Ranks High for Obesity
- Several North African countries, including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, appear in the upper half of Africa’s obesity ranking.
- This reflects the region’s rapid urbanization, changing diets, reduced physical activity, and rising burden of non-communicable diseases.
South Africa Also Records a High Rate
- South Africa ranks 4th in Africa with an obesity rate of 31.30%.
- This places South Africa above many countries on the continent and highlights the growing obesity burden in more urbanized African economies.
East and Central Africa Have Lower Obesity Rates
- Countries such as Ethiopia (2.53%), Eritrea (3.72%), Madagascar (4.07%), Burundi (4.70%), and Rwanda (5.21%) rank among the lowest in Africa.
- Lower obesity rates in these countries are often linked to different food systems, lower average incomes, higher physical activity, and different nutrition patterns.
Ethiopia Has the Lowest Obesity Rate in Africa
- Ethiopia ranks last in Africa with an obesity rate of just 2.53%, the lowest in the region.
- It is followed by Eritrea (3.72%), Madagascar (4.07%), Burundi (4.70%), and Rwanda (5.21%).
About Obesity Rate in Africa
Obesity levels in Africa vary sharply by region. Countries such as Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Seychelles, and South Africa show much higher obesity rates than many countries in East, Central, and parts of West Africa. Obesity Rate in Africa measures the percentage of adults classified as obese in each African country and ranks them from highest to lowest.
These differences are shaped by urbanization, income levels, food access, diet changes, physical activity, healthcare systems, and broader public health conditions. Comparing obesity across Africa helps show how quickly nutrition and lifestyle patterns can differ within the same continent.
Definitions & Methodology
What does obesity rate in Africa measure?
Obesity rate in Africa shows the percentage of adults classified as obese in each African country. The ranking is based on the Obesity Rate (Both Sexes) value in the dataset.
How are African countries ranked?
African countries are ranked from highest to lowest according to their overall adult obesity rate. A higher percentage means a larger share of the adult population is living with obesity.
What unit is used?
All values are shown as percentages (%). For example, an obesity rate of 42.84% means about 42.84% of the adult population in that country is classified as obese.
Why do obesity rates vary across Africa?
Obesity rates across Africa are influenced by differences in diet, urbanization, income levels, physical activity, healthcare access, food systems, and lifestyle patterns.
Obesity Rate in Africa FAQs
Which country has the highest obesity rate in Africa?
Egypt has the highest obesity rate in Africa in this dataset at 42.84%, followed by Seychelles, Libya, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Which country has the lowest obesity rate in Africa?
Ethiopia has the lowest obesity rate in Africa at 2.53%, followed by Eritrea, Madagascar, Burundi, and Rwanda.
Which part of Africa has higher obesity rates?
North Africa and some higher-income island or southern African countries tend to have higher obesity rates, including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa.
Why are obesity rates lower in many African countries?
Lower obesity rates in many African countries are linked to different food systems, lower average incomes, higher physical activity, rural lifestyles, and different nutrition patterns.
How is obesity rate in Africa measured?
Obesity rate in Africa is measured as the percentage of adults in each country who fall into the obesity category according to international public health definitions used in the dataset.