Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) was 31 % in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa is 31 %, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa peaked at 32.7 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 26 %, in 2012.
Southern Africa ranks 15th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 32.7 % | — |
| 2001 | 32 % | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 31.4 % | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 30.7 % | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 30.1 % | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 29.4 % | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 28.7 % | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 28 % | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 27.4 % | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 26.8 % | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 26.4 % | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 26.1 % | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 26 % | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 26.1 % | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 26.3 % | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 26.5 % | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 26.9 % | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 27.3 % | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 27.7 % | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 28.2 % | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 28.7 % | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 29.4 % | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 30.1 % | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 31 % | +3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.72 % | 26.8 % | 32.7 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.75 % | 26 % | 28.2 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.8 % | 28.7 % | 31 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
- 12 Gambia 46.1 % compare
- 12 Republic of Moldova 28.5 % compare
- 13 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 27.5 % compare
- 13 Haiti 45.9 % compare
- 14 Guinea 45.7 % compare
- 14 Guinea-Bissau 45.7 % compare
- 14 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 25.5 % compare
- 15 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 25.2 % compare
- 16 Afghanistan 45.4 % compare
- 16 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 24.9 % compare
- 17 Sierra Leone 44.6 % compare
- 17 Micronesia 24.5 % compare
- 18 Burkina Faso 44.3 % compare
- 18 Micronesia (Federated States of) 22.1 % compare
- 18 Caribbean 29.1 % compare
More economy & growth data for Southern Africa
- Gross Domestic Product, GDP in millions constant 2021 international $ 1.01 million (2027)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Value US$ 68,622 million USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ 437,021 million USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita 5,975 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita, 2015 prices 5,489 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$, 2015 prices 401,475 million USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ 5 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ per capita 3.65 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$, 2015 prices 0.5481 % (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Value US$, 2015 prices, annual growth -3.16 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa?
- Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Southern Africa was 31 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 32.7 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26 % in 2012.
- How does Southern Africa rank for prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years)?
- Southern Africa ranks 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) (percent) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.