Fez — Morocco’s adult obesity rate reportedly reached 13.79% in 2025, placing the country as reportedly 9th among African nations with the highest adult obesity prevalence, according to a new list by economic platform The African Exponent.
The outlet attributes Morocco’s rise to changing diets, growth in sedentary, office-based work, and the widespread availability of fast and ultra-processed foods — trends most visible in Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech.
The ranking’s headline figures align with the World Obesity Federation’s Global Obesity Observatory, which lists Morocco’s combined adult obesity prevalence at 13.79%. Regionally, the same ranking names Egypt first at 32.48%, followed by Libya (≈28%) and Seychelles (20.58%). Tunisia places fourth at 19.92%, while Algeria is sixth with 16.03%; South Africa and Mauritius also feature in the top ten.
However, it is important to note that the numbers are likely incorrectly skewed for Morocco overall, as the report study does not represent the country’s full territorial integrity — with a truncated map that excludes the southern provinces in Western Sahara.
A persistent gender gap
The report notes that obesity across Africa disproportionately affects women, and in its Morocco entry, it flags a significant female–male gap. Independent profiles of Morocco’s nutrition landscape likewise show higher obesity among women than men.
The Global Nutrition Report estimates 35.7% of women and 22.6% of men live with obesity in Morocco (age-standardised), underscoring a substantial gender disparity even if the precise ratio differs by dataset and method.
Analysts link the gap to social norms around body image and uneven access to safe, affordable spaces for physical activity, particularly in dense urban areas.
Why it matters
Obesity raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, conditions already straining outpatient services in Morocco’s largest cities.
Public-health researchers warn that rapid urbanisation, commuting patterns, and the nutrition transition—away from legumes, vegetables, and whole grains toward calorie-dense processed foods—will keep pushing prevalence upward unless policies continue to scale and household habits shift.
