Mean BMI (kg/m²) (age-standardized estimate) by country

Countries reporting

189

Highest

32.9

Cook Islands

Lowest

20.6

Ethiopia

Median

26.3

Years covered

1975–2016

Data points

8,484

What the numbers show

Mean BMI (kg/m²) (age-standardized estimate) is currently reported for 189 countries. The highest value is 32.9 in Cook Islands; the lowest is 20.6 in Ethiopia.

The median across all reporting countries is 26.3, and the mean is 25.86.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.

Over the past decade 180 countries rose and 5 fell. The largest increase was in Saint Lucia (up 7.1%), and the largest decrease in Nauru (down 1.8%).

Mean BMI (kg/m²): full country ranking

#	Country	Latest	Year	10-year change	Trend
1	Cook Islands	32.9	2016	up 2.2%	rising
2	Nauru	32.5	2016	down 1.8%	flat
3	Niue	32.4	2016	up 2.5%	rising
4	Tonga	32.2	2016	up 1.9%	rising
4	Samoa	32.2	2016	up 3.5%	rising
6	Tuvalu	30.8	2016	up 2.3%	rising
7	Kiribati	30.1	2016	up 2.7%	rising
8	Saint Lucia	30	2016	up 7.1%	rising
9	Micronesia (country)	29.7	2016	up 2.1%	rising
10	Egypt	29.6	2016	up 4.6%	rising
10	Kuwait	29.6	2016	up 3.1%	rising
10	Marshall Islands	29.6	2016	up 1.4%	rising
13	Saint Kitts and Nevis	29.5	2016	up 4.6%	rising
13	Palau	29.5	2016	up 0.3%	rising
15	Qatar	29.2	2016	up 3.9%	rising
16	Belize	29.1	2016	up 3.9%	rising
17	Jordan	29	2016	up 2.5%	rising
18	United States	28.9	2016	up 2.5%	rising
19	Iraq	28.8	2016	up 4.3%	rising
20	Saudi Arabia	28.5	2016	up 2.5%	rising
21	United Arab Emirates	28.4	2016	up 2.9%	rising
22	Syria	28.3	2016	up 3.3%	rising
23	Libya	28.1	2016	up 2.9%	rising
24	Bahamas	28	2016	up 2.9%	rising
24	Chile	28	2016	up 3.3%	rising
24	Mexico	28	2016	up 2.9%	rising
24	New Zealand	28	2016	up 2.6%	rising
28	Turkey	27.9	2016	up 2.6%	rising
29	Barbados	27.8	2016	up 3.0%	rising
29	Jamaica	27.8	2016	up 5.3%	rising
31	Argentina	27.7	2016	up 3.7%	rising
31	Fiji	27.7	2016	up 3.4%	rising
31	El Salvador	27.7	2016	up 3.7%	rising
34	Georgia	27.6	2016	up 4.5%	rising
34	Lebanon	27.6	2016	up 3.0%	rising
34	Trinidad and Tobago	27.6	2016	up 3.8%	rising
37	Ireland	27.5	2016	up 2.6%	rising
38	Croatia	27.4	2016	up 4.6%	rising
38	Uruguay	27.4	2016	up 4.2%	rising
40	Costa Rica	27.3	2016	up 3.4%	rising
40	Ecuador	27.3	2016	up 5.0%	rising
40	Hungary	27.3	2016	up 3.4%	rising
40	Israel	27.3	2016	up 2.6%	rising
40	South Africa	27.3	2016	up 2.6%	rising
45	Brunei	27.2	2016	up 5.0%	rising
45	Nicaragua	27.2	2016	up 3.0%	rising
45	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	27.2	2016	up 4.2%	rising
48	Australia	27.1	2016	up 1.5%	rising
48	Azerbaijan	27.1	2016	up 4.2%	rising
48	Czechia	27.1	2016	up 1.5%	flat
48	United Kingdom	27.1	2016	up 1.1%	rising
48	Greece	27.1	2016	up 0.4%	rising
48	Malta	27.1	2016	unchanged	flat
54	Dominica	27	2016	up 3.4%	rising
54	Grenada	27	2016	up 3.8%	rising
54	Moldova	27	2016	up 2.3%	rising
57	Canada	26.9	2016	up 0.7%	rising
57	Panama	26.9	2016	up 3.1%	rising
57	Romania	26.9	2016	up 5.5%	rising
57	Uzbekistan	26.9	2016	up 5.5%	rising
61	Cyprus	26.8	2016	up 0.8%	rising
61	Honduras	26.8	2016	up 4.7%	rising
61	North Macedonia	26.8	2016	up 3.1%	rising
61	Eswatini	26.8	2016	up 3.1%	rising
65	Albania	26.7	2016	up 3.9%	rising
65	Andorra	26.7	2016	down 0.4%	rising
65	Antigua and Barbuda	26.7	2016	up 3.9%	rising
65	Latvia	26.7	2016	up 2.7%	rising
65	Norway	26.7	2016	up 2.3%	rising
65	Peru	26.7	2016	up 4.3%	rising
65	Poland	26.7	2016	up 3.5%	rising
65	Paraguay	26.7	2016	up 4.3%	rising
65	Seychelles	26.7	2016	up 3.1%	rising
65	Venezuela	26.7	2016	up 0.8%	rising
75	Belarus	26.6	2016	up 1.9%	rising
75	Bolivia	26.6	2016	up 4.7%	rising
75	Brazil	26.6	2016	up 4.7%	rising
75	Germany	26.6	2016	up 1.9%	rising
75	Guatemala	26.6	2016	up 3.9%	rising
75	Kyrgyzstan	26.6	2016	up 4.7%	rising
75	Slovenia	26.6	2016	up 3.1%	rising
75	Turkmenistan	26.6	2016	up 5.1%	rising
75	Ukraine	26.6	2016	up 1.9%	rising
84	Dominican Republic	26.5	2016	up 3.9%	rising
84	Montenegro	26.5	2016	up 2.7%	rising
86	Bulgaria	26.4	2016	up 2.7%	rising
86	Estonia	26.4	2016	up 1.9%	rising
86	Guyana	26.4	2016	up 4.3%	rising
86	Kazakhstan	26.4	2016	up 2.3%	rising
86	Lithuania	26.4	2016	up 0.8%	flat
86	Slovakia	26.4	2016	up 2.3%	rising
92	Armenia	26.3	2016	up 1.5%	rising
92	Luxembourg	26.3	2016	up 1.5%	rising
92	Oman	26.3	2016	up 2.3%	rising
92	Solomon Islands	26.3	2016	up 3.5%	rising
92	Tunisia	26.3	2016	up 2.7%	rising
97	Colombia	26.2	2016	up 3.1%	rising
97	Iceland	26.2	2016	up 1.2%	rising
97	Mongolia	26.2	2016	up 5.2%	rising
97	Russia	26.2	2016	up 0.8%	flat
97	Vanuatu	26.2	2016	up 1.6%	rising
102	Belgium	26.1	2016	up 1.2%	rising
102	Iran	26.1	2016	up 2.4%	rising
102	Serbia	26.1	2016	up 2.0%	rising
102	Tajikistan	26.1	2016	up 5.7%	rising
106	Morocco	26	2016	up 3.6%	rising
106	Sweden	26	2016	up 1.6%	rising
108	Spain	25.9	2016	down 1.1%	rising
108	Finland	25.9	2016	unchanged	rising
110	Bosnia and Herzegovina	25.8	2016	up 2.8%	rising
111	Malaysia	25.7	2016	up 4.5%	rising
112	Austria	25.6	2016	up 1.2%	rising
112	Cuba	25.6	2016	up 2.4%	rising
112	Italy	25.6	2016	unchanged	rising
112	Netherlands	25.6	2016	up 0.8%	rising
112	Papua New Guinea	25.6	2016	up 3.6%	rising
112	Portugal	25.6	2016	down 0.8%	rising
118	Algeria	25.5	2016	up 3.2%	rising
118	Maldives	25.5	2016	up 6.2%	rising
120	Denmark	25.3	2016	up 0.4%	rising
120	Haiti	25.3	2016	up 5.0%	rising
122	Switzerland	25.2	2016	up 0.8%	rising
122	Gabon	25.2	2016	up 3.3%	rising
122	Mauritius	25.2	2016	up 1.6%	rising
125	France	25	2016	unchanged	flat
126	Lesotho	24.9	2016	up 2.0%	rising
126	Mauritania	24.9	2016	up 2.5%	rising
128	Bahrain	24.8	2016	down 1.6%	flat
128	Sao Tome and Principe	24.8	2016	up 2.9%	rising
130	Comoros	24.5	2016	up 4.7%	rising
130	Cape Verde	24.5	2016	up 2.5%	rising
132	Thailand	24.4	2016	up 4.3%	rising
133	Botswana	24.3	2016	up 1.2%	rising
133	Cameroon	24.3	2016	up 2.5%	rising
135	Namibia	24.2	2016	up 3.0%	rising
136	Liberia	24.1	2016	up 2.6%	rising
136	North Korea	24.1	2016	up 3.4%	rising
138	Djibouti	24	2016	up 1.3%	rising
138	Gambia	24	2016	up 4.8%	rising
138	Equatorial Guinea	24	2016	up 3.4%	rising
141	Bhutan	23.9	2016	up 4.4%	rising
141	Ghana	23.9	2016	up 2.6%	rising
141	Pakistan	23.9	2016	up 3.5%	rising
144	China	23.8	2016	up 4.4%	rising
144	Cote d'Ivoire	23.8	2016	up 2.6%	rising
144	South Korea	23.8	2016	up 1.7%	rising
144	Yemen	23.8	2016	up 3.9%	rising
144	Zimbabwe	23.8	2016	up 1.3%	rising
149	Singapore	23.6	2016	up 0.4%	flat
149	Togo	23.6	2016	up 4.0%	rising
151	Benin	23.5	2016	up 3.5%	rising
152	Afghanistan	23.4	2016	up 4.9%	rising
152	Guinea-Bissau	23.4	2016	up 3.1%	rising
154	Angola	23.3	2016	up 4.0%	rising
154	Kenya	23.3	2016	up 3.6%	rising
156	Congo	23.2	2016	up 3.1%	rising
156	Nigeria	23.2	2016	up 1.8%	rising
156	Philippines	23.2	2016	up 3.1%	rising
156	Somalia	23.2	2016	up 3.1%	rising
156	Tanzania	23.2	2016	up 3.1%	rising
161	Indonesia	23.1	2016	up 4.1%	rising
161	Sri Lanka	23.1	2016	up 4.5%	rising
163	Mali	23	2016	up 3.6%	rising
163	Senegal	23	2016	up 2.2%	rising
165	Central African Republic	22.9	2016	up 3.6%	rising
165	Guinea	22.9	2016	up 2.7%	rising
165	Laos	22.9	2016	up 5.5%	rising
165	Malawi	22.9	2016	up 3.2%	rising
169	Mozambique	22.8	2016	up 3.6%	rising
170	Japan	22.7	2016	up 0.4%	flat
170	Sierra Leone	22.7	2016	up 1.3%	rising
172	Myanmar	22.6	2016	up 3.7%	rising
172	Zambia	22.6	2016	up 3.2%	rising
174	Nepal	22.5	2016	up 5.6%	rising
174	Uganda	22.5	2016	up 4.2%	rising
176	Burkina Faso	22.2	2016	up 3.3%	rising
176	Cambodia	22.2	2016	up 4.7%	rising
178	Rwanda	22.1	2016	up 3.3%	rising
179	Democratic Republic of Congo	22	2016	up 3.8%	rising
180	Chad	21.9	2016	up 2.3%	rising
180	Vietnam	21.9	2016	up 6.3%	rising
182	India	21.8	2016	up 3.3%	rising
182	Niger	21.8	2016	up 2.3%	rising
184	Burundi	21.7	2016	up 2.8%	rising
184	Bangladesh	21.7	2016	up 4.8%	rising
186	Madagascar	21.3	2016	up 1.9%	rising
186	East Timor	21.3	2016	up 4.9%	rising
188	Eritrea	20.7	2016	up 1.5%	rising
189	Ethiopia	20.6	2016	up 2.0%	rising

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator: Mean BMI (kg/m²) (age-standardized estimate)
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage: 202 places, 8,484 data points, 1975–2016
Last refreshed: 11 August 2026