Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 23.4 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
23.4
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
152nd
of 189 countries
All-time high
23.4
in 2016
All-time low
18.9
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Afghanistan, 1975–2016

05101520251975199520161975: 18.91976: 191977: 19.21978: 19.31979: 19.41980: 19.51981: 19.61982: 19.81983: 19.91984: 201985: 20.11986: 20.21987: 20.31988: 20.41989: 20.51990: 20.61991: 20.81992: 20.91993: 211994: 21.11995: 21.21996: 21.31997: 21.41998: 21.51999: 21.62000: 21.72001: 21.82002: 21.92003: 222004: 22.12005: 22.22006: 22.32007: 22.42008: 22.52009: 22.62010: 22.72011: 22.82012: 22.92013: 232014: 23.22015: 23.32016: 23.4

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for mean bmi (kg/m²) in Afghanistan is 23.4, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Afghanistan peaked at 23.4 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.9, in 1975.

That places Afghanistan 152nd out of 189 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.

Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Mean BMI (kg/m²) (age-standardized estimate) in Afghanistan, 1975 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1975 18.9
1976 19 +0.5%
1977 19.2 +1.1%
1978 19.3 +0.5%
1979 19.4 +0.5%
1980 19.5 +0.5%
1981 19.6 +0.5%
1982 19.8 +1.0%
1983 19.9 +0.5%
1984 20 +0.5%
1985 20.1 +0.5%
1986 20.2 +0.5%
1987 20.3 +0.5%
1988 20.4 +0.5%
1989 20.5 +0.5%
1990 20.6 +0.5%
1991 20.8 +1.0%
1992 20.9 +0.5%
1993 21 +0.5%
1994 21.1 +0.5%
1995 21.2 +0.5%
1996 21.3 +0.5%
1997 21.4 +0.5%
1998 21.5 +0.5%
1999 21.6 +0.5%
2000 21.7 +0.5%
2001 21.8 +0.5%
2002 21.9 +0.5%
2003 22 +0.5%
2004 22.1 +0.5%
2005 22.2 +0.5%
2006 22.3 +0.5%
2007 22.4 +0.4%
2008 22.5 +0.4%
2009 22.6 +0.4%
2010 22.7 +0.4%
2011 22.8 +0.4%
2012 22.9 +0.4%
2013 23 +0.4%
2014 23.2 +0.9%
2015 23.3 +0.4%
2016 23.4 +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 19.16 18.9 19.4 5
1980s 20.03 19.5 20.5 10
1990s 21.14 20.6 21.6 10
2000s 22.15 21.7 22.6 10
2010s 23.04 22.7 23.4 7

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 149 Singapore 23.6 compare
  2. 149 Togo 23.6 compare
  3. 151 Benin 23.5 compare
  4. 152 Guinea-Bissau 23.4 compare
  5. 154 Angola 23.3 compare
  6. 154 Kenya 23.3 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More health data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Afghanistan?
Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Afghanistan was 23.4 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 23.4 in 2016.
What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 18.9 in 1975.
How does Afghanistan rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
Afghanistan ranks 152nd out of 189 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Mean BMI (kg/m²) (age-standardized estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mean-bmi-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate/afghanistan/

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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