Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region)
Americas (WHO region): Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 27.6 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Latest (2016)
27.6
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
1st
of 12 groups
All-time high
27.6
in 2015
All-time low
23.9
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016
Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region), 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Americas (WHO region) recorded 27.6 for mean bmi (kg/m²) in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region) peaked at 27.6 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 23.9, in 1975.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 23.9 | — |
| 1976 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 24.2 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 24.8 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 25.4 | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 25.5 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 25.7 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.8 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 26.2 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 26.9 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.3 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 27.6 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.08 | 23.9 | 24.2 | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.74 | 24.3 | 25.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.74 | 25.2 | 26.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.72 | 26.3 | 27.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.41 | 27.2 | 27.6 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Americas (WHO region)
More health data for Americas (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases 12,380 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 385 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 24,640 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 72 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases 23 (2025)
- Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard 19.7% (2024)
- Underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 2.3% (2024)
- Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) 35.0% (2024)
- Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 68.1% (2024)
- Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard 39.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region)?
- Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Americas (WHO region) was 27.6 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Americas (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 27.6 in 2015.
- What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Americas (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.9 in 1975.
- How does Americas (WHO region) rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
- Americas (WHO region) ranks 1st out of 12 groups with data for 2016.
- Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Americas (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Americas (WHO region) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).