Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Australia
Australia: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 27.1 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Latest (2016)
27.1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
48th
of 189 countries
All-time high
27.1
in 2014
All-time low
23.9
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016
Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Australia, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Australia stood at 27.1. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Australia peaked at 27.1 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 23.9, in 1975.
That places Australia 48th out of 189 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.06 | 23.9 | 24.2 | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.67 | 24.3 | 25.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.65 | 25.2 | 26.1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.59 | 26.2 | 26.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.03 | 26.9 | 27.1 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More health data for Australia
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 906.6 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 215 (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by country 0 (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 178,762 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 168,402 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 173,667 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 163,850 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 166,847 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 158,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Australia?
- Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Australia was 27.1 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1 in 2014.
- What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.9 in 1975.
- How does Australia rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
- Australia ranks 48th out of 189 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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).