Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Ghana

Ghana: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 23.9 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
23.9
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
139th
of 187 countries
All-time high
23.9
in 2015
All-time low
19.8
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Ghana, 1975–2016

05101520251975199520161975: 19.81976: 19.91977: 201978: 20.11979: 20.21980: 20.31981: 20.41982: 20.51983: 20.61984: 20.71985: 20.81986: 211987: 21.11988: 21.21989: 21.31990: 21.41991: 21.51992: 21.71993: 21.81994: 21.91995: 221996: 22.11997: 22.21998: 22.41999: 22.52000: 22.62001: 22.72002: 22.82003: 22.92004: 23.12005: 23.22006: 23.32007: 23.42008: 23.42009: 23.52010: 23.62011: 23.72012: 23.72013: 23.82014: 23.82015: 23.92016: 23.9

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Ghana stood at 23.9. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Ghana peaked at 23.9 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 19.8, in 1975.

That places Ghana 139th out of 187 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 20 19.8 20.2 5
1980s 20.79 20.3 21.3 10
1990s 21.95 21.4 22.5 10
2000s 23.09 22.6 23.5 10
2010s 23.77 23.6 23.9 7

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 136 Djibouti 24 compare
  2. 136 Gambia 24 compare
  3. 136 Equatorial Guinea 24 compare
  4. 139 Bhutan 23.9 compare
  5. 139 Pakistan 23.9 compare
  6. 142 China (People’s Republic of) 23.8 compare
  7. 142 Côte d’Ivoire 23.8 compare
  8. 142 Korea 23.8 compare
  9. 142 Zimbabwe 23.8 compare
  10. 142 Yemen 23.8 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More health data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Ghana?
Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Ghana was 23.9 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 23.9 in 2015.
What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 19.8 in 1975.
How does Ghana rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
Ghana ranks 139th out of 187 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ghana 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 Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mean-bmi-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate/ghana/

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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