Mean BMI (kg/m²) in India
India: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 21.8 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Latest (2016)
21.8
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
182nd
of 189 countries
All-time high
21.8
in 2016
All-time low
18.5
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016
Mean BMI (kg/m²) in India, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in India stood at 21.8. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in India peaked at 21.8 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.5, in 1975.
India ranks 182nd of 189 countries on this measure, in the bottom 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 | 18.7 | 18.5 | 18.9 | 5 |
| 1980s | 19.45 | 19 | 19.9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.25 | 19.9 | 20.6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.99 | 20.7 | 21.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.59 | 21.4 | 21.8 | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
More health data for India
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,332 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by country 76 (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 76 (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 13.43 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 12.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 13.62 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 12.35 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 13.69 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 12.44 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in India?
- Mean bmi (kg/m²) in India was 21.8 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5 in 1975.
- How does India rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
- India ranks 182nd out of 189 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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).