Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of

Korea, Republic of: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 23.8 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
23.8
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
142nd
of 187 countries
All-time high
23.8
in 2016
All-time low
20.5
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of, 1975–2016

05101520251975199520161975: 20.51976: 20.61977: 20.81978: 20.91979: 211980: 21.21981: 21.31982: 21.41983: 21.61984: 21.71985: 21.81986: 21.91987: 221988: 22.21989: 22.31990: 22.41991: 22.51992: 22.61993: 22.71994: 22.71995: 22.81996: 22.91997: 231998: 231999: 23.12000: 23.12001: 23.22002: 23.22003: 23.32004: 23.32005: 23.32006: 23.42007: 23.42008: 23.52009: 23.52010: 23.52011: 23.62012: 23.62013: 23.62014: 23.72015: 23.72016: 23.8

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of stood at 23.8. 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 1.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of peaked at 23.8 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 20.5, in 1975.

Korea, Republic of ranks 142nd of 187 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 20.76 20.5 21 5
1980s 21.74 21.2 22.3 10
1990s 22.77 22.4 23.1 10
2000s 23.32 23.1 23.5 10
2010s 23.64 23.5 23.8 7

Countries ranked near Korea, Republic of

  1. 139 Bhutan 23.9 compare
  2. 139 Pakistan 23.9 compare
  3. 139 Ghana 23.9 compare
  4. 142 China, People's Republic of 23.8 compare
  5. 142 Côte d'Ivoire 23.8 compare
  6. 142 Zimbabwe 23.8 compare
  7. 142 Yemen, Republic of 23.8 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More health data for Korea, Republic of

All data for Korea, Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of?
Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Korea, Republic of was 23.8 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Korea, Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 23.8 in 2016.
What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Korea, Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 20.5 in 1975.
How does Korea, Republic of rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
Korea, Republic of ranks 142nd out of 187 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Korea, Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea, Republic of 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 Korea, Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mean-bmi-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate/korea-rep/

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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