Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Nigeria

Nigeria: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 23.2 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
23.2
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
154th
of 187 countries
All-time high
23.2
in 2014
All-time low
20
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Nigeria, 1975–2016

05101520251975199520161975: 201976: 20.11977: 20.21978: 20.31979: 20.41980: 20.51981: 20.61982: 20.71983: 20.81984: 20.91985: 211986: 21.11987: 21.21988: 21.31989: 21.41990: 21.51991: 21.61992: 21.71993: 21.71994: 21.81995: 21.91996: 221997: 22.11998: 22.11999: 22.22000: 22.32001: 22.42002: 22.52003: 22.52004: 22.62005: 22.72006: 22.82007: 22.82008: 22.92009: 22.92010: 232011: 232012: 23.12013: 23.12014: 23.22015: 23.22016: 23.2

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 23.2 for mean bmi (kg/m²) in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

The figure is up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Nigeria peaked at 23.2 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 20, in 1975.

That places Nigeria 154th out of 187 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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 20.2 20 20.4 5
1980s 20.95 20.5 21.4 10
1990s 21.86 21.5 22.2 10
2000s 22.64 22.3 22.9 10
2010s 23.11 23 23.2 7

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 152 Angola 23.3 compare
  2. 152 Kenya 23.3 compare
  3. 154 Philippines 23.2 compare
  4. 154 Tanzania 23.2 compare
  5. 154 Somalia 23.2 compare
  6. 154 Congo 23.2 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Nigeria?
Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Nigeria was 23.2 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 23.2 in 2014.
What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 20 in 1975.
How does Nigeria rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
Nigeria ranks 154th out of 187 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mean-bmi-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate/nigeria/

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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