Mean BMI (kg/m²) in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 28.5 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
28.5
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
20th
of 189 countries
All-time high
28.5
in 2016
All-time low
24.8
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

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

01020301975199520161975: 24.81976: 251977: 25.11978: 25.31979: 25.41980: 25.51981: 25.71982: 25.81983: 25.91984: 261985: 26.21986: 26.31987: 26.41988: 26.51989: 26.61990: 26.71991: 26.81992: 26.91993: 26.91994: 271995: 27.11996: 27.21997: 27.31998: 27.41999: 27.52000: 27.62001: 27.62002: 27.62003: 27.72004: 27.72005: 27.82006: 27.82007: 27.92008: 27.92009: 282010: 28.12011: 28.12012: 28.22013: 28.32014: 28.32015: 28.42016: 28.5

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Saudi Arabia stood at 28.5. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in Saudi Arabia peaked at 28.5 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 24.8, in 1975.

Saudi Arabia ranks 20th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 25.12 24.8 25.4 5
1980s 26.09 25.5 26.6 10
1990s 27.08 26.7 27.5 10
2000s 27.76 27.6 28 10
2010s 28.27 28.1 28.5 7

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 17 Jordan 29 compare
  2. 18 United States of America 28.9 compare
  3. 19 Iraq 28.8 compare
  4. 21 United Arab Emirates 28.4 compare
  5. 22 Syrian Arab Republic 28.3 compare
  6. 23 Libya 28.1 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More health data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in Saudi Arabia?
Mean bmi (kg/m²) in Saudi Arabia was 28.5 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 28.5 in 2016.
What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 24.8 in 1975.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
Saudi Arabia ranks 20th out of 189 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mean-bmi-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate/saudi-arabia/

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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