Mean BMI (kg/m²) in World
World: Mean BMI (kg/m²) was 24.5 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Latest (2016)
24.5
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
7th
of 12 groups
All-time high
24.5
in 2016
All-time low
21.8
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016
Mean BMI (kg/m²) in World, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2016, mean bmi (kg/m²) in World stood at 24.5. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean bmi (kg/m²) in World peaked at 24.5 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 21.8, in 1975.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.94 | 21.8 | 22.1 | 5 |
| 1980s | 22.4 | 22.1 | 22.7 | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.03 | 22.8 | 23.3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.67 | 23.4 | 24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.26 | 24 | 24.5 | 7 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population, male 50.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male 1.03 billion (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 23.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 974.32 million (2025)
- Population, male 4.13 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 9.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above 10.4% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total 854.60 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male 25.0% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 380.05 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean bmi (kg/m²) in World?
- Mean bmi (kg/m²) in World was 24.5 in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean bmi (kg/m²) recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8 in 1975.
- How does World rank for mean bmi (kg/m²)?
- World ranks 7th out of 12 groups with data for 2016.
- Is mean bmi (kg/m²) rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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).