North Korea vs Nigeria: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women
North Korea
24
in 2016
Nigeria
23.9
in 2016
North Korea rank
153rd
Nigeria rank
156th
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women over time
- North Korea
- Nigeria
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 24 against 23.9 in Nigeria, a difference of 0.1.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1975 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 153rd and Nigeria ranks 156th of 190 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.1 | 20.7 | 1.4 | North Korea |
| 1980s | 22.48 | 21.45 | 1.03 | North Korea |
| 1990s | 22.85 | 22.35 | 0.5 | North Korea |
| 2000s | 23.25 | 23.2 | 0.05 | North Korea |
| 2010s | 23.77 | 23.77 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mean body mass index (bmi) in women, North Korea or Nigeria?
- North Korea, at 24 against 23.9 in Nigeria as of 2016.
- What is the difference in mean body mass index (bmi) in women between North Korea and Nigeria?
- 0.1, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Nigeria?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2016.
- How do North Korea and Nigeria rank globally for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- North Korea ranks 153rd and Nigeria ranks 156th of 190 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Mean body mass index (BMI) in women. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Body mass index (BMI) is measured as a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by her height (in meters), squared. The WHO define a BMI <=18.5 as 'underweight'; 18.5 to <25 as 'normal/healthy'; 25.0 to <30 as 'overweight'; and >30.0 as 'obese'.