Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 22 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Bangladesh, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Bangladesh is 22, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Bangladesh peaked at 22 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 16.5, in 1975.
That places Bangladesh 181st out of 190 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.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 16.5 | — |
| 1976 | 16.6 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 16.8 | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 16.9 | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 17.1 | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 17.2 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 17.4 | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 17.5 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 17.6 | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 17.8 | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 17.9 | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 18.1 | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 18.2 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 18.3 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 18.4 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 18.6 | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 18.8 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 18.9 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 19 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 19.2 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 19.3 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 19.4 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 19.7 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 20.1 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 20.4 | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 20.8 | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 21.2 | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 21.3 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 21.4 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 21.6 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 21.7 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.8 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 22 | +0.9% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 22 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.15, 87% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 22 is below the median for South Asia, which is 23.1, 95% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.78 | 16.5 | 17.1 | 5 |
| 1980s | 17.84 | 17.2 | 18.4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.11 | 18.6 | 19.7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.42 | 19.8 | 21 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.57 | 21.2 | 22 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More gender data for Bangladesh
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 48,868 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1434 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 137,205 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 137,205 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Bangladesh?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Bangladesh was 22 in 2016, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 22 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5 in 1975.
- How does Bangladesh rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Bangladesh ranks 181st out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Mean body mass index (BMI) in women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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'.