Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Barbados
Barbados: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 29.2 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Barbados, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Barbados recorded 29.2 for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Barbados peaked at 29.2 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 26.2, in 1975.
That places Barbados 22nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Barbados, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 26.2 | — |
| 1976 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 26.4 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 26.7 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 26.9 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 26.9 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 27 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 27.1 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 27.2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 27.4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 27.8 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 27.9 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 28 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 28.1 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 28.1 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 28.2 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 28.3 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 28.4 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 28.5 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 28.6 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 28.6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 28.7 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 28.8 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 28.9 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 29 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 29.1 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 29.2 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 29.2 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.36 | 26.2 | 26.5 | 5 |
| 1980s | 26.86 | 26.6 | 27.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.42 | 27.1 | 27.8 | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.27 | 27.9 | 28.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.99 | 28.7 | 29.2 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 20 United Arab Emirates 29.4 compare
- 21 South Africa 29.3 compare
- 22 Libya 29.2 compare
- 22 Saudi Arabia 29.2 compare
- 22 Syrian Arab Republic 29.2 compare
More gender data for Barbados
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 46.7 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6214 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 235.79 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 235.79 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.0373 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1,526 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1,574 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1,531 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1,581 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1,539 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Barbados?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Barbados was 29.2 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 Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2 in 2015.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.2 in 1975.
- How does Barbados rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Barbados ranks 22nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados 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'.