Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Brazil
Brazil: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 26.8 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Brazil, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Brazil recorded 26.8 for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Brazil peaked at 26.8 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 22.8, in 1975.
That places Brazil 70th out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Brazil, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.8 | — |
| 1976 | 22.9 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 23 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 23.2 | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 23.3 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 23.4 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 23.5 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 23.6 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 23.7 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 23.7 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 24.4 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 24.7 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 24.8 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 25.3 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 25.4 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 25.5 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 25.5 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 25.8 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 26.2 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 26.5 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.04 | 22.8 | 23.3 | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.79 | 23.4 | 24.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.63 | 24.3 | 25 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.53 | 25.1 | 26 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.46 | 26.1 | 26.8 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More gender data for Brazil
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 38,780 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.39 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 177,295 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 177,295 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.6283 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.23 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.29 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.25 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.30 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.26 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Brazil?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Brazil was 26.8 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.8 in 1975.
- How does Brazil rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Brazil ranks 70th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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'.