Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in El Salvador
El Salvador: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 28.3 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in El Salvador, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 28.3 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 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in El Salvador peaked at 28.3 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 22.4, in 1975.
That places El Salvador 35th 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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.4 | — |
| 1976 | 22.5 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 22.7 | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 22.9 | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 23 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 23.2 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 23.3 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 23.5 | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 23.6 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 23.8 | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 24 | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 24.3 | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 24.6 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 24.8 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 25.1 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 25.3 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 25.4 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.6 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 25.8 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 26.1 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 26.3 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.6 | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 27 | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.9 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 28 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 28.1 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 28.2 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 28.3 | +0.4% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 28.3 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 28.3 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 27.7, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.7 | 22.4 | 23 | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.88 | 23.2 | 24.6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.52 | 24.8 | 26.3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 27 | 26.4 | 27.5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.97 | 27.6 | 28.3 | 7 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 32 Trinidad and Tobago 28.6 compare
- 32 Türkiye 28.6 compare
- 34 Mexico 28.4 compare
- 36 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 28.2 compare
- 37 Chile 28.1 compare
- 38 New Zealand 28 compare
More gender data for El Salvador
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,446 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,040 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,040 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.8586 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 47,387 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 49,616 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 47,477 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 49,704 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 47,581 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in El Salvador?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in El Salvador was 28.3 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 28.3 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4 in 1975.
- How does El Salvador rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- El Salvador ranks 35th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.
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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'.