Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Eritrea
Eritrea: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 21.1 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Eritrea, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Eritrea recorded 21.1 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 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eritrea peaked at 21.1 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 18.1, in 1975.
That places Eritrea 188th 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 Eritrea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 18.1 | — |
| 1976 | 18.2 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 18.3 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 18.4 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 18.4 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 18.5 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 18.6 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 18.8 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 18.9 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 19 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 19.1 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.2 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 19.3 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 19.4 | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 19.5 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 19.6 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 19.7 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 19.8 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 20 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 20.1 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 20.1 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 20.3 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.3 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 20.4 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 20.5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 20.6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 20.7 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 20.8 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 20.8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 20.9 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 21.1 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.28 | 18.1 | 18.4 | 5 |
| 1980s | 18.91 | 18.5 | 19.3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.73 | 19.4 | 20.1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.42 | 20.1 | 20.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.94 | 20.8 | 21.1 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 185 Japan 21.8 compare
- 186 Burundi 21.6 compare
- 187 Timor-Leste 21.3 compare
- 188 Ethiopia 21.1 compare
- 188 Madagascar 21.1 compare
More gender data for Eritrea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,428 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.34 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 49,309 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 50,569 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 47,954 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 49,112 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 46,799 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 47,925 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 45,991 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 47,065 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eritrea?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eritrea was 21.1 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1 in 2015.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.1 in 1975.
- How does Eritrea rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Eritrea ranks 188th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eritrea 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'.