Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Eswatini
Eswatini: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 28.9 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Eswatini, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eswatini stood at 28.9. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eswatini peaked at 28.9 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 24.5, in 1975.
Eswatini ranks 27th of 190 countries on this measure, 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 Eswatini, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 24.5 | — |
| 1976 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 24.8 | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 25.1 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 25.3 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 25.5 | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 25.8 | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 26.3 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 27.1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 27.8 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 27.9 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 28 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 28.1 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 28.2 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 28.3 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 28.4 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 28.5 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 28.6 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 28.7 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 28.8 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 28.8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 28.9 | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.78 | 24.5 | 25.1 | 5 |
| 1980s | 25.81 | 25.2 | 26.4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.92 | 26.5 | 27.3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.85 | 27.4 | 28.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.67 | 28.4 | 28.9 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More gender data for Eswatini
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 409.82 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.2852 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 911.1 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 911.1 (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 13,962 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 14,289 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 13,860 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 14,185 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 13,878 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 14,207 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eswatini?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Eswatini was 28.9 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.5 in 1975.
- How does Eswatini rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Eswatini ranks 27th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eswatini 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'.