Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in India
India: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 21.9 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in India, 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 India stood at 21.9. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in India peaked at 21.9 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.6, in 1975.
India ranks 182nd of 190 countries on this measure, 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 India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 18.6 | — |
| 1976 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 18.8 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 18.8 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 18.9 | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 19 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 19.1 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 19.2 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 19.3 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 19.4 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 19.6 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 19.7 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 19.9 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 20 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 20.1 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 20.2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 20.3 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 20.4 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 20.5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 20.7 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 20.8 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.9 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 21.2 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 21.2 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 21.3 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 21.4 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 21.5 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 21.5 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 21.6 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 21.7 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 21.8 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 21.9 | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.76 | 18.6 | 18.9 | 5 |
| 1980s | 19.45 | 19 | 19.9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.27 | 19.9 | 20.6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.05 | 20.7 | 21.4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.69 | 21.5 | 21.9 | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
- 180 Burkina Faso 22.1 compare
- 181 Bangladesh 22 compare
- 182 Chad 21.9 compare
- 182 Viet Nam 21.9 compare
- 185 Japan 21.8 compare
More gender data for India
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 341,454 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.18 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.18 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 10.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 11.71 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 10.92 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 11.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 10.89 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in India?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in India was 21.9 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 21.9 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6 in 1975.
- How does India rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- India ranks 182nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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'.