Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Kenya
Kenya: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 24.5 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Kenya, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Kenya is 24.5, measured 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 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Kenya peaked at 24.5 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 19.5, in 1975.
Kenya ranks 139th of 190 countries on this measure, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 19.5 | — |
| 1976 | 19.7 | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 20.1 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 20.3 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 20.5 | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 20.7 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 20.8 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 21 | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 21.2 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 21.3 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 21.4 | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 21.5 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 21.6 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 21.8 | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 21.9 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 22 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 22.1 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 22.2 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 22.3 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 22.5 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 22.6 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 22.7 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 22.8 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 23 | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 23.1 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 23.2 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 23.3 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 23.4 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 23.5 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.7 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 24.4 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.8 | 19.5 | 20.1 | 5 |
| 1980s | 20.77 | 20.2 | 21.3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.93 | 21.4 | 22.5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.13 | 22.6 | 23.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.13 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More gender data for Kenya
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 21,579 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.8794 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 41,524 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 41,524 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.3 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 740,912 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 751,960 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 725,839 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 736,424 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 712,907 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Kenya?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Kenya was 24.5 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5 in 1975.
- How does Kenya rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Kenya ranks 139th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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'.