Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Lesotho
Lesotho: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 27 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Lesotho, 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 Lesotho is 27, 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 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Lesotho peaked at 27 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 24.2, in 1975.
That places Lesotho 62nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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 Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 24.2 | — |
| 1976 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 24.5 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 24.8 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 24.8 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 25 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 25.2 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 25.3 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 25.4 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 25.5 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 25.5 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.7 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.7 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 25.8 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 26 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 26.2 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.2 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 26.4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 26.6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 26.7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 26.8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.9 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 27 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.38 | 24.2 | 24.5 | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.93 | 24.6 | 25.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.64 | 25.3 | 26 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.33 | 26 | 26.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.83 | 26.7 | 27 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More gender data for Lesotho
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 786.22 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5717 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,708 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,708 (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,291 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 26,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,880 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,319 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,717 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 26,150 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Lesotho?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Lesotho was 27 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 27 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2 in 1975.
- How does Lesotho rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Lesotho ranks 62nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho 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'.