Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Netherlands
Netherlands: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 25.1 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Netherlands, 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 Netherlands stood at 25.1. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Netherlands peaked at 25.1 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 23.7, in 1975.
That places Netherlands 127th 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 Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 23.7 | — |
| 1976 | 23.7 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 23.7 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 23.7 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 23.7 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 23.8 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 23.8 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 23.9 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 23.9 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 24 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 24.1 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 24.2 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 24.4 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 24.6 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 24.8 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 24.8 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 24.9 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 25 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 25 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 25.1 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.93 | 23.8 | 24.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.47 | 24.2 | 24.8 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25 | 24.8 | 25.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.1 | 25.1 | 25.1 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More gender data for Netherlands
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 2,769 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.232 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 15,988 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 15,988 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.366 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 85,418 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 89,789 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 85,046 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 89,271 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 86,477 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Netherlands?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Netherlands was 25.1 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 25.1 in 2006.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.7 in 1975.
- How does Netherlands rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Netherlands ranks 127th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands 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'.