Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in New Zealand
New Zealand: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 28 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in New Zealand, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 28 for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in New Zealand peaked at 28 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 23.6, in 1975.
New Zealand ranks 38th 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 23.6 | — |
| 1976 | 23.7 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 24.8 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 25.1 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 25.3 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 25.5 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 25.7 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.9 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 26.3 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.9 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 27.2 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 27.7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 27.8 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 27.9 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 28 | +0.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 28 is above the median for high income countries, which is 26.4, 1.1× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 28 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.35, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.8 | 23.6 | 24 | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.56 | 24.1 | 25.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.8 | 25.2 | 26.4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.99 | 26.5 | 27.4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.74 | 27.5 | 28 | 7 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 35 El Salvador 28.3 compare
- 36 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 28.2 compare
- 37 Chile 28.1 compare
- 39 Azerbaijan 27.9 compare
- 39 Costa Rica 27.9 compare
- 39 Ecuador 27.9 compare
- 39 Nicaragua 27.9 compare
- 39 Seychelles 27.9 compare
More gender data for New Zealand
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 907.87 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6435 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,499 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,499 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7305 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,751 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,320 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,663 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,141 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in New Zealand?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in New Zealand was 28 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 28 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6 in 1975.
- How does New Zealand rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- New Zealand ranks 38th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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'.