Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 27.9 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Nicaragua, 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 Nicaragua is 27.9, 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 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Nicaragua peaked at 27.9 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 22.8, in 1975.
Nicaragua ranks 39th 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 Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.8 | — |
| 1976 | 22.9 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 23.1 | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 23.2 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 23.4 | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 23.5 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 23.7 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 24.1 | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 24.2 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 24.4 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 24.8 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 24.9 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 25.1 | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 25.4 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 25.5 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.8 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 26.2 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 27.8 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 27.9 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.08 | 22.8 | 23.4 | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.15 | 23.5 | 24.8 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.56 | 24.9 | 26.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.75 | 26.3 | 27.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.6 | 27.3 | 27.9 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 36 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 28.2 compare
- 37 Chile 28.1 compare
- 38 New Zealand 28 compare
- 39 Azerbaijan 27.9 compare
- 39 Costa Rica 27.9 compare
- 39 Ecuador 27.9 compare
- 39 Seychelles 27.9 compare
More gender data for Nicaragua
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,949 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.4088 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,493 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,493 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 64,268 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 66,389 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 64,149 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 66,225 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 64,050 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Nicaragua?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Nicaragua was 27.9 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 Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 27.9 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.8 in 1975.
- How does Nicaragua rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Nicaragua ranks 39th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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'.