Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Palau
Palau: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 29.6 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Palau, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Palau recorded 29.6 for mean body mass index (bmi) in women in 2016. 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 Palau peaked at 29.6 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 27.6, in 1975.
That places Palau 18th out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Palau, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 27.6 | — |
| 1976 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 27.8 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 27.9 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 28 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 28.1 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 28.2 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 28.3 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 28.4 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 28.5 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 28.6 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 28.7 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 28.8 | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 28.9 | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 29 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 29.1 | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 29.2 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 29.2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 29.3 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 29.3 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 29.4 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 29.4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 29.5 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 29.5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 29.6 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 29.6 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.8 | 27.6 | 28 | 5 |
| 1980s | 28.55 | 28.1 | 29 | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.34 | 29.1 | 29.5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.56 | 29.5 | 29.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.6 | 29.6 | 29.6 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More gender data for Palau
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 89 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 96 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 90 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 97 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 92 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 99 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 94 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 101 (2025)
- Age population, age 04, female, interpolated 96 (2025)
- Age population, age 04, male, interpolated 103 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Palau?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Palau was 29.6 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 Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 29.6 in 2004.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.6 in 1975.
- How does Palau rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Palau ranks 18th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palau 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'.