Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Panama
Panama: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 27.7 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Panama, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Panama recorded 27.7 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 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Panama peaked at 27.7 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 22.7, in 1975.
That places Panama 44th out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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 Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.7 | — |
| 1976 | 22.8 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 23 | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 23.1 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 23.2 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 23.4 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 23.5 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 23.6 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 23.8 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 24.2 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 24.3 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 24.6 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 24.9 | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 25.3 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 25.4 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.6 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 25.7 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 25.9 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.3 | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 26.7 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 26.8 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 26.9 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 27 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 27 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27.2 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.3 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 27.4 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 27.5 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 27.6 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 27.7 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.96 | 22.7 | 23.2 | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.97 | 23.4 | 24.6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.36 | 24.7 | 26 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.63 | 26.1 | 27 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4 | 27.1 | 27.7 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 44 Antigua and Barbuda 27.7 compare
- 44 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 27.7 compare
- 44 Guyana 27.7 compare
- 44 Suriname 27.7 compare
More gender data for Panama
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,093 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6093 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 3,741 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 3,741 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 34,683 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 36,470 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 34,602 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 36,393 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 34,517 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Panama?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Panama was 27.7 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 Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 27.7 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.7 in 1975.
- How does Panama rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Panama ranks 44th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama 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'.