Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of
Tanzania, United Republic of: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 24.1 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Tanzania, United Republic of recorded 24.1 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 up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of peaked at 24.1 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 19.4, in 1975.
Tanzania, United Republic of ranks 149th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 19.4 | — |
| 1976 | 19.6 | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 19.7 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 20 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 20.1 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 20.4 | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 20.8 | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 21.2 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 21.4 | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 21.5 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 21.6 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 21.7 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 21.8 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 21.9 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 22 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 22.1 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 22.2 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 22.3 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 22.4 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 22.5 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 22.6 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 22.7 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 22.8 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 22.9 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 23 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 23.1 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 23.2 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.3 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 23.4 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 23.6 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 23.7 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 23.8 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.7 | 19.4 | 20 | 5 |
| 1980s | 20.68 | 20.1 | 21.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.85 | 21.4 | 22.3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.85 | 22.4 | 23.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.79 | 23.4 | 24.1 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania, United Republic of
More gender data for Tanzania, United Republic of
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 33,294 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.01 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 47,619 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 47,619 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.22 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.19 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.13 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.11 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Tanzania, United Republic of was 24.1 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 Tanzania, United Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 24.1 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Tanzania, United Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.4 in 1975.
- How does Tanzania, United Republic of rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Tanzania, United Republic of ranks 149th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Tanzania, United Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania, United Republic of 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'.