Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 21.3 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Timor-Leste, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Timor-Leste stood at 21.3. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Timor-Leste peaked at 21.3 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17.6, in 1975.
Timor-Leste ranks 187th 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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 17.6 | — |
| 1976 | 17.7 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 17.8 | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 17.9 | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 18 | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 18.1 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 18.2 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 18.3 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 18.4 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 18.5 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 18.6 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 18.8 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 18.9 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 19 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 19.1 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 19.2 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 19.3 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 19.4 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 19.6 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 19.6 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 19.7 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 19.9 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 20 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.1 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 20.2 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 20.3 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 20.4 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 20.7 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 20.8 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.2 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 21.3 | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.8 | 17.6 | 18 | 5 |
| 1980s | 18.55 | 18.1 | 19 | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.42 | 19 | 19.8 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.21 | 19.9 | 20.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21 | 20.7 | 21.3 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
More gender data for Timor-Leste
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 462.75 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.4702 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,057 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,057 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 14,331 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 15,248 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 14,172 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 15,056 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 14,127 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Timor-Leste?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Timor-Leste was 21.3 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.6 in 1975.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Timor-Leste ranks 187th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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'.