Average BMI for Adults 2011
The average BMI for adults provides insight into a country's health trends, highlighting potential obesity issues.
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Complete Data Rankings
Rank | Actions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nauru | 32.4 kg/m² | |
2 | Cook Islands | 32.3 kg/m² | |
3 | Niue | 31.1 kg/m² | |
4 | Tonga | 30.3 kg/m² | |
5 | Samoa | 29.9 kg/m² | |
6 | Tuvalu | 29.7 kg/m² | |
7 | Palau | 29.4 kg/m² | |
8 | Kiribati | 28.7 kg/m² | |
9 | Marshall Islands | 28.6 kg/m² | |
10 | United States | 28.6 kg/m² | |
11 | Kuwait | 28.5 kg/m² | |
12 | Saint Lucia | 28.5 kg/m² | |
13 | Qatar | 28.3 kg/m² | |
14 | Micronesia (Fed. States of) | 27.8 kg/m² | |
15 | New Zealand | 27.8 kg/m² | |
16 | Jordan | 27.7 kg/m² | |
17 | Malta | 27.7 kg/m² | |
18 | Czech Republic | 27.6 kg/m² | |
19 | Hungary | 27.6 kg/m² | |
20 | Ireland | 27.6 kg/m² | |
21 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 27.6 kg/m² | |
22 | Saudi Arabia | 27.6 kg/m² | |
23 | United Arab Emirates | 27.6 kg/m² | |
24 | Australia | 27.4 kg/m² | |
25 | Croatia | 27.4 kg/m² | |
26 | Cyprus | 27.4 kg/m² | |
27 | Greece | 27.4 kg/m² | |
28 | Lebanon | 27.4 kg/m² | |
29 | Andorra | 27.3 kg/m² | |
30 | Argentina | 27.3 kg/m² | |
31 | Chile | 27.3 kg/m² | |
32 | Egypt | 27.3 kg/m² | |
33 | Canada | 27.2 kg/m² | |
34 | Iraq | 27.2 kg/m² | |
35 | Israel | 27.2 kg/m² | |
36 | United Kingdom | 27.2 kg/m² | |
37 | Belize | 27.1 kg/m² | |
38 | Germany | 27.1 kg/m² | |
39 | Mexico | 27.1 kg/m² | |
40 | Norway | 27 kg/m² | |
41 | Spain | 27 kg/m² | |
42 | Slovakia | 26.9 kg/m² | |
43 | Syrian Arab Republic | 26.9 kg/m² | |
44 | Georgia | 26.8 kg/m² | |
45 | Iceland | 26.8 kg/m² | |
46 | Luxembourg | 26.8 kg/m² | |
47 | North Macedonia | 26.8 kg/m² | |
48 | Bahamas | 26.7 kg/m² | |
49 | Lithuania | 26.7 kg/m² | |
50 | Poland | 26.7 kg/m² | |
51 | Turkey | 26.7 kg/m² | |
52 | Uruguay | 26.7 kg/m² | |
53 | Bulgaria | 26.6 kg/m² | |
54 | Estonia | 26.6 kg/m² | |
55 | Latvia | 26.6 kg/m² | |
56 | Albania | 26.5 kg/m² | |
57 | Belgium | 26.5 kg/m² | |
58 | Brunei Darussalam | 26.5 kg/m² | |
59 | El Salvador | 26.5 kg/m² | |
60 | Italy | 26.5 kg/m² | |
61 | Libya | 26.5 kg/m² | |
62 | Montenegro | 26.5 kg/m² | |
63 | Sweden | 26.5 kg/m² | |
64 | Ukraine | 26.5 kg/m² | |
65 | Venezuela | 26.5 kg/m² | |
66 | Austria | 26.4 kg/m² | |
67 | Costa Rica | 26.4 kg/m² | |
68 | Finland | 26.4 kg/m² | |
69 | Switzerland | 26.4 kg/m² | |
70 | Serbia | 26.3 kg/m² | |
71 | Republic of Moldova | 26.2 kg/m² | |
72 | Portugal | 26.2 kg/m² | |
73 | Slovenia | 26.2 kg/m² | |
74 | Belarus | 26.1 kg/m² | |
75 | Denmark | 26.1 kg/m² | |
76 | Fiji | 26.1 kg/m² | |
77 | Nicaragua | 26.1 kg/m² | |
78 | Romania | 26.1 kg/m² | |
79 | Trinidad and Tobago | 26.1 kg/m² | |
80 | Ecuador | 26 kg/m² | |
81 | Paraguay | 26 kg/m² | |
82 | Barbados | 25.9 kg/m² | |
83 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 25.9 kg/m² | |
84 | Netherlands | 25.9 kg/m² | |
85 | Oman | 25.9 kg/m² | |
86 | Panama | 25.9 kg/m² | |
87 | Turkmenistan | 25.9 kg/m² | |
88 | France | 25.8 kg/m² | |
89 | Haiti | 25.8 kg/m² | |
90 | Kazakhstan | 25.8 kg/m² | |
91 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 25.8 kg/m² | |
92 | Brazil | 25.7 kg/m² | |
93 | Uzbekistan | 25.7 kg/m² | |
94 | Azerbaijan | 25.6 kg/m² | |
95 | Peru | 25.6 kg/m² | |
96 | Russia | 25.6 kg/m² | |
97 | Honduras | 25.5 kg/m² | |
98 | Kyrgyzstan | 25.4 kg/m² | |
99 | Vanuatu | 25.4 kg/m² | |
100 | Colombia | 25.3 kg/m² | |
101 | Guatemala | 25.3 kg/m² | |
102 | Tajikistan | 25.3 kg/m² | |
103 | Antigua and Barbuda | 25.2 kg/m² | |
104 | Armenia | 25.2 kg/m² | |
105 | Dominican Republic | 25.2 kg/m² | |
106 | Jamaica | 25.2 kg/m² | |
107 | Solomon Islands | 25.2 kg/m² | |
108 | Mongolia | 25.1 kg/m² | |
109 | Seychelles | 25.1 kg/m² | |
110 | Suriname | 25.1 kg/m² | |
111 | Iran | 25 kg/m² | |
112 | Tunisia | 25 kg/m² | |
113 | Bahrain | 24.9 kg/m² | |
114 | Morocco | 24.9 kg/m² | |
115 | Papua New Guinea | 24.9 kg/m² | |
116 | Bolivia | 24.8 kg/m² | |
117 | Cuba | 24.8 kg/m² | |
118 | Grenada | 24.8 kg/m² | |
119 | Malaysia | 24.8 kg/m² | |
120 | South Africa | 24.8 kg/m² | |
121 | Guyana | 24.6 kg/m² | |
122 | Dominica | 24.5 kg/m² | |
123 | Mauritius | 24.4 kg/m² | |
124 | Algeria | 24.3 kg/m² | |
125 | Eswatini | 24.1 kg/m² | |
126 | South Korea | 24.1 kg/m² | |
127 | Singapore | 24 kg/m² | |
128 | Maldives | 23.9 kg/m² | |
129 | Gabon | 23.7 kg/m² | |
130 | North Korea | 23.7 kg/m² | |
131 | Sao Tome and Principe | 23.7 kg/m² | |
132 | Cabo Verde | 23.5 kg/m² | |
133 | China | 23.5 kg/m² | |
134 | Japan | 23.5 kg/m² | |
135 | Cameroon | 23.4 kg/m² | |
136 | Djibouti | 23.3 kg/m² | |
137 | Thailand | 23.3 kg/m² | |
138 | Côte d'Ivoire | 23.2 kg/m² | |
139 | Liberia | 23.2 kg/m² | |
140 | Yemen | 23.2 kg/m² | |
141 | Mauritania | 23.1 kg/m² | |
142 | Bhutan | 23 kg/m² | |
143 | Comoros | 23 kg/m² | |
144 | Gambia | 22.9 kg/m² | |
145 | Pakistan | 22.9 kg/m² | |
146 | Mali | 22.6 kg/m² | |
147 | Ghana | 22.5 kg/m² | |
148 | Guinea-Bissau | 22.5 kg/m² | |
149 | Namibia | 22.5 kg/m² | |
150 | Philippines | 22.5 kg/m² | |
151 | Benin | 22.4 kg/m² | |
152 | Lesotho | 22.4 kg/m² | |
153 | Nigeria | 22.4 kg/m² | |
154 | Botswana | 22.3 kg/m² | |
155 | Malawi | 22.3 kg/m² | |
156 | Togo | 22.3 kg/m² | |
157 | Afghanistan | 22.2 kg/m² | |
158 | Guinea | 22.2 kg/m² | |
159 | Somalia | 22.2 kg/m² | |
160 | Tanzania | 22.2 kg/m² | |
161 | Laos | 22.1 kg/m² | |
162 | Zimbabwe | 22.1 kg/m² | |
163 | Angola | 22 kg/m² | |
164 | Congo | 22 kg/m² | |
165 | Equatorial Guinea | 22 kg/m² | |
166 | Indonesia | 22 kg/m² | |
167 | Nepal | 22 kg/m² | |
168 | Sri Lanka | 22 kg/m² | |
169 | Burkina Faso | 21.9 kg/m² | |
170 | Kenya | 21.9 kg/m² | |
171 | Sierra Leone | 21.8 kg/m² | |
172 | Central African Republic | 21.7 kg/m² | |
173 | Chad | 21.7 kg/m² | |
174 | Mozambique | 21.7 kg/m² | |
175 | Myanmar | 21.7 kg/m² | |
176 | Senegal | 21.7 kg/m² | |
177 | Cambodia | 21.6 kg/m² | |
178 | Burundi | 21.5 kg/m² | |
179 | India | 21.4 kg/m² | |
180 | Madagascar | 21.3 kg/m² | |
181 | Niger | 21.2 kg/m² | |
182 | Uganda | 21.2 kg/m² | |
183 | Rwanda | 21.1 kg/m² | |
184 | Vietnam | 21.1 kg/m² | |
185 | Zambia | 21.1 kg/m² | |
186 | Bangladesh | 21 kg/m² | |
187 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 21 kg/m² | |
188 | Timor-Leste | 20.8 kg/m² | |
189 | Eritrea | 20.3 kg/m² | |
190 | Ethiopia | 20 kg/m² |
- #1
Nauru
- #2
Cook Islands
- #3
Niue
- #4
Tonga
- #5
Samoa
- #6
Tuvalu
- #7
Palau
- #8
Kiribati
- #9
Marshall Islands
- #10
United States
Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.
- #190
Ethiopia
- #189
Eritrea
- #188
Timor-Leste
- #187
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- #186
Bangladesh
- #185
Zambia
- #184
Vietnam
- #183
Rwanda
- #182
Uganda
- #181
Niger
Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.
Analysis & Context
In 2011, the country with the highest Average BMI for Adults was Nauru with a BMI of 32.4 kg/m², while the global range spanned from 20.00 kg/m² to 32.40 kg/m². The global average BMI was 25.11 kg/m², providing a snapshot of global health trends and potential obesity issues.
Regional Disparities in Average BMI for Adults
The data from 2011 reveals significant regional disparities in Average BMI for Adults. Island nations in the Pacific, such as Nauru (32.4 kg/m²), Cook Islands (32.3 kg/m²), and Niue (31.1 kg/m²), top the list with the highest average BMIs. This pattern is often attributed to dietary shifts from traditional foods to more processed and high-calorie diets, compounded by limited opportunities for physical activity due to geographic constraints.
In contrast, countries in East Africa and Southeast Asia, such as Ethiopia (20 kg/m²) and Vietnam (21.1 kg/m²), report the lowest average BMIs. These figures reflect broader trends of lower caloric intake and higher levels of physical activity, driven by agricultural economies and less urbanization compared to their Western counterparts.
Economic Influence on BMI
The economic status of a country plays a crucial role in determining its average BMI. Developed nations like the United States (28.6 kg/m²) exhibit higher BMIs, often linked to greater availability of high-calorie foods and sedentary lifestyles. Conversely, less developed countries with lower BMIs, such as Eritrea (20.3 kg/m²) and Bangladesh (21 kg/m²), often face issues of food scarcity and undernutrition, which contribute to their lower BMI figures.
Interestingly, some small island developing states, despite their lower economic status, have high average BMIs. This anomaly is frequently explained by the importation of energy-dense foods that are more affordable and accessible than healthier options.
Impact of Urbanization on BMI Trends
Urbanization is another significant factor influencing BMI trends. Countries with rapid urban expansion often experience lifestyle changes that lead to higher BMIs. For example, Brunei Darussalam experienced a notable increase in BMI by 0.20 kg/m² or 0.8%, highlighting the impact of urban living on dietary habits and physical activity levels.
On the other hand, nations with slower urbanization rates, such as Rwanda (21.1 kg/m²), maintain lower BMI averages. These countries often retain traditional lifestyles with diets rich in natural, less processed foods and higher physical activity levels due to agricultural work.
Year-over-Year Changes and Their Implications
The year-over-year changes in BMI from 2010 to 2011 reveal subtle shifts in global health dynamics. The average increase in BMI was 0.07 kg/m² or 0.3%, with Saint Lucia showing the largest increase at 0.30 kg/m² or 1.1%. This increase is indicative of a growing trend towards higher BMI levels, possibly driven by lifestyle and dietary changes.
Conversely, Nauru saw a slight decrease of 0.10 kg/m², suggesting potential interventions or public health measures aiming to curb obesity rates. Stability in countries like Tonga and Samoa reflects ongoing challenges in altering entrenched dietary patterns and lifestyle habits.
These analyses underscore the complex interplay of economic, geographic, and societal factors influencing Average BMI for Adults globally. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers aiming to address obesity and related health issues effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions About Average BMI for Adults in 2011
Which country had the highest average BMI for adults in 2011?
Nauru had the highest average BMI for adults in 2011, with a value of 32.4 kg/m².
What was the lowest average BMI for adults by country in 2011?
Ethiopia had the lowest average BMI for adults in 2011, with a value of 20 kg/m².
What was the average BMI for adults across all countries in 2011?
The average BMI for adults across all countries in 2011 was 25.11 kg/m².
What was the median BMI for adults by country in 2011?
The median BMI for adults by country in 2011 was 25.6 kg/m².
Which countries were in the top 10 for highest average BMI for adults in 2011?
The top 10 countries with the highest average BMI for adults in 2011 were Nauru, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, Palau, Kiribati, United States, and Marshall Islands.
How many countries were included in the dataset for average BMI for adults in 2011?
The dataset for average BMI for adults in 2011 included 190 countries.
Insights by country
Guyana
In 2011, Guyana had an Average BMI for Adults of 24.6 kg/m², ranking #121 out of 190 countries. This figure is slightly above the global average, indicating a moderate prevalence of overweight and obesity in the adult population. Contributing factors include the country's reliance on imported foods, which often contain high levels of sugar and fats, alongside lifestyle changes influenced by urbanization.
Micronesia (Fed. States of)
In 2011, Micronesia (Fed. States of) achieved a global rank of #15 with an average BMI for adults of 27.8 kg/m². This figure is notably higher than the global average, indicating significant health challenges within the population. Contributing factors include a reliance on imported processed foods and limited access to health education, which exacerbate obesity rates in this island nation.
Romania
In 2011, Romania had an average BMI for adults of 26.1 kg/m², ranking #78 out of 190 countries. This figure is higher than the global average, indicating a trend of increasing overweight and obesity levels in the region. Contributing factors include urbanization, dietary changes towards more processed foods, and a sedentary lifestyle prevalent among the population.
Venezuela
In 2011, Venezuela had an Average BMI for Adults of 26.5 kg/m², ranking #65 out of 190 countries. This figure is above the global average, indicating a higher prevalence of overweight individuals compared to many nations. Contributing factors include economic instability and food scarcity, which have influenced dietary habits and access to nutrition in the country.
Timor-Leste
In 2011, Timor-Leste had an Average BMI for Adults of 20.8 kg/m², ranking #188 out of 190 countries. This figure is lower than many of its Southeast Asian neighbors, reflecting challenges in nutrition and health access. Contributing factors include a young population with limited resources for healthcare and ongoing economic development issues that affect food security and dietary habits.
Dominica
In 2011, Dominica had an Average BMI for Adults of 24.5 kg/m², ranking #122 out of 190 countries. This figure is relatively close to the global average, indicating a moderate level of adult weight among its population.
The country's BMI is influenced by its agricultural economy, which promotes the consumption of locally grown foods, and its emphasis on outdoor activities due to its mountainous terrain. Additionally, Dominica's healthcare policies focus on nutrition and physical well-being, contributing to this average BMI level.
Benin
In 2011, Benin had an Average BMI for Adults of 22.4 kg/m², ranking #151 out of 190 countries. This figure is slightly below the regional average for West Africa, indicating a relatively moderate level of adult obesity compared to some neighbors. Factors contributing to this BMI include a predominantly agricultural economy, which influences dietary habits and access to diverse nutrition, as well as ongoing public health initiatives aimed at addressing malnutrition and promoting healthier lifestyles.
Madagascar
In 2011, Madagascar ranked #180 globally with an average BMI for adults of 21.3 kg/m². This figure is lower than the global average, reflecting the challenges faced by the nation compared to healthier populations. Contributing factors include economic constraints, which limit access to diverse and nutritious food, alongside a high prevalence of infectious diseases that impact overall health and nutritional status.
Iraq
In 2011, Iraq had an average BMI for adults of 27.2 kg/m², ranking #34 out of 190 countries. This figure is notably higher than the global average, indicating a trend towards overweight and obesity in the region. Contributing factors include urbanization, dietary changes, and socioeconomic challenges that affect lifestyle choices and food availability.
Argentina
In 2011, Argentina had an Average BMI for Adults of 27.3 kg/m², ranking #30 out of 190 countries. This figure is notably higher than the regional average for South America, indicating a trend of increasing obesity rates. Contributing factors include a diet rich in beef and processed foods, along with urbanization that promotes sedentary lifestyles.
Data Source
Mean body mass index (BMI) in men | Our World in Data
Our World in Data is a research organization that provides comprehensive global statistics on various topics, including health, economics, and environment. The dataset on mean body mass index (BMI) in men presents country-level statistics on the average BMI of adult males across different nations.
Visit Data SourceHistorical Data by Year
Explore Average BMI for Adults data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.