China vs Thailand: Mean body mass index (BMI) in men
China
24.2
in 2016
Thailand
23.9
in 2016
China rank
129th
Thailand rank
132nd
Mean body mass index (BMI) in men over time
- China
- Thailand
How they compare
China currently reports 24.2 against 23.9 in Thailand, a difference of 0.3.
Across all 42 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 129th and Thailand ranks 132nd of 190 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.96 | 20 | 0.96 | China |
| 1980s | 21.43 | 20.85 | 0.58 | China |
| 1990s | 22.07 | 21.8 | 0.27 | China |
| 2000s | 22.78 | 22.66 | 0.12 | China |
| 2010s | 23.76 | 23.57 | 0.1857 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mean body mass index (bmi) in men, China or Thailand?
- China, at 24.2 against 23.9 in Thailand as of 2016.
- What is the difference in mean body mass index (bmi) in men between China and Thailand?
- 0.3, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Thailand?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2016.
- How do China and Thailand rank globally for mean body mass index (bmi) in men?
- China ranks 129th and Thailand ranks 132nd of 190 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Mean body mass index (BMI) in men. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Body mass index (BMI) is measured as a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by his 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'.