New Zealand vs Saudi Arabia: Mean body mass index (BMI) in men
New Zealand
28.1
in 2016
Saudi Arabia
28
in 2016
New Zealand rank
17th
Saudi Arabia rank
19th
Mean body mass index (BMI) in men over time
- New Zealand
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 28.1 against 28 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.1.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1975 it was New Zealand ahead.
New Zealand ranks 17th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 190 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 3 and Saudi Arabia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.66 | 24.46 | 0.2 | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 25.21 | 25.41 | 0.2 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 26.18 | 26.42 | 0.24 | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 27.25 | 27.12 | 0.13 | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 27.96 | 27.74 | 0.2143 | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mean body mass index (bmi) in men, New Zealand or Saudi Arabia?
- New Zealand, at 28.1 against 28 in Saudi Arabia as of 2016.
- What is the difference in mean body mass index (bmi) in men between New Zealand and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.1, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Saudi Arabia?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2016.
- How do New Zealand and Saudi Arabia rank globally for mean body mass index (bmi) in men?
- New Zealand ranks 17th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th 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'.