Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Mean body mass index (BMI) in men was 21.3 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in Bangladesh, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 21.3 for mean body mass index (bmi) in men in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in men in Bangladesh peaked at 21.3 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 18.4, in 1975.
That places Bangladesh 184th out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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 men in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 18.4 | — |
| 1976 | 18.5 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 18.6 | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 18.8 | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 18.9 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 19 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 19.1 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 19.2 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 19.3 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 19.4 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 19.6 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.7 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 19.8 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 19.8 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 19.9 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 20 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.1 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 20.1 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 20.2 | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 20.2 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 20.3 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 20.4 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 20.4 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 20.5 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 20.5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 20.6 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.7 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 20.7 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 20.8 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 20.8 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 20.9 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 20.9 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 20.9 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 21 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 21 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 21.1 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 21.2 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 21.2 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 21.3 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 21.3 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.6 | 18.4 | 18.8 | 5 |
| 1980s | 19.35 | 18.9 | 19.8 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.14 | 19.8 | 20.4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.73 | 20.5 | 20.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.16 | 21 | 21.3 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 181 Uganda 21.6 compare
- 182 Madagascar 21.5 compare
- 183 Niger 21.4 compare
- 184 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 21.3 compare
- 184 Timor-Leste 21.3 compare
- 184 Rwanda 21.3 compare
- 184 Zambia 21.3 compare
More reference data data for Bangladesh
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 8.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 37.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 105.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.25 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in men in Bangladesh?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in men in Bangladesh 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 men recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3 in 2015.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in men recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.4 in 1975.
- How does Bangladesh rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in men?
- Bangladesh ranks 184th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in men rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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 men. 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 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'.