Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in El Salvador

El Salvador: Mean body mass index (BMI) in men was 26.8 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
26.8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
62nd
of 190 countries
All-time high
26.8
in 2015
All-time low
22.8
in 1975
Years of data
42
1975–2016

Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in El Salvador, 1975–2016

01020301975199520161975: 22.81976: 22.91977: 231978: 23.11979: 23.21980: 23.31981: 23.41982: 23.51983: 23.61984: 23.81985: 23.91986: 241987: 24.11988: 24.21989: 24.31990: 24.41991: 24.51992: 24.61993: 24.71994: 24.81995: 24.91996: 251997: 25.11998: 25.31999: 25.42000: 25.52001: 25.62002: 25.72003: 25.82004: 25.92005: 262006: 26.12007: 26.12008: 26.22009: 26.32010: 26.42011: 26.52012: 26.52013: 26.62014: 26.72015: 26.82016: 26.8

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for mean body mass index (bmi) in men in El Salvador is 26.8, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

The figure is up 2.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in men in El Salvador peaked at 26.8 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 22.8, in 1975.

That places El Salvador 62nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.

Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in El Salvador, 1975 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1975 22.8
1976 22.9 +0.4%
1977 23 +0.4%
1978 23.1 +0.4%
1979 23.2 +0.4%
1980 23.3 +0.4%
1981 23.4 +0.4%
1982 23.5 +0.4%
1983 23.6 +0.4%
1984 23.8 +0.8%
1985 23.9 +0.4%
1986 24 +0.4%
1987 24.1 +0.4%
1988 24.2 +0.4%
1989 24.3 +0.4%
1990 24.4 +0.4%
1991 24.5 +0.4%
1992 24.6 +0.4%
1993 24.7 +0.4%
1994 24.8 +0.4%
1995 24.9 +0.4%
1996 25 +0.4%
1997 25.1 +0.4%
1998 25.3 +0.8%
1999 25.4 +0.4%
2000 25.5 +0.4%
2001 25.6 +0.4%
2002 25.7 +0.4%
2003 25.8 +0.4%
2004 25.9 +0.4%
2005 26 +0.4%
2006 26.1 +0.4%
2007 26.1 +0.0%
2008 26.2 +0.4%
2009 26.3 +0.4%
2010 26.4 +0.4%
2011 26.5 +0.4%
2012 26.5 +0.0%
2013 26.6 +0.4%
2014 26.7 +0.4%
2015 26.8 +0.4%
2016 26.8 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 23 22.8 23.2 5
1980s 23.81 23.3 24.3 10
1990s 24.87 24.4 25.4 10
2000s 25.92 25.5 26.3 10
2010s 26.61 26.4 26.8 7

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 59 Estonia 26.9 compare
  2. 59 Libya 26.9 compare
  3. 59 Ukraine 26.9 compare
  4. 62 Costa Rica 26.8 compare
  5. 64 Sweden 26.7 compare
  6. 64 Switzerland 26.7 compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More reference data data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is mean body mass index (bmi) in men in El Salvador?
Mean body mass index (bmi) in men in El Salvador was 26.8 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 El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 26.8 in 2015.
What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in men recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 22.8 in 1975.
How does El Salvador rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in men?
El Salvador ranks 62nd out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
Is mean body mass index (bmi) in men rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this El Salvador 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.

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Mean body mass index (BMI) in men in El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/mean-body-mass-index-bmi-in-adult-males/el-salvador/

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About this data

Indicator
Mean body mass index (BMI) in men
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
190 places, 7,980 data points, 1975–2016
Last refreshed

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'.