Population by level of Body Mass Index, ages and sex

.. - data not available

Source: UNECE Statistical Database, compiled from national official sources.

Definition: Body Mass Index (BMI) is the international standard for measuring underweight, overweight, and obesity and is defined as the weight of a person (in kg) divided by the square of the person’s height (in metres): kg/sqm. Standard BMI categories are: BMI less than 18.5 kg/sqm = underweight. BMI between 25 and 30 kg/sqm = overweight. BMI 30kg/sqm and more = obesity.

General note: Percentage

Country: Armenia

2005: Data refer to population aged 15-49 and age groups: 20-44 refers to 20-29, 45-64 refers to 30-39 and 65+ refers to 40-49.

Country: Austria

Reference period (2006 onwards): Data for 2006 onwards come from the Autrian Health Interview Survey. Before 2006 data comes from microcensus module on health. Reference period (2000): Data refer to 1999. Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1991 and to population aged 20+.

Country: Belarus

Data refer to population aged 16+.

Country: Belgium

15-19 age group refers to 18-19 years old

Country: Bulgaria

- Reference period (2019): Preliminary data. Data source: European health interview survey wave 3 carried out by National Statistical Institute - Bulgaria. Data with small sample size is suppressed due non-reliability.
- Reference period (2014): Data source: European health interview survey wave 2 carried out by National Statistical Institute - Bulgaria. Data with small sample size is suppressed due non-reliability.
- Reference period (2008): Data source: European health interview survey wave 1 carried out by National Statistical Institute - Bulgaria. Data with small sample size is suppressed due non-reliability.
- Reference period (2001): Data from the Demographic and Health survey.

Country: Canada

Data exclude institutional residents and full-time members of the Canadian Forces. Data exclude residents of Indian Reserves, Crown Lands and certain remote regions. Reference period (2015 onwards): Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, Annual Component. Classification according to BMI excludes women who reported to be pregnant at the time of the survey Data from the CCHS for 2015 to 2019 excludes Canada's Territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut).

Country: Croatia

Change in definition (2003): Data refer to population aged 18+.

Country: Cyprus

Reference period (2003 onwards): Data comes from European Health Interview Survey. Data cover only government controlled areas.

Country: Czechia

1990, 1995 and 2000: data refer to 1993, 1996 and 1999.

Country: Denmark

Data refer to population aged 16+ and age group 15-19 refers to 16-19.

Country: Denmark

Data collection mode changed from face-to-face interview to self-administered questionnaires in 2010.

Country: Denmark

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1987.

Country: Denmark

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1994.

Country: Estonia

Data refer to population aged 16-64.

Country: Estonia

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1996

Country: Finland

Data refer to population aged 15-64. Age group 65+ refers to 65-84 year olds.

Country: France

BMI is calculated on the basis of the declared weight of respondents.

Country: France

Reference area: 2003, 2014 - Metropolitan France; 2008 - Metropolitan France and overseas departments.

Country: Germany

Data refer to population aged 18+. 2000: data refer to 1999.

Country: Hungary

- Reference period (2019): Preliminary data.
- Data refer to population aged 18+.
- Data source from (2009 onwards): DHS (Demographic and Health survey)/European Health Interview Survey.
- Data source from (2000-2003): DHS (Demographic and Health survey)/National Health Interview Survey.

Country: Iceland

Data refer to population aged 20-80 except in 2007 and 2012 where data refer to population aged 18-79. Data are not published for the age group 18-24 (15-24) as figures are too small.

Country: Ireland

- Data source (2019): Healthy Ireland Survey Wave 5.-
- Data refer to population aged 18+.
- Age group 15-19 refers to 18-19. - 2000: data refer to 1998.
- From 2015, data refer to population aged 15 and over and are measured data. Individuals interviewed in the Health Ireland survey 2015 survey were asked to undertake a physical measurement module.

Country: Israel

Break in methodlogy (2010): For 2010 data come from the Social Survey while for 2003 data come from the Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) Survey.

Country: Israel

Change in definition (2003): Data refer to population aged 21+.

Country: Israel

Change in definition (2010): Data refer to population aged 20+.

Country: Italy

Change in definition (1990 - 2012): Data refer to population aged 18+.

Country: Italy

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1994.

Country: Italy

Reference period (2000): Data refer to 1999/2000.

Country: Latvia

Data for 2003 - from the Health Interview Survey. Data cover population 15-75 years old.Data for 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012 - from Health Behaviour Survey among Latvian Adult population. Data cover population 15-64 years old.Data for 2008 and 2014 - from the European Health iInterview Survey (EHIS). Data cover population 15+, age groups: 15-19 refers to 15-24; 20-44 refers to 25-44.

Country: Liechtenstein

Reference period (2017): Values with insufficient number of observations are suppressed.

Country: Malta

Data refer to population aged 18+ residing in private households.
2003: data for age group 15 - 24 are not available due to under-representation.

Country: Netherlands

Data refer to population aged 20 and over. Overweight: BMI 25 kg/sqm or more. In 2014, interviewing and weighting method was changed, causing a break in the time series.

Country: Netherlands

Reference period (1980): Data refer to 1981.

Country: Norway

Change in definition (1995 onward): Data refer to population 16 years +. Data on height and weight are self-reported.

Country: Norway

Reference period (2000): Data refer to 1998.

Country: Poland

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1996.

Country: Portugal

Body Mass Index is reported for persons 18+ years. Data for age group 15-19 refers to 18-19. Reference period (2000): Data cover mainland territory (without Autonomous Regions of Acores and Madeira) and refers to 1998-1999. Reference period (2005): Data refers to 2005-2006 (all territory). Reference period (2014 onwards): Data with a coefficient of variation of 20% or more are not disseminated.

Country: Russian Federation

Data refer to age groups 14-18 and 19-44 instead of 15-19 and 20-44

Country: Slovakia

Until 2009, data refer to population aged up to 64. In 2009 and 2014 some values are not shown due to low sample sizes.

Country: Slovakia

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1993.

Country: Slovakia

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1998.

Country: Slovakia

Territorial change (1990): Data cover 2 districts (Banska Bystrica and Brezno)

Country: Slovakia

Territorial change (1995): Data cover 3 districts (Banska Bystrica, Brezno and Trebisov)

Country: Slovakia

Territorial change (2003): Data cover 9 districts (Banska Bystrica, Brezno, Trebisov, Dunajska Streda, Dolny Kubin, Nove Zamky, Bratislava II, Kosice II and Roznava).

Country: Slovenia

Reference period (2007 onwards): Data comes from the European Health Interview Survey.

Country: Spain

Break in methodlogy (2003): Proxy were allowed

Country: Spain

Change in definition (2001): Data refer to Spanish nationals only aged 16+.

Country: Spain

Change in definition (2006): Age group 15-19 refers to 18-44.

Country: Spain

Change in definition (2009 onward): Age group 15-24 refers to 16-24. For population aged 16-17 overweight and obesity cut offs are defined according to Cole et al. BMJ 2000;320:1240-3, and underweight cut offs according to Cole et al. BMJ 2007;335:194-7.

Country: Sweden

Change in definition (1980 - 2001): Obesity: BMI>30 kg/sqm.
Data refer to population aged 16-84; data for age group 65+ refers to 65-84.

Country: Sweden

Change in definition (2002 - 2010): Obesity: BMI>30 kg/sqm.
Data refer to population aged 16+, data for age group 15-19 refers to 16-19.

Country: Sweden

Change in definition (2011 - onwards): Data refer to population aged 16+, data for age group 15-19 refers to 16-19.

Country: Sweden

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1989

Country: Sweden

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1996

Country: Switzerland

--Reference period (1990-2017): Primary source -- Swiss Health Survey.

Country: Switzerland

Reference period (1990): Data refer to 1992.

Country: Switzerland

Reference period (1995): Data refer to 1997.

Country: Ukraine

From 2014 data cover the territories under the government control.

Country: Ukraine

Change in definition (2006 onwards): Age group 15-19 refers to 18-19. Age group 65+ refers to 70+.

Country: Ukraine

Territorial change (2006 onwards): The territorial sample exclude localities in the territory which was radioactively contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster .

Country: United Kingdom

- Change in definition (1995 - 2014): Data collected from 16 years of age rather than 15.
- Territorial change (1995 - onwards): Coverage only includes England and therefore excludes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Data source (2021): English Health Survey 2021

Country: United States

For 1980 and 1990 data refer to 1976-1980 and 1988-1994 respectively. Since 2000, data for the reference year refer to the range of this year and the previous one.