Adults’ average BMI

Source: NHS Digital

Base: Adults aged 16 and over with a valid height and weight measurement

There has been a general upward trend in adults’ average (mean) BMI since 1993.

Notes: BMI is a widely used measure of weight that takes into account the individual’s height, and is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the height in metres squared (kg/m2).

Year-on-year fluctuations may not indicate real changes and can be within the margins of sampling error. We comment only on the changes that are more likely to reflect a real change.


Embed this chart: 
Copy