What is a normal BMI for Indians? Asian and WHO cut-offs compared
A normal BMI for Indians is 18.5 to 22.9, not 24.9. See the Asian cut-offs, a healthy weight chart by height, the 2025 Indian update and the child charts.
Type 175 cm and 75 kg into most BMI calculators and you get 24.5, "normal weight". Ask an Indian doctor and you may hear "overweight". Both are using the same number. They are reading it against different lines.
Below: which lines apply to Indians, where they come from, and what they mean in kilos for your height. Every weight comes from running our BMI calculator code.
The short answer
For Indian adults, a normal BMI is 18.5 to 22.9. Overweight starts at 23, and obesity at 25. That is the 2009 Indian consensus (Misra and others), the scale most Indian doctors use. The WHO international scale puts the lines at 25 and 30.
| Scale | Normal | Overweight | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHO international | 18.5 to 24.9 | 25 to 29.9 | 30 and above |
| Indian consensus (2009) | 18.5 to 22.9 | 23 to 24.9 | 25 and above |
| NICE NG246 (UK), South Asian and other Asian adults | 18.5 to 22.9 | 23 to 27.4 | 27.5 and above |
| WHO 2004 Asian action points | Risk rises from 23 | Next point 27.5 | Then 32.5 and 37.5 |
Why the line is lower for Indians
A 2004 WHO expert consultation in The Lancet found that many Asian people have a high risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease at BMIs below 25, with the risk point ranging from 22 to 25 across Asian groups. WHO kept 25 and 30 as international lines but named 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5 as action points for Asian countries.
The Indian consensus notes that Asian Indians carry more body fat, especially around the belly and liver, than white Europeans at the same BMI. So the normal range is narrower and lower.
Healthy weight for your height, Indian vs WHO
We ran each height through the calculator's own range function. The lower limit is BMI 18.5 on both scales; only the top changes.
| Height | Normal on Indian scale | Normal on WHO scale | BMI 25 (Indian obesity line) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in (147.3 cm) | 40.2 to 49.7 kg | 40.2 to 54.0 kg | 54.3 kg |
| 5 ft 0 in (152.4 cm) | 43.0 to 53.2 kg | 43.0 to 57.8 kg | 58.1 kg |
| 5 ft 2 in (157.5 cm) | 45.9 to 56.8 kg | 45.9 to 61.8 kg | 62.0 kg |
| 5 ft 4 in (162.6 cm) | 48.9 to 60.5 kg | 48.9 to 65.8 kg | 66.1 kg |
| 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm) | 52.0 to 64.4 kg | 52.0 to 70.0 kg | 70.3 kg |
| 5 ft 8 in (172.7 cm) | 55.2 to 68.3 kg | 55.2 to 74.3 kg | 74.6 kg |
| 5 ft 10 in (177.8 cm) | 58.5 to 72.4 kg | 58.5 to 78.7 kg | 79.0 kg |
| 6 ft 0 in (182.9 cm) | 61.9 to 76.6 kg | 61.9 to 83.3 kg | 83.6 kg |
| 6 ft 2 in (188.0 cm) | 65.4 to 80.9 kg | 65.4 to 88.0 kg | 88.3 kg |
At 5 ft 6 in, the two "normal" ranges differ by about 5.6 kg at the top. In that band a WHO calculator says relax and an Indian one says pay attention.
Same person, two labels
A few ordinary heights and weights, classified by the calculator on both scales.
| Height and weight | BMI | Indian scale | WHO scale | Above Indian normal by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158 cm, 52 kg | 20.8 | Normal | Normal | 0 |
| 165 cm, 62 kg | 22.8 | Normal | Normal | 0 |
| 160 cm, 60 kg | 23.4 | Overweight | Normal | 1.4 kg |
| 170 cm, 68 kg | 23.5 | Overweight | Normal | 1.8 kg |
| 155 cm, 58 kg | 24.1 | Overweight | Normal | 3.0 kg |
| 175 cm, 75 kg | 24.5 | Overweight | Normal | 4.9 kg |
| 180 cm, 82 kg | 25.3 | Obesity | Overweight | 7.8 kg |
The 2025 Indian update: waist matters as much as BMI
In January 2025 an India obesity commission (Misra and others) revised the Indian definition. BMI above 23 is still the entry point; what changed is staging.
- Stage 1 obesity: BMI above 23 with no effect yet on organs or daily life.
- Stage 2 obesity: BMI above 23 plus extra belly fat (waist of 90 cm or more in men, 80 cm or more in women, or waist-to-height ratio above 0.5), plus a related problem such as knee pain, breathlessness, diabetes or high blood pressure.
Our calculator still uses the 2009 labels (23 to 24.9 overweight, 25 and above obesity). It does not stage you, because staging needs a doctor.
It does the waist part. Open More options, type your waist, and it shows your waist-to-height ratio on the NICE bands: under 0.5 healthy, 0.5 to 0.59 increased, 0.6 or more high. At 165 cm tall it gives 0.48 for an 80 cm waist, 0.53 for 88 cm and 0.61 for 100 cm.
Women, age and children
For adults aged 20 and over, the BMI lines are the same for men and women and do not move with age. The Indian waist cut-off is lower for women (80 cm) than men (90 cm).
Children are read against age and sex charts. The child BMI calculator uses the WHO 2007 reference (5 to 19 years) and the 2015 Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) charts (5 to 18), whose lines match an adult BMI of 23 and 27.
| Child | IAP overweight from | IAP obesity from | WHO overweight above | WHO obesity above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girl, 10 years | 18.4 | 21.9 | 19.0 | 22.6 |
| Girl, 13 years | 21.1 | 25.2 | 21.8 | 26.2 |
| Girl, 16 years | 22.6 | 26.5 | 24.1 | 28.9 |
| Boy, 10 years | 18.0 | 20.5 | 18.5 | 21.4 |
| Boy, 13 years | 20.2 | 23.4 | 20.8 | 24.8 |
| Boy, 16 years | 22.0 | 25.5 | 23.5 | 27.9 |
A 13 year old girl of 155 cm and 48 kg has a BMI of 20.0: above the 50th centile on the IAP chart but below its overweight line, and about the 67th percentile on WHO. Normal on both.
What BMI cannot tell you
BMI is a screening number. It does not tell muscle from fat, NICE advises care over age 65, and it is not for pregnancy. Use it to decide whether to see a doctor.
Is my height and weight sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs in your browser. While taking the screenshot we watched the network: pressing Calculate BMI made zero requests.
FAQ
What is a normal BMI for an Indian adult?
18.5 to 22.9. Overweight is 23 to 24.9 and obesity 25 or more. WHO uses 25 and 30.
Is the Asian BMI scale different for women?
No. Adult BMI lines are the same for men and women. The waist cut-off is lower for Indian women: 80 cm, against 90 cm for men.
Does BMI change with age?
Not for adults aged 20 and over. Children are read against age and sex charts.
What is a healthy weight for a 5 ft 4 in Indian woman?
About 48.9 to 60.5 kg on the Indian scale, from BMI 18.5 to 22.9 at 162.6 cm. The WHO scale stretches the top to 65.8 kg.
Should I use the Indian or the WHO scale?
If you are South Asian, the Indian scale is the better guide to health risk. Our calculator shows both.
Sources
- WHO Expert Consultation, Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations, The Lancet 2004;363:157-63 (PubMed 14726171)
- Misra A et al., Consensus statement for diagnosis of obesity for Asian Indians, JAPI 2009;57:163-70 (PubMed 19582986)
- Misra A et al., Revised definition of obesity in Asian Indians living in India, Diabetes Metab Syndr 2025;19:102989 (PubMed 39814628)
- NICE guideline NG246, Identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity (sections 1.9.10, 1.9.11 and 1.9.14)
- WHO fact sheet, Obesity and overweight
- WHO Growth Reference 5 to 19 years, BMI-for-age
- IAP Growth Chart Committee, Revised IAP growth charts for 5 to 18 year old Indian children, Indian Pediatrics 2015;52:47-55 (PDF)
Sources checked 23 Oct 2026. Every number in the tables comes from our calculator's code on that date. General information, not medical advice.
Written by the TaskNinja team with help from an AI writing tool, then checked against the WHO, NICE, Indian consensus and IAP sources above and the tool itself.