BMI calculator for Singapore
Singapore uses lower BMI cut-offs than the international scale, because health risks rise at lower weights in Asian populations. Enter your height and weight to see both.
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Book my S$20 consultBMI chart for Singapore: weight by height
Weights in whole kilograms for each band of Singapore’s guideline (MOH and HPB, 2016), for adults from 145 to 190 cm. The calculator above gives the figure for any height.
| Height | Normal (kg)BMI 18.5 to 22.9 | Overweight (kg)23.0 to 27.4 | Obese (kg)27.5 and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 145 cm | 39 to 48 | 49 to 57 | 58 or more |
| 150 cm | 42 to 51 | 52 to 61 | 62 or more |
| 155 cm | 45 to 55 | 56 to 65 | 66 or more |
| 160 cm | 48 to 58 | 59 to 70 | 71 or more |
| 165 cm | 51 to 62 | 63 to 74 | 75 or more |
| 170 cm | 54 to 66 | 67 to 79 | 80 or more |
| 175 cm | 57 to 70 | 71 to 84 | 85 or more |
| 180 cm | 60 to 74 | 75 to 88 | 89 or more |
| 185 cm | 64 to 78 | 79 to 93 | 94 or more |
| 190 cm | 67 to 82 | 83 to 99 | 100 or more |
A weight below the Normal column’s range is a BMI under 18.5, below the normal range.
BMI cut-offs in Singapore and internationally
| BMI | Singapore (MOH and HPB, 2016) | International (WHO) |
|---|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Below the normal range | Underweight |
| 18.5 to 22.9 | Normal | Normal |
| 23.0 to 24.9 | Overweight | Normal |
| 25.0 to 27.4 | Overweight | Overweight |
| 27.5 to 29.9 | Obese | Overweight |
| 30.0 and above | Obese | Obese |
Singapore’s guideline also uses waist size as a warning sign: above 90 cm for men and above 80 cm for women.
What BMI does not tell you
BMI uses only height and weight. It cannot tell muscle from fat, or show where fat sits, so two people with the same BMI can carry very different amounts of body fat.
Common questions
What is a healthy BMI in Singapore?
Singapore’s MOH and HPB guideline treats 18.5 to 22.9 as the normal range for adults.
What is the new BMI chart for 2026?
The chart on this page is Singapore’s: normal 18.5 to 22.9, overweight 23.0 to 27.4 and obese 27.5 and above, from the MOH and HPB obesity guideline published in 2016. Beside it is WHO’s international scale: normal 18.5 to 24.9, overweight 25.0 to 29.9 and obese 30.0 and above.
How accurate is the BMI calculator?
It is as accurate as BMI itself: the calculator applies the standard formula, weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, and shows the result to one decimal place. BMI’s limit is that it uses only height and weight, so it cannot tell muscle from fat or show where fat sits; two people with the same BMI can carry very different amounts of body fat.
What is a good BMI by age?
For adults, Singapore’s guideline gives one set of BMI bands, not split by age: 18.5 to 22.9 is the normal range. Children and teenagers are different. WHO says age has to be taken into account for them, and from 5 to 19 years it reads BMI against its BMI-for-age growth reference; Singapore’s schools have used BMI-for-age norms since July 2010. This calculator uses the adult cut-offs.
What is the ideal BMI range for Asians?
In Singapore, the guideline’s normal range is 18.5 to 22.9. It uses the extra action points a WHO expert consultation proposed for Asian populations, 23.0 and 27.5, where the international scale uses 25 and 30.
Is a BMI of 26 chubby?
A BMI of 26 is in the overweight band on both scales: Singapore’s (23.0 to 27.4) and the international one (25.0 to 29.9). BMI is a screening measure built from height and weight only, so it cannot tell muscle from fat.
Is 70 kg heavy for a girl?
For an adult, 70 kg is in Singapore’s normal BMI range at heights from 175 to 194 cm, and above it at 174 cm or shorter. It is a BMI of 29.1 at 155 cm (obese on Singapore’s scale, 27.5 and above), 27.3 at 160 cm, 25.7 at 165 cm and 24.2 at 170 cm (overweight, 23.0 to 27.4), and 22.9 at 175 cm (normal, 18.5 to 22.9). The guideline’s BMI bands are the same for women and men; only its waist warning signs differ. For children and teenagers, BMI is read against age charts instead.
Why do Asians have a lower BMI?
It is the cut-offs that are lower, not the BMI: Singapore uses 23 and 27.5 where the international scale uses 25 and 30. Studies in Singapore found that adults here carry more body fat at the same BMI than equations from Caucasian populations predict, and that cardiovascular risk factors were already common below the international overweight line of 25.
Why is my BMI so high but I’m not fat?
BMI uses only height and weight, so it cannot tell muscle from fat, and two people at the same BMI can carry very different amounts of lean tissue. A measure that looks at body composition or waist size adds what BMI cannot see.
What is the BMI of 165 cm and 70 kg?
25.7: that is 70 divided by 1.65 squared (2.7225). It is in the overweight band on both Singapore’s scale (23.0 to 27.4) and the international one (25.0 to 29.9).
Is 62kg heavy for a girl?
For an adult, 62 kg is in Singapore’s normal BMI range at heights from 165 to 183 cm, and above it at 164 cm or shorter. It is a BMI of 27.6 at 150 cm (obese on Singapore’s scale, 27.5 and above), 25.8 at 155 cm and 24.2 at 160 cm (overweight, 23.0 to 27.4), and 22.8 at 165 cm and 21.5 at 170 cm (normal, 18.5 to 22.9). The guideline’s BMI bands are the same for women and men; only its waist warning signs differ. For children and teenagers, BMI is read against age charts instead.
Is 45 kg overweight for 150cm?
No. For an adult, 45 kg at 150 cm is a BMI of 20.0 (45 divided by 1.5 squared), which is in the normal range on Singapore’s scale (18.5 to 22.9) and on the international scale (18.5 to 24.9). At 150 cm, Singapore’s normal range is about 42 to 51 kg, and its overweight band (23.0 to 27.4) begins at about 52 kg.
Why is Singapore’s cut-off lower than the international one?
A WHO expert consultation found that health risks rise at lower BMI levels in Asian populations, and proposed extra action points at 23.0 and 27.5. Singapore’s guideline uses those two points.
Is a BMI of 25 overweight in Singapore?
Yes. On Singapore’s scale 23.0 to 27.4 is overweight; on the international scale 25.0 to 29.9 is.
Is a BMI of 27.5 obese in Singapore?
Yes. Singapore’s guideline treats 27.5 and above as obese; the international threshold is 30.
- Health Promotion Board–Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: Obesity, Singapore Med J 2016 (PMID 27353244)
- WHO Expert Consultation, appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations, Lancet 2004 (PMID 14726171)
- World Health Organization, Body mass index (BMI), Global Health Observatory
- Deurenberg-Yap M et al., low BMI and high body fat percentage among Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore, Int J Obes 2000 (PMID 10951540)
- Deurenberg-Yap M, Chew SK, Deurenberg P, elevated body fat and cardiovascular risk at low BMI in Singapore, Obesity Reviews 2002 (PMID 12164474)
- World Health Organization, Obesity and overweight, fact sheet, 7 October 2026
- Health Promotion Board–Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: Obesity, full text (PubMed Central PMC4971447)