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BMI Calculator Singapore: Asian BMI Bands and Healthy Weight
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The short answer
BMI is your weight in kg divided by your height in metres squared.
- For Asian adults, Singapore's Health Promotion Board treats 18.5 to 22.9 as the healthy range, 23.0 to 27.4 as moderate risk and 27.5 and above as high risk.
- WHO's international bands put overweight at 25 and obesity at 30.
- At 170 cm, the healthy range is 53.5 to 66.1 kg.
- Under 18, BMI is read on BMI-for-age charts instead.
Written by the Fit Titans coaching team. Edited by Theon. How we write guides
On this page (7)
- 1. What is your BMI?
- 2. What is a healthy BMI in Singapore?
- 3. What is a healthy weight for your height?
- 4. Why are Singapore's BMI cut-offs lower than WHO's?
- 5. Is BMI accurate for muscular people and older adults?
- 6. How is BMI read for children and teenagers?
- 7. What should you do after checking your BMI?
Key facts
- HPB bands for Asian adults: below 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 22.9 healthy, 23.0 to 27.4 moderate risk, 27.5 and above high risk
- WHO international bands: below 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 normal weight, 25 or more overweight, 30 or more obesity
- At 170 cm the healthy weight range is 53.5 to 66.1 kg on Singapore's bands and 53.5 to 71.9 kg on WHO's
- Singaporean Chinese and Malays at a BMI of about 27 carry the body fat of Caucasians at 30, and Indians at about 26 (Deurenberg-Yap, 2000)
What is your BMI?
BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres, squared. Enter your age, weight and height below for your BMI, the Singapore risk band for Asian adults, the WHO band and the healthy weight range for your height.
BMI calculator for adults
- Singapore (HPB)
- Healthy range
- International (WHO)
- Normal weight
Your BMI
22.5 kg/m2
Your healthy weight range at 170 cm is 53.5 to 66.1 kg, and you are in it.
Bands from HPB and HealthHub for Asian adults, with WHO's international bands beside them, checked 7 November 2026. The healthy range is a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9. An estimate for adults, not medical advice.
The Singapore bands are the Health Promotion Board's, as published on HealthHub and in the HPB-MOH clinical practice guidelines on obesity. The international bands are WHO's. All checked 7 November 2026. A BMI is rounded to one decimal before it is placed in a band, as the bands are printed.
What is a healthy BMI in Singapore?
18.5 to 22.9 for adults. HealthHub, written by HPB, calls a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 healthy, 23.0 to 27.4 moderate risk and 27.5 and above high risk for weight-related problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
The Singapore Heart Foundation adds that below 18.5 carries a risk of nutritional deficiency disease and osteoporosis. WHO's international bands start overweight at 25 and obesity at 30, so the same BMI can be healthy on one chart and moderate risk on the other.
| BMI (kg/m2) | Singapore, Asian adults | WHO, international |
|---|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight: risk of nutritional deficiency and osteoporosis | Underweight |
| 18.5 to 22.9 | Healthy range, low risk | Normal weight |
| 23.0 to 24.9 | Moderate risk | Normal weight |
| 25.0 to 27.4 | Moderate risk | Overweight |
| 27.5 to 29.9 | High risk | Overweight |
| 30.0 and above | High risk | Obesity |
For example, 70 kg at 170 cm is a BMI of 24.2: moderate risk on Singapore's bands and normal weight on WHO's.
What is a healthy weight for your height?
Find your height in the table: the healthy range is the weight that gives a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9. Each weight is worked out from the cut-off and your height squared, with the low end rounded up and the high end rounded down so both stay in the band. The WHO column uses 18.5 to 24.9, and the last column is where Singapore's high-risk band starts.
| Height | Healthy weight, Singapore (BMI 18.5 to 22.9) | Normal weight, WHO (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) | High risk from (BMI 27.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 41.7 kg to 51.5 kg | 41.7 kg to 56.0 kg | 61.9 kg |
| 155 cm | 44.5 kg to 55.0 kg | 44.5 kg to 59.8 kg | 66.1 kg |
| 160 cm | 47.4 kg to 58.6 kg | 47.4 kg to 63.7 kg | 70.4 kg |
| 165 cm | 50.4 kg to 62.3 kg | 50.4 kg to 67.7 kg | 74.9 kg |
| 170 cm | 53.5 kg to 66.1 kg | 53.5 kg to 71.9 kg | 79.5 kg |
| 175 cm | 56.7 kg to 70.1 kg | 56.7 kg to 76.2 kg | 84.3 kg |
| 180 cm | 60.0 kg to 74.1 kg | 60.0 kg to 80.6 kg | 89.1 kg |
| 185 cm | 63.4 kg to 78.3 kg | 63.4 kg to 85.2 kg | 94.2 kg |
| 190 cm | 66.8 kg to 82.6 kg | 66.8 kg to 89.8 kg | 99.3 kg |
Why are Singapore's BMI cut-offs lower than WHO's?
Because Asians carry more body fat, and more risk, at the same BMI. The HPB-MOH guidelines recommend 23 and 27.5 as the points for public health action in Asians, in place of 25 and 30, based on body fat equivalence and disease risk.
In a Singapore study of 291 adults (Deurenberg-Yap and colleagues, 2000), the body fat a Caucasian carries at a BMI of 30 showed up at about 27 in Chinese and Malays and about 26 in Indians.
A WHO expert consultation (The Lancet, 2004) found a substantial risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in Asians below a BMI of 25, kept the international bands and added lower action points for Asian populations.
More on how body fat differs by age and ethnicity is in healthy body fat percentage by age.
Is BMI accurate for muscular people and older adults?
Not on its own. BMI counts all weight the same, so it cannot tell muscle from fat. The Singapore Heart Foundation says BMI should not be used to judge health risk in pregnant women, people with a muscular build or the elderly, and HealthHub says it does not diagnose body fatness or health.
A muscular person can read moderate risk with little fat. An older adult who has lost muscle can read healthy while carrying too much fat.
In both cases, add a waist measurement. The HPB-MOH guidelines pair BMI with waist size and suggest 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women as the cut-offs for Asians. A body fat estimate helps too: the body fat calculator needs only a tape measure. For older adults losing strength, see training for sarcopenia.
How is BMI read for children and teenagers?
On BMI-for-age percentile charts, not the adult bands. HealthHub says the adult ranges may not apply below 18. The BMI is worked out the same way, then plotted for age and sex on HPB's charts: the HealthHub guide for parents lists the 97th percentile and above as severely overweight, the 90th to the 97th as overweight and the 5th to the 90th as acceptable weight.
Schools have used BMI-for-age since July 2010, according to the HPB-MOH guidelines. This calculator does not work out a child's percentile.
What should you do after checking your BMI?
- 0123.0 or aboveHealthHub suggests losing 10 to 15% of your weight over 6 months, at 0.5 to 1 kg a week. The plan is in weight-loss coaching, and if the scale has stalled, start with why you are not losing weight.
- 02Waist over 90 cm (men) or 80 cm (women)What shrinks it is in how to lose belly fat.
- 0327.5 or above, or below 18.5Talk to your doctor, who can check for the conditions linked to each band.
- 04Muscular, or an older adultEstimate your body fat with the tape-measure calculator and compare it with the healthy ranges for your age.
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BMI calculator questions.
What is a healthy BMI in Singapore?
18.5 to 22.9 for adults. HPB treats 23.0 to 27.4 as moderate risk and 27.5 and above as high risk, lower lines than WHO's international 25 for overweight and 30 for obesity, because Asians carry more body fat and risk at the same BMI.
Is a BMI of 24 overweight in Singapore?
On Singapore's bands for Asian adults, a BMI of 24 is moderate risk, above the healthy range of 18.5 to 22.9. On WHO's international bands it is normal weight, because WHO starts overweight at 25.
What is the healthy weight for 160 cm?
47.4 to 58.6 kg on Singapore's bands (BMI 18.5 to 22.9), and 47.4 to 63.7 kg on WHO's (18.5 to 24.9). At 160 cm, Singapore's high-risk band starts at 70.4 kg.
Why does Singapore use 23 and 27.5 instead of 25 and 30?
Singaporean Chinese, Malays and Indians carry more body fat than Caucasians at the same BMI, and a WHO expert consultation found raised risk of diabetes and heart disease in Asians below 25. The HPB-MOH guidelines adopted 23 and 27.5 as the action points for Asians.
Can I use this BMI calculator for my child?
No. Under 18, BMI is read on BMI-for-age percentile charts for age and sex, not on the adult bands. HealthHub explains the charts for parents, and school health screening uses them.
Is BMI accurate if I lift weights?
Not on its own. BMI cannot tell muscle from fat, and the Singapore Heart Foundation says it should not be used to judge risk in people with a muscular build. Add a waist measurement and a body fat estimate.
About this guide
Published
Terms used
- HPB:
- Health Promotion Board, the government agency behind Singapore's public health guidance, including physical activity recommendations and the national effort on diabetes.
Sources
- Weight, BMI and Health Problems, last reviewed 10 May 2023 (checked 7 November 2026) · HealthHub / Health Promotion Board
- Health Promotion Board-Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: Obesity, Singapore Med J 2016 (checked 7 November 2026) · Singapore Medical Journal, via PubMed Central
- BMI calculator: Asian BMI bands (checked 7 November 2026) · Singapore Heart Foundation
- What Is a Healthy BMI Range for Children? (checked 7 November 2026) · HealthHub / Health Promotion Board
- What is a Healthy Weight? (checked 7 November 2026) · HealthHub / Health Promotion Board
- Body mass index classification for adults (checked 7 November 2026) · World Health Organization
- Obesity and overweight fact sheet (checked 7 November 2026) · World Health Organization
- Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies, 2004, abstract · The Lancet (WHO Expert Consultation)
- The paradox of low body mass index and high body fat percentage among Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore, Deurenberg-Yap et al., 2000, abstract · International Journal of Obesity
General information, not medical advice.
