What is a good BMR for your age and weight?
After calculating your BMR, the first question most people ask is whether their number is normal. Here is how to interpret it, with average BMR ranges by age, weight, and sex, and what your result actually means for your diet.
There is no single "good" BMR, it depends on your body size. For most women, 1,200–1,600 kcal/day is typical. For most men, 1,500–2,100 kcal/day. A lower BMR is not unhealthy, it simply reflects smaller body size or less muscle mass. Use the BMR calculator to find your exact figure, then compare it to the tables below.
Why there is no single "good" BMR
BMR is determined almost entirely by your body size and composition, primarily weight, height, age, and muscle mass. A BMR of 1,350 kcal is perfectly normal for a 55-year-old woman of 55kg and would be surprisingly low for a 30-year-old man of 85kg. Comparing your BMR to a population average without accounting for these variables gives you almost no useful information.
The right question is not "is my BMR good?" but "is my BMR appropriate for my height, weight, and age?" Use the BMR calculator to find your number, then compare it to the tables below for your specific profile.
Average BMR for women by age
These figures are calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for a woman of average UK height (163cm) at various weights and ages.
| Age | 55kg | 65kg | 75kg | 85kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1,276 kcal | 1,376 kcal | 1,476 kcal | 1,576 kcal |
| 30 | 1,251 kcal | 1,351 kcal | 1,451 kcal | 1,551 kcal |
| 35 | 1,226 kcal | 1,326 kcal | 1,426 kcal | 1,526 kcal |
| 40 | 1,201 kcal | 1,301 kcal | 1,401 kcal | 1,501 kcal |
| 45 | 1,176 kcal | 1,276 kcal | 1,376 kcal | 1,476 kcal |
| 50 | 1,151 kcal | 1,251 kcal | 1,351 kcal | 1,451 kcal |
| 55 | 1,126 kcal | 1,226 kcal | 1,326 kcal | 1,426 kcal |
| 60 | 1,101 kcal | 1,201 kcal | 1,301 kcal | 1,401 kcal |
Average BMR for men by age
These figures use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for a man of average UK height (175cm) at various weights and ages.
| Age | 70kg | 80kg | 90kg | 100kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1,769 kcal | 1,869 kcal | 1,969 kcal | 2,069 kcal |
| 30 | 1,719 kcal | 1,819 kcal | 1,919 kcal | 2,019 kcal |
| 35 | 1,669 kcal | 1,769 kcal | 1,869 kcal | 1,969 kcal |
| 40 | 1,619 kcal | 1,719 kcal | 1,819 kcal | 1,919 kcal |
| 45 | 1,569 kcal | 1,669 kcal | 1,769 kcal | 1,869 kcal |
| 50 | 1,519 kcal | 1,619 kcal | 1,719 kcal | 1,819 kcal |
| 55 | 1,469 kcal | 1,569 kcal | 1,669 kcal | 1,769 kcal |
| 60 | 1,419 kcal | 1,519 kcal | 1,619 kcal | 1,719 kcal |
What affects your BMR most
Weight is the dominant factor, every 10kg of bodyweight adds roughly 100 kcal to your BMR, regardless of sex. This is why two people of the same age and height can have very different BMRs based on weight alone.
Muscle mass matters significantly within the same bodyweight. A person of 80kg with 40% body fat has a meaningfully lower BMR than a person of 80kg with 20% body fat, because muscle tissue burns roughly three times more calories at rest than fat. This is why the body fat calculator is a useful complement to the BMR calculator, knowing your body composition gives you a fuller picture.
Age reduces BMR by approximately 10 kcal per year after 30, primarily through the progressive loss of muscle mass. This is not inevitable. People who maintain resistance training into their 50s and 60s preserve significantly more muscle mass and therefore a meaningfully higher BMR than sedentary peers of the same age.
Sex creates a difference of roughly 160 kcal at the same weight and height, the constant at the end of the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. This reflects average differences in muscle mass rather than a fundamental metabolic sex difference.
Is a higher BMR better?
A higher BMR gives you more dietary flexibility. You can eat more while maintaining weight, which makes hitting nutrient targets easier and dieting less restrictive. But a lower BMR is not inherently unhealthy. It simply means your body is smaller or carries less muscle mass.
Where a low BMR becomes a practical problem is when it makes it difficult to eat enough calories to meet nutritional needs while also losing weight. A woman with a BMR of 1,100 kcal eating in a 400 kcal deficit is consuming only 700 kcal, dangerously low, regardless of how the numbers were arrived at. In these cases, increasing BMR through building muscle over time is the more sustainable solution than continuing to restrict intake.
What if my BMR seems low for my profile?
If your calculated BMR is notably lower than the table above suggests for your age, weight, and height, a few explanations are possible:
- Low muscle mass is the most common reason. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation uses total body weight, which includes fat. A person carrying more fat than average for their weight will have a lower true BMR than the formula suggests.
- Extended calorie restriction, periods of severe under-eating suppress BMR through metabolic adaptation, sometimes by 10–15%. This resolves partially when calorie intake is restored.
- Thyroid issues: hypothyroidism measurably reduces BMR. If you consistently gain weight despite eating what appears to be a deficit, this is worth discussing with a GP.
The most reliable way to raise a low BMR over time is resistance training combined with adequate protein intake, in particular hitting your protein target of 1.6–2.0g per kg of bodyweight, which supports muscle retention and growth.
From BMR to a calorie plan
BMR alone is not enough to plan your diet. You need your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Most adults have a TDEE 20–60% above their BMR depending on how active they are. Use the TDEE calculator to find your full daily energy expenditure, then the calorie deficit calculator to map a timeline to your goal weight.