Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator
Measure where your body stores fat, not just how much you weigh. Get your waist-to-hip ratio against the WHO cut-offs and your own age group, see your body shape, and learn how many inches stand between you and a lower-risk ratio.
Written and fact-checked by Manzoor Ahmad, Pharm-DLast reviewed September 29, 2026
Waist: midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after a normal breath out. Hips: around the widest part of your buttocks.
Enter your sex, age, waist and hip measurements to see your waist-to-hip ratio. Nothing you type is stored.
Your waist-to-hip ratio
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Your ratio against your age group
Waist-to-hip ratio
Waist-to-height ratio
Add your height to see this.
Two measurements, one picture
Your waist plan
What is waist-to-hip ratio?
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference. It shows whether you carry weight around your middle or lower down on the hips and thighs. A 32-inch waist and 40-inch hips give a ratio of 0.80.
The World Health Organization links a WHR of 0.90 or higher in men and 0.85 or higher in women with a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Lower is healthier. This waist to hip ratio calculator compares you with those WHO cut-offs and with typical values for your age group, then cross-checks your waist size and waist-to-height ratio.
How to use the waist to hip ratio calculator
- Choose inches or centimeters and enter your sex and age. Age matters because WHR naturally rises over the decades, so the calculator compares you with your own age band.
- Measure your waist and hips the WHO way, described below, and enter both. Use the same unit for each.
- Add your height if you want the waist-to-height ratio cross-check, and choose your ancestry so the waist size cut-offs match your population.
- Read the zone bar and silhouette. The marker shows where you fall in your age group, and the thin line marks the WHO cut-off. The silhouette reshapes itself to your actual ratio.
- Use the waist plan. It tells you the waist size that would put you in the low-risk band at your current hip size, and a realistic time frame to get there.
How to measure waist and hips correctly
A quarter inch here and there changes your ratio, so technique is everything. The WHO protocol is the one used in the research behind the cut-offs.
- Waist: find the midpoint between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone (iliac crest), usually a little above the navel. Wrap the tape there, level all the way around, and read it at the end of a normal breath out.
- Hips: stand with feet together and measure around the widest part of your buttocks, keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
- Use a non-stretch tape, snug on the skin or over thin clothing, without compressing the skin.
- Measure each site twice. If the two readings differ by more than about 1 cm (half an inch), take a third and average the closest two.
- Measure in the morning before breakfast for the most consistent tracking.
Some clinics measure the waist at the navel instead. That usually reads slightly larger, which nudges your ratio up. Pick one method and stick with it when you track progress.
Waist-to-hip ratio chart for women and men
WHO cut-offs (all adults)
| Sex | Lower risk | Substantially increased risk |
|---|---|---|
| Women | Below 0.85 | 0.85 or higher |
| Men | Below 0.90 | 0.90 or higher |
Waist-to-hip ratio by age
These age-based bands, widely used in exercise science and derived from Bray and Gray’s work, show how the same ratio means something different at 25 than at 65.
| Group | Age | Low | Moderate | High | Very high |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 20 to 29 | Under 0.83 | 0.83 to 0.88 | 0.89 to 0.94 | Over 0.94 |
| Men | 30 to 39 | Under 0.84 | 0.84 to 0.91 | 0.92 to 0.96 | Over 0.96 |
| Men | 40 to 49 | Under 0.88 | 0.88 to 0.95 | 0.96 to 1.00 | Over 1.00 |
| Men | 50 to 59 | Under 0.90 | 0.90 to 0.96 | 0.97 to 1.02 | Over 1.02 |
| Men | 60 to 69 | Under 0.91 | 0.91 to 0.98 | 0.99 to 1.03 | Over 1.03 |
| Women | 20 to 29 | Under 0.71 | 0.71 to 0.77 | 0.78 to 0.82 | Over 0.82 |
| Women | 30 to 39 | Under 0.72 | 0.72 to 0.78 | 0.79 to 0.84 | Over 0.84 |
| Women | 40 to 49 | Under 0.73 | 0.73 to 0.79 | 0.80 to 0.87 | Over 0.87 |
| Women | 50 to 59 | Under 0.74 | 0.74 to 0.81 | 0.82 to 0.88 | Over 0.88 |
| Women | 60 to 69 | Under 0.76 | 0.76 to 0.83 | 0.84 to 0.90 | Over 0.90 |
Swipe sideways on a phone. For adults over 69 the calculator uses the 60 to 69 band, and for 18 and 19 year olds the 20 to 29 band.
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio for women and men?
A healthy waist-to-hip ratio for women is below 0.85, and for men below 0.90, by WHO standards. Within those limits, lower generally tracks with lower cardiometabolic risk, and the age table above shows what counts as low for your decade.
You may have seen 0.7 described as the ideal waist-to-hip ratio for women. That figure comes from psychology research on perceived attractiveness, not from health outcomes. A woman at 0.78 is not less healthy than one at 0.70; both are comfortably below the WHO line. Treat 0.7 as a cultural reference, not a medical goal.
For men, most healthy adults sit somewhere in the 0.80s. Men naturally carry more fat around the abdomen, which is why their cut-off is higher than women’s.
Waist circumference cut-offs by ancestry
Your waist measurement tells its own story, and the risk threshold depends on your background. People of South Asian, East Asian and Latin American ancestry develop metabolic problems at smaller waist sizes, which is why the International Diabetes Federation set lower cut-offs for these groups.
| Ancestry | Men: increased risk | Women: increased risk | Men: high risk (WHO) | Women: high risk (WHO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European, African, Middle Eastern | 94 cm (37 in) | 80 cm (31.5 in) | 102 cm (40 in) | 88 cm (34.6 in) |
| South Asian, East Asian, Latin American | 90 cm (35.4 in) | 80 cm (31.5 in) | Not separately defined | Not separately defined |
IDF recommends applying South Asian cut-offs to Latin American populations and European cut-offs to African and Middle Eastern populations until more specific data exist.
Waist-to-hip ratio vs BMI vs waist-to-height ratio
BMI measures how heavy you are for your height. WHR measures where your fat sits. That distinction turns out to matter a great deal. In the INTERHEART study of about 27,000 people across 52 countries, waist-to-hip ratio was more strongly linked to heart attack risk than BMI. A 2023 JAMA Network Open analysis of more than 387,000 UK Biobank participants found WHR had a stronger and more consistent association with death from any cause than BMI or fat mass index, and its genetic analysis suggested the link may be causal.
Waist-to-hip ratioBest at showing fat distribution. Can mislead when both waist and hips grow or shrink together.
Waist-to-height ratioSimpler, one tape measurement, and a strong risk marker. Aim for below 0.50. The Army body fat calculator uses it as a pass line at 0.55.
BMIQuick screen for weight status. Misses muscle and fat distribution. Check yours with the BMI calculator.
Body fat percentageTells you how much of your weight is fat but not where it is. Try the body fat percentage calculator.
The best picture comes from using two together. That is why this calculator adds a waist-to-height check when you enter your height, and flags when the two measures disagree.
Apple vs pear body shape: why it matters
An apple shape, with a higher waist-to-hip ratio, usually means more visceral fat: the fat packed around the liver, pancreas and intestines. Visceral fat is metabolically active. It releases fatty acids and inflammatory signals straight into the liver’s blood supply, pushing up insulin resistance, triglycerides and blood pressure.
A pear shape, with more fat on the hips and thighs, stores fat mostly under the skin, where it is far less harmful and may even buffer some metabolic stress. Two people with the same weight and BMI can have very different risk depending on which shape they carry.
A pharmacist’s view on belly fat and your ratio
When someone at my counter asks why their waist is growing while their weight barely moves, the answer is often hidden in their medicine list or their life stage. Waist-to-hip ratio is one of the few home measurements that picks up these shifts early.
Medicines and conditions that move fat to the middle
Long-term corticosteroids such as prednisolone are the classic cause of central fat gain. Some antipsychotics, older HIV medicines and insulin can also shift fat toward the abdomen. Menopause changes where women store fat, often raising WHR within a few years even without weight gain. Polycystic ovary syndrome, poor sleep, chronic stress and regular heavy drinking all push in the same direction. Never stop a prescribed medicine because of your waist; ask your prescriber whether an alternative or extra monitoring makes sense.
What actually lowers WHR
You cannot spot-reduce belly fat with crunches, but visceral fat is often the first to respond to overall fat loss. Regular aerobic activity, resistance training, less alcohol, more fiber, fewer ultra-processed foods and consistent sleep all help. Newer GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide reduce visceral fat as part of overall weight loss, but they need a prescriber and a plan to protect muscle.
Supplements that promise a flat belly
After years of reviewing supplement labels, I can say no capsule targets belly fat. Products sold as belly burners usually rely on stimulants, diuretics or laxatives that change the scale or the mirror for a day, not your visceral fat. Soluble fiber such as psyllium can support fullness and cholesterol as part of a diet, which is about as far as the evidence goes.
When waist-to-hip ratio can mislead
- Muscular hips and glutes lower your ratio even if you carry abdominal fat, so check your waist-to-height ratio too.
- General weight loss shrinks both waist and hips, so your ratio may barely change while your health improves. Track your waist in inches as well as the ratio.
- Pregnancy makes WHR meaningless until several months after birth.
- Children and teenagers need age-specific references; adult cut-offs do not apply.
- Very high BMI can make hip measurement unreliable. Waist circumference and lean body mass are often more useful here.
If your ratio is high, a sensible next step is a routine check of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, and a look at a realistic target weight with the ideal weight calculator.
Waist to hip ratio calculator FAQ
Divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference, using the same unit for both. For example, a 32-inch waist and 40-inch hips give 32 ÷ 40 = 0.80. Measure the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, and the hips around the widest part of the buttocks.
The World Health Organization considers a waist-to-hip ratio below 0.85 lower risk for women. A ratio of 0.85 or higher is linked with substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. For women in their 20s and 30s, values under about 0.72 are considered low risk.
For men, a waist-to-hip ratio below 0.90 is considered lower risk by WHO, while 0.90 or higher signals substantially increased metabolic risk. Low-risk values rise slightly with age, from under 0.83 in the 20s to under 0.91 in the 60s.
A ratio of 0.7 is often called ideal for women, but that figure comes from attractiveness research, not health studies. From a health point of view, any ratio comfortably below 0.85 for women is favorable.
For predicting heart disease and death, research suggests it often is. The INTERHEART study found waist-to-hip ratio was more strongly linked to heart attack than BMI, and a 2023 UK Biobank analysis of more than 387,000 people found it had a stronger, more consistent link with all-cause mortality. Using both gives the most complete picture.
Following the WHO protocol, measure at the midpoint between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, at the end of a normal breath out. Some clinics use the navel instead, which usually reads slightly larger. Use the same site every time.
An apple shape means you carry more fat around the abdomen, giving a higher waist-to-hip ratio. It usually reflects more visceral fat around the organs, which is linked with insulin resistance, high blood pressure, raised triglycerides and heart disease.
By WHO and IDF guidance, risk increases at a waist of 94 cm (37 in) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women of European, African or Middle Eastern ancestry, and is high at 102 cm (40 in) for men and 88 cm (34.6 in) for women. For South Asian, East Asian and Latin American men the increased-risk cut-off is 90 cm (35.4 in).
Yes. Overall fat loss through a moderate calorie deficit, regular aerobic exercise, strength training, better sleep and less alcohol reduces visceral fat, which often shrinks the waist faster than the hips. Spot exercises such as crunches do not target belly fat on their own.
Hormonal changes, loss of muscle and lower activity levels shift fat storage toward the abdomen over time. In women, menopause often raises waist-to-hip ratio within a few years even without weight gain.
Yes. Long-term corticosteroids, some antipsychotics, certain older HIV medicines and insulin can increase abdominal fat. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own; discuss options and monitoring with your prescriber.
It is less reliable during pregnancy, in children and teenagers, in people with very large or very muscular hips, and at very high body weights. In those cases, waist circumference or waist-to-height ratio is often more useful.
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About the author
Manzoor Ahmad, Pharm-D
Pharmacist, health content writer and founder of DexoCalc
Manzoor is a Doctor of Pharmacy with more than nine years of experience writing about supplements, weight management and medication safety. He runs a community pharmacy where questions about belly fat, medicines that cause weight gain and weight-loss supplements come up every week. He built this calculator from the original published equations and checks every formula against worked examples before release.
Sources and references
- World Health Organization. Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8-11 December 2008. Geneva: WHO; 2011.
- Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, et al. Obesity and the risk of myocardial infarction in 27,000 participants from 52 countries: a case-control study (INTERHEART). The Lancet. 2005;366(9497):1640-1649.
- Khan I, Chong M, Le A, et al. Surrogate adiposity markers and mortality. JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(9).
- Alberti KGMM, Zimmet P, Shaw J. The metabolic syndrome: a new worldwide definition (International Diabetes Federation). The Lancet. 2005;366(9491):1059-1062.
- Bray GA, Gray DS. Obesity. Part I: pathogenesis. Western Journal of Medicine. 1988;149(4):429-441.
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Waist-to-hip ratio norms by age and sex.
- Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2012;13(3):275-286.
- Singh D. Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: role of waist-to-hip ratio. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1993;65(2):293-307.
This waist to hip ratio calculator is for education and general wellness. Risk categories are population-based and cannot diagnose any condition. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for advice from your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian, especially if you are pregnant, under 18, or have symptoms or a diagnosed medical condition.