Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Your waist-to-hip ratio and waist size against WHO and IDF cut-offs.
Enter your waist and hip measurements.
Your measurements against the cut-offs
| Cut-off | Value | You |
|---|
How to measure (WHO protocol)
- Stand with your feet close together, arms at your sides and weight evenly spread, wearing little clothing. Relax.
- Waist: find the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone (iliac crest) at the side of your body. Measure midway between them, at the end of a normal breath out.
- Hips: measure around the widest part of your buttocks.
- Use a tape that does not stretch. Keep it level with the floor and snug, but not pressing into the skin.
- Measure each twice. If the two readings are within 1 cm, use the average; if not, measure both again.
For general information only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional for advice about your situation.
About the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Your waist-to-hip ratio is your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference. A higher ratio means more of your fat sits around your middle rather than on your hips and thighs — and fat around the middle is the kind linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
This calculator rates the ratio on the WHO cut-offs (0.90 for men, 0.85 for women) and checks your waist against the IDF values for your ethnic group — 90 cm for South Asian men and 80 cm for women — as well as the waist cut-offs often attributed to WHO and the US ATP III values. It follows the WHO measuring protocol, including averaging two readings.
How to use it
- Choose your sex and your ethnic background (it sets the IDF waist cut-off), and pick cm or inches.
- Measure your waist midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after a normal breath out, and your hips around the widest part of your buttocks.
- Optionally add a second reading of each: within 1 cm they are averaged; further apart, the calculator asks you to measure again, as WHO advises.
- Read your ratio and how your waist compares with each set of cut-offs. Copy or download the result to keep a record.
Examples
Ratio 0.88 — below the WHO cut-off of 0.90 · waist below the IDF South Asian value of 90 cm
Ratio 0.85 — at the WHO cut-off of 0.85 · waist at or above the IDF 80 cm and above the 80 cm “increased risk” cut-off
Ratio 0.95 — above 0.90 · waist below the IDF Europid value of 94 cm (it would be above the South Asian 90 cm)
The WHO cut-offs
A 2008 WHO expert consultation on waist circumference and waist–hip ratio lists these cut-offs and the risk of metabolic complications they mark:
- Waist–hip ratio ≥ 0.90 (men) or ≥ 0.85 (women): substantially increased
- Waist > 94 cm (men) or > 80 cm (women): increased
- Waist > 102 cm (men) or > 88 cm (women): substantially increased
The report points out that the two waist cut-offs are often attributed to WHO but came from a Dutch study (Han et al.) and were given as an example for Caucasians, not as WHO recommendations. The ratio cut-offs come from WHO’s 1999 definition of the metabolic syndrome.
Ethnic-specific waist values (IDF)
The International Diabetes Federation’s worldwide definition of the metabolic syndrome (2006) sets central obesity by waist circumference, with values that depend on ethnic group — not on the country you live in:
- Europids: men ≥ 94 cm, women ≥ 80 cm (in the USA the ATP III values of 102 and 88 cm are likely to stay in clinical use)
- South Asians, Chinese and Japanese: men ≥ 90 cm, women ≥ 80 cm
- South and Central Americans: use the South Asian values until more specific data are available
- Sub-Saharan Africans and Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (Arab) populations: use the European values until more specific data are available
How to measure
The WHO protocol: stand with your feet close together, arms at your sides and your weight evenly spread, wearing little clothing, and relax. Measure the waist midway between the lower edge of the last rib you can feel and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest), at the end of a normal breath out. Measure the hips around the widest part of the buttocks. Use a tape that does not stretch, keep it level with the floor and snug without pressing in. Take each measurement twice: if the readings are within 1 cm, use the average; if not, measure both again.
Ratio, waist or waist-to-height?
The WHO consultation found convincing evidence that both waist circumference and the ratio are linked to disease risk, and noted that measuring the hips can be harder than measuring the waist alone, which may limit the ratio’s use. A ratio also hides size: a 76/86 cm and a 100/113 cm figure both give 0.88. NICE recommends the waist-to-height ratio — keep your waist to less than half your height — for adults with a BMI under 35. Using a ratio or waist size together with BMI gives a fuller picture than either alone.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva — measuring protocol (sections 2.5 and 5.2) and Tables A1, A2 and 5.2
- International Diabetes Federation. The IDF consensus worldwide definition of the metabolic syndrome — Table 2
- NICE. NG246 Overweight and obesity management — waist-to-height ratio (recommendations 1.9.8 and 1.9.14)
Limitations
- Cut-offs describe risk in populations, not a diagnosis. A doctor will look at your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol too.
- Not for children or during pregnancy.
- Small differences in where and how tightly you measure change the result — measure the same way each time.
- Waist readings of 40–250 cm and hip readings of 50–250 cm are accepted.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
WHO treats a ratio of 0.90 or more in men and 0.85 or more in women as substantially increased risk of metabolic complications, so below those values is the usual target. Your waist size on its own matters too: for South Asian men the IDF central-obesity value is 90 cm, for women 80 cm.
Why does my ethnic background change the waist cut-off?
The 2008 WHO consultation found that, compared with Europeans, Asian populations carry more fat around the organs (visceral fat) at the same waist size, so lower cut-offs may be needed. The IDF uses 90 cm instead of 94 cm for South Asian, Chinese and Japanese men, wherever they live — it ties the value to ethnic group, not country of residence.
Where exactly is my waist?
Midway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, usually just above the belly button. It is not where your trousers sit. Breathe out normally before reading the tape.
Is the waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI?
It measures something different: where fat is stored rather than how heavy you are for your height. The two are best used together. WHO notes that the waist measurement alone is easier to take, and NICE recommends the waist-to-height ratio for most adults.
What does “apple” or “pear” shape mean?
They are everyday names for where fat is stored: around the middle (apple, a higher waist-to-hip ratio) or on the hips and thighs (pear, a lower ratio). The calculator uses the WHO cut-offs rather than these labels.