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Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Waist-to-height ratio is your waist measurement divided by your height. Enter both to get the ratio, the band it falls in and the waist size that equals half your height — the simple target behind the advice to “keep your waist to less than half your height”.
- Band
- Healthy range (0.40–0.49)
- Half your height
- 34 in
Saved setups
Save a set of inputs you reuse — your usual rate, your loan, your room sizes — and load it back in one tap.
Your recent calculations
Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.
Formula
How to use it
- Measure your waist midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out.
- Enter your height.
- Read the ratio and compare your waist with half your height.
Worked examples
A 32 in waist at 5 ft 8 in tall
- Waist-to-height ratio
- 0.47
- Band
- Healthy range (0.40–0.49)
- Half your height
- 34 in
A 100 cm waist at 175 cm tall
- Waist-to-height ratio
- 0.57
- Band
- Increased (0.50–0.59)
The bands
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) uses these bands for adults with a BMI under 35: 0.40 to 0.49 is healthy, 0.50 to 0.59 indicates increased central adiposity, and 0.60 or more indicates high central adiposity. The same boundaries apply to men and women.
Because it accounts for fat carried around the middle, the ratio can flag something BMI misses in people with a normal BMI but a larger waist, and it is less misleading than BMI for muscular people.
This is an estimate for general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or other qualified clinician before making health decisions based on it.
Questions people ask
What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
Between 0.40 and 0.49. A 32 in waist at 5 ft 8 in (68 in) is 32 ÷ 68 = 0.47.
What should my waist be for my height?
Less than half your height. At 5 ft 8 in that is under 34 in; at 175 cm it is under 87.5 cm.
Is waist-to-height ratio better than BMI?
It answers a different question. BMI reflects overall weight for height; waist-to-height reflects fat around the abdomen. Using both gives a fuller picture than either alone.