Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Enter your waist and hip circumference to calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, compare it with the WHO reference threshold for your selected sex, and view a central-adiposity reference category.
Screening estimate only. Waist-to-hip ratio is a practical estimate of body-fat distribution and is not a diagnosis or a complete assessment of cardiovascular or metabolic health. It is intended for general adult reference and may not be appropriate during pregnancy, for children, or where body shape or fluid balance is substantially affected by a health condition.
WHO reference thresholds may not apply equally across all ethnic backgrounds. For general information only, consider this result alongside other measures and advice from a qualified healthcare professional where appropriate.
How to use this calculator
- Pick your sex — the reference thresholds differ for men and women.
- Enter your waist circumference, and pick its unit — centimetres, metres, feet, inches, or feet and inches.
- Enter your hip circumference, at its widest point, in the same range of units.
- Read your waist-to-hip ratio, its central-adiposity reference category, and how it compares with the WHO threshold for your sex.
Nothing is submitted anywhere. The calculation runs in the page as you type, and the link in your address bar carries your figures, so it can be shared or bookmarked.
How is waist-to-hip ratio calculated?
Waist-to-hip ratio is your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference. Both figures are converted to the same unit before dividing, so you can enter your waist in one unit and your hip in another and still get an accurate ratio.
- WHO elevated-risk threshold — a waist-to-hip ratio above 0.85 for women and above 0.90 for men, the abdominal-obesity cut-off associated with substantially increased risk of metabolic complications (World Health Organization, 2008).
Worked example. A woman with a 75 cm waist and a 98 cm hip has a ratio of 75 ÷ 98 = 0.77, which is below the female WHO reference threshold of 0.85. A man with a 100 cm waist and a 96 cm hip has a ratio of 100 ÷ 96 = 1.04, which is at or above the male WHO reference threshold of 0.90.
Methodology and what the thresholds mean
Waist-to-hip ratio is calculated by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference. It is a unitless measure used to describe body-fat distribution. This calculator compares the result with WHO sex-specific reference thresholds: 0.85 for females and 0.90 for males.
These thresholds are used as population screening reference points associated with abdominal obesity and increased metabolic-complication risk. They are not diagnoses and do not measure a person's overall health or predict an individual outcome. The category is decided from the calculated, unrounded ratio, so a ratio of 0.849 stays below the 0.85 threshold even where the displayed figure rounds to 0.85.
Waist-to-hip ratio vs. waist-to-height ratio vs. BMI
All three use body measurements, but answer different questions. The BMI calculator compares weight to height and says nothing about where any excess weight sits. The waist-to-height ratio calculator compares waist circumference to height, tracking abdominal fat without needing a hip measurement. This calculator instead compares waist to hip circumference — the classic ratio used in WHO cardiometabolic-risk guidance, and useful alongside the other two rather than instead of them.
For an estimate based on body composition rather than a single ratio, use the body fat percentage calculator.
Limitations of waist-to-hip ratio
- A single tape measurement can vary with posture, breathing and where exactly it is taken.
- Intended for general adult reference. The WHO reference thresholds here are not appropriate during pregnancy or for children and teenagers.
- WHO reference thresholds may not apply equally across all ethnic backgrounds.
- It is not a diagnosis or a complete assessment of cardiovascular or metabolic health.