Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Find your waist-to-height ratio, understand adult screening ranges, and track your waist measurements over time. All you need is your height and a tape measure.
← Explore all free toolsMeasure your waist-to-height ratio
Enter your height and waist circumference in the same measurement system. This adult screening tool does not need your sex or weight.
Stand, find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones, and place the tape halfway between those points (often just above your belly button). Keep it level and snug without squeezing. Breathe out naturally, then read the number.
Designed for adults aged 18+. Do not use this screening interpretation during pregnancy. It is not suitable for diagnosing illness or evaluating eating disorders; if your BMI is 35 or higher, the standard adult interpretation may be less informative.
Your waist measurement history
Save readings here if you want to follow changes over weeks or months. The latest 12 are kept locally in this browser when storage is available. Nothing is sent to Emily.
How to interpret your result
The formula: waist circumference ÷ height, in the same units. For example, an 85 cm waist and a 170 cm height produce a ratio of 0.50.
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends using waist-to-height ratio alongside BMI to help assess central adiposity (fat carried around the middle) in adults with BMI below 35. It uses the familiar advice to aim for a waist measurement less than half your height, where appropriate.
This ratio does not measure visceral fat directly, tell you your body-fat percentage, or diagnose cardiovascular disease. The measurement technique, health history and other findings matter.
See the NICE waist-measurement and interpretation guidance and the NHS waist-to-height resource.
Your result
Enter your measurements to see your ratio, how it compares with published adult screening ranges, and a waist measurement corresponding to half your height.
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One number isn’t the full picture
A higher waist-to-height ratio may indicate more fat around the abdomen, but it cannot tell whether abdominal fat is visceral or subcutaneous. Check results alongside other measurements and your overall health.
Related reading
Why your waist size matters · What BMI tells you (and what it misses)
Repeat waist measurements under similar conditions if tracking changes. Short-term changes can reflect measurement technique, bloating and other factors.