About this waist-to-hip ratio calculator
Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement and you have your waist-to-hip ratio — a rough indicator of where your body stores fat, which matters separately from how much of it there is. Enter both in centimetres or inches; the units cancel, so the ratio is the same either way. The result is shown against the World Health Organization's screening thresholds of 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women. It is a population-level screening number, not a verdict on you: it cannot see your age, your build, your ethnicity or anything else about your health.
How the waist-to-hip ratio calculator works
Waist circumference divided by hip circumference. Both in the same unit, so an 85 cm waist with 100 cm hips gives 0.85, and the same figures in inches give the same answer. Measure the waist at its narrowest natural point, usually just above the navel, and the hips at their widest. Keep the tape level and snug without pulling it into the skin, and breathe out normally rather than holding it in. Measure twice: a centimetre of difference in either number moves the ratio by about 0.01, which is enough to cross a threshold when you are near one.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator examples
Male, waist 80 cm, hip 100 cm
0.80 — below the 0.90 male threshold
Male, waist 90 cm, hip 100 cm
0.90 — at the threshold, which counts as at or above it
Female, waist 85 cm, hip 100 cm
0.85 — at the 0.85 female threshold
The same body measured in inches, 33 and 40
0.825 — units cancel, so inches and centimetres agree
Limitations & privacy
A screening indicator, not a diagnosis, and not a measure of how much body fat you carry — only of roughly where it sits. The WHO thresholds of 0.90 and 0.85 come from general adult populations. They do not account for muscle, frame size, or the ethnicity-specific cut-offs that several health bodies recommend, and they are not appropriate during pregnancy or for children. A result below the threshold does not establish that your risk is low, and one above it is a prompt to speak to a clinician rather than a finding in itself. Measurement error is the largest source of noise here, which is why the method above matters more than the arithmetic.
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Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator: frequently asked questions
How do I calculate waist-to-hip ratio?
Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement, both in the same unit. An 85 cm waist with 100 cm hips is 85 ÷ 100 = 0.85. Measuring in inches gives the same number, because the units cancel out.
What is a good waist-to-hip ratio?
The WHO uses 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women as screening thresholds: at or above suggests a raised risk associated with abdominal fat distribution. Below is not a clean bill of health — the ratio knows nothing about your blood pressure, your activity, or anything else that matters.
Where exactly do I measure?
Waist at its narrowest natural point, usually just above the navel. Hips at their widest. Tape level and snug without compressing the skin, and breathe out normally. Consistency matters more than precision: a centimetre moves the ratio by roughly 0.01.
Can I use inches?
Yes. Switch Units to Imperial. Because the ratio is one measurement divided by another, inches and centimetres give the identical answer for the same body.
Why do men and women have different thresholds?
Because fat distribution differs on average between them, and the WHO derived separate cut-offs from population data rather than applying one number to everyone. They remain population averages, not statements about any individual.
Is this the same as BMI?
No. BMI compares weight to height and says nothing about where fat sits; this says something about distribution and nothing about quantity. They answer different questions and neither diagnoses anything on its own.
Updated October 19, 2026