# Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator Divide waist by hip circumference and compare the ratio with the WHO thresholds of 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women. --- - **Canonical URL:** https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator - **Category:** Health and fitness - **Publisher:** Do The Calculation (https://dothecalculation.com) - **Cost:** Free, no account or sign-up required - **Privacy:** Runs entirely in the browser; inputs are never sent to a server - **Methodology:** https://dothecalculation.com/methodology --- ## Waist-to-hip ratio against the WHO thresholds Divide your waist by your hips to see how much of your weight is carried around the middle, and compare it with the sex-specific cut-offs from the World Health Organization's expert consultation. - WHO thresholds: 0.90 for men, 0.85 for women - Works in centimetres or inches — the ratio has no units - A screening measure, not a diagnosis ## Quick Answer — Is My Waist-to-Hip Ratio Healthy? Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is your **waist circumference divided by your hip circumference**. The WHO expert consultation report *Waist Circumference and Waist–Hip Ratio* (consultation held in Geneva, December 2008) treats a ratio of **0.90 or more in men** and **0.85 or more in women** as marking a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. **Worked example:** a woman with an 82 cm waist and 100 cm hips has a WHR of **0.82**, which is below the 0.85 threshold. Her waist would have to reach **85 cm** at the same hip size before the ratio crossed it. **This is a screening number, not a diagnosis.** The thresholds describe where risk rises across populations. They cannot tell you whether you personally have or will develop heart disease or diabetes, and they are not meant for pregnancy or for children. ## How to Use This Calculator: An 82 cm Waist on 100 cm Hips Leave the units on centimetres, choose the female threshold, and enter a waist of **82 cm** and hips of **100 cm**. The calculator returns a ratio of **0.82** and places it **below the WHO threshold** of 0.85. It labels the pattern as lower-body (pear), because the hips are wide relative to the waist. The next line turns the threshold into a measurement you can check with a tape: at 100 cm hips, the ratio reaches 0.85 when the waist is **85 cm**, so this reading sits **3 cm** below it. The last line is a separate check that often surprises people. The same WHO report also gives waist circumference cut-offs on their own, and an **82 cm** waist is above the 80 cm figure for women, so it reads **Increased risk** on that measure even though the ratio is below its threshold. The two numbers answer different questions: one asks how big the waist is, the other asks how it compares with the hips. Reading both is more informative than reading either one. ## The Formulas This Calculator Uses **Ratio:** WHR = waist ÷ hip, with both in the same unit. Centimetres divided by centimetres and inches divided by inches give the same number, so the unit switch changes nothing about the result. **Threshold test:** the ratio is flagged when WHR ≥ 0.90 for men or WHR ≥ 0.85 for women. These are the values the WHO consultation report uses for substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. There is no intermediate band for the ratio in that report, so this calculator does not invent one. **Waist at the threshold:** threshold × hip. It tells you the waist measurement at which your current hips would put the ratio exactly on the line. **Waist circumference bands:** the waist is converted to centimetres (inches × 2.54) and compared with the report's cut-offs of **94 cm and 102 cm for men** and **80 cm and 88 cm for women**, for increased and substantially increased risk respectively. **How to measure, following the WHO protocol:** the waist is measured at the midpoint between the lower edge of the last palpable rib and the top of the hip bone (the iliac crest), at the end of a normal breath out. The hips are measured around the widest part of the buttocks. Stand with feet close together and arms at your sides, keep the tape parallel to the floor, and pull it snug without pressing into the skin. Many people measure the waist at the navel or at the narrowest point instead, and those landmarks give a different number. ## A Second Example: A Man Measuring in Inches Switch to inches, choose the male threshold, and enter a **38 inch** waist and **40 inch** hips. The ratio is **0.95**, which is at or above the 0.90 threshold for men, so the band reads **Substantially increased risk** and the pattern is central (apple). At 40 inch hips the ratio would reach 0.90 at a **36 inch** waist, so this waist is **2 inches** past the line. Converted, the waist is **96.52 cm**. That is above the 94 cm cut-off but below 102 cm, so the waist-only band reads **Increased risk** — one step lower than the ratio suggests. This is the mirror image of the first example, and it shows why the ratio earns its place: this man's waist is not extreme on its own, but it is large relative to his frame. The thresholds also differ by sex, which is easy to overlook. A ratio of **0.87** is below the male threshold and above the female one, so the same tape readings can land on either side of the line depending on which threshold you select. ## Apple and Pear: Why Where Fat Sits Matters An apple shape carries more weight around the abdomen; a pear shape carries more around the hips and thighs. The WHO report explains why the difference matters: fat stored inside the abdomen is more closely tied to insulin resistance, raised blood lipids and blood pressure than fat stored under the skin of the hips and thighs. That is the reason a hip measurement is in the denominator at all. Two people with the same waist can differ a great deal in how much of their weight is central, and the ratio captures that. In the INTERHEART case-control study of about 27,000 people across 52 countries (Yusuf and colleagues, *The Lancet*, 2005), waist-to-hip ratio was more strongly associated with heart attack than body mass index was. The ratio has a blind spot in the other direction. If someone loses weight evenly, the waist and the hips shrink together and the ratio barely moves: a 100 cm waist on 110 cm hips and a 95 cm waist on 104.5 cm hips both give **0.91**. Tracking the waist measurement alongside the ratio catches progress that the ratio alone would hide. ## Waist-to-Hip Ratio Versus Waist-to-Height Ratio These two ratios are often confused, and they are not interchangeable. The [waist-to-height ratio calculator](/calculators/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator) divides the waist by height and uses a single 0.5 guideline for adults of either sex. Height does not change in adulthood, so that ratio moves only when the waist does, which makes it a clean way to track abdominal size over time. Waist-to-hip ratio compares the waist with another soft-tissue measurement that also changes with weight, and it needs a different threshold for men and women. What it offers in return is a direct reading of body shape. If you want to know whether your waist is large for your height, use waist-to-height ratio. If you want to know whether your weight is carried centrally rather than on the hips, use this calculator. ## Limitations **Not a diagnosis.** A ratio above the threshold is a reason to look at other measures and to talk to a doctor, not evidence of disease. A ratio below it is not a clean bill of health. **Measurement error is large relative to the thresholds.** A 2 cm difference in where the tape sits can move the ratio by about 0.02, which is enough to cross a line. Use the WHO landmarks every time, and measure at a similar time of day. **The thresholds are not universal.** The WHO report notes that the relationship between these measurements and risk differs between ethnic groups, and that a single set of cut-offs may not fit every population equally well. **Not for pregnancy, and not for children.** Abdominal measurements in pregnancy reflect the pregnancy, and children's body proportions change with growth, so adult thresholds do not apply. **It says nothing about muscle.** People with a very muscular trunk or unusually narrow or wide hip bones can get a ratio that misrepresents their fat distribution. ## Related Calculators Body shape is one piece of the picture. Your [BMI](/calculators/bmi-calculator) relates total weight to height and is the number most clinical guidance starts from, while the [body fat calculator](/calculators/body-fat-calculator) estimates how much of that weight is fat rather than lean tissue. If you are setting a weight goal, the [ideal weight calculator](/calculators/ideal-weight-calculator) gives a height-based reference range to compare against. And because central fat matters mainly through its effect on the heart, the [Framingham cardiac risk calculator](/calculators/cardiac-risk-framingham-calculator) combines blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and diabetes into a 10-year cardiovascular risk estimate that is far more specific than any body measurement can be. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio? The WHO expert consultation report uses 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women as the points at which risk of metabolic complications becomes substantially increased. A ratio below those values is below the threshold. There is no officially defined ideal ratio beneath them. ### Where exactly should I measure my waist and hips? Following the WHO protocol, measure the waist midway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, at the end of a normal breath out. Measure the hips around the widest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape level and snug, stand with your feet together, and relax your arms at your sides. ### Why are the thresholds different for men and women? Men and women differ in pelvic structure and in where they typically store fat, so the same ratio does not carry the same meaning for both. A ratio of 0.87 is under the male threshold of 0.90 but over the female threshold of 0.85. ### Is waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI? It measures something BMI cannot: whether weight is carried around the abdomen. In the INTERHEART study, waist-to-hip ratio was more strongly associated with heart attack than BMI. It is not a replacement, though. BMI, waist size and waist-to-hip ratio each add information, and clinicians read them together. ### My ratio is under the threshold but my waist is over the WHO cut-off. Which matters? Both. The ratio tells you your waist is not large relative to your hips; the waist cut-off tells you it is large in absolute terms. An 82 cm waist on 100 cm hips does exactly this for a woman: a ratio of 0.82, but a waist above the 80 cm cut-off. ### I lost weight but my waist-to-hip ratio did not change. Why? If your waist and hips shrink in proportion, the ratio stays the same. A 100 cm waist on 110 cm hips and a 95 cm waist on 104.5 cm hips are both 0.91. Track the waist measurement itself as well as the ratio. ### What is the difference between waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio? Waist-to-height ratio divides the waist by height and uses one 0.5 guideline for everyone. Waist-to-hip ratio divides the waist by the hips, uses sex-specific thresholds, and describes body shape. Because height is fixed in adults, waist-to-height ratio is easier to track over time; waist-to-hip ratio tells you more about where fat is distributed. ### Can I use this during pregnancy or for a child? No. The WHO thresholds were set for non-pregnant adults. Pregnancy changes abdominal measurements for reasons unrelated to fat, and children are assessed with age-specific growth references instead. ## Related concepts - **Central (Abdominal) Adiposity** — Fat carried around the abdomen, which the WHO report links more closely to metabolic complications than fat on the hips and thighs. - **Waist Circumference Cut-offs** — The WHO waist-only thresholds: 94 and 102 cm for men, 80 and 88 cm for women, for increased and substantially increased risk. - **Waist-to-Height Ratio** — A different ratio, waist divided by height, with a single 0.5 guideline. It tracks abdominal size rather than body shape. ## Related guides - [Body Fat Percentage: How to Measure and What the Numbers Mean](https://dothecalculation.com/blog/health/body-fat-percentage-guide) — Understand body fat percentage, how the US Navy method works, where smart scales and DEXA differ, and how to interpret results carefully. - [BMI Calculation Guide: Formula, Ranges, and Limits](https://dothecalculation.com/blog/health/bmi-calculation-guide) — Calculate adult BMI by hand, understand the standard ranges, and learn why BMI is a screening measure rather than a diagnosis. ## Related calculators - [Body Frame Size Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/body-frame-size-calculator) — Find body frame size from height and wrist circumference using both the ratio method and the published wrist chart. - [Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator) — Calculate your waist-to-height ratio and see where it falls against the 0.5 screening threshold and standard risk bands. - [Bench Press Standards Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/bench-press-standards-calculator) — See which strength tier your bench press falls into, from Beginner to Elite, using bodyweight-ratio benchmarks. - [Body Fat Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/body-fat-calculator) — Estimate your body fat percentage using common measurements like waist, neck, and height for a quick, accurate fitness assessment. - [Cholesterol Ratio Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/cholesterol-ratio-calculator) — Calculate your total cholesterol to HDL ratio and Non-HDL cholesterol, with risk bands consistent with AHA and NCEP ATP III guidance. - [Grip Strength Standards Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/grip-strength-standards-calculator) — Compare a dynamometer reading against published age and sex reference bands, plus grip per kilogram of bodyweight. --- _This calculator is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Its thresholds (waist-to-hip ratio of 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women) and its waist circumference cut-offs come from the WHO report "Waist Circumference and Waist–Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation" (Geneva, December 2008), which also defines the measurement protocol described on this page. The thresholds describe population risk, may not fit every ethnic group equally well, and do not apply in pregnancy or to children. Discuss any concern about your weight or metabolic health with a doctor._ --- _Source: [Do The Calculation](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator). Quote freely with attribution and a link to this page._