Waist to Height Ratio Calculator
Enter your waist and height in the same unit to see your waist-to-height ratio and whether your waist is under half your height.
- Nothing you type is stored
- Free
- No signup
Waist-to-height ratio
0.49
Healthy- Half your height
- 84 cm
- Waist below half height by
- 2 cm
An estimate for general information, not medical advice.
How to use
- Pick cm or inches.
- Measure your waist midway between the lowest rib and the hip bone.
- Enter your height and read the ratio.
Good to know
Ratio = waist ÷ height. Bands used here follow the UK NICE guideline (2022): 0.4–0.49 healthy, 0.5–0.59 increased health risk, 0.6 and above high risk. Below 0.4 may mean you are underweight.
Waist size tracks belly fat, which is linked to diabetes and heart disease more closely than weight alone. This matters for Indians, who often carry more fat around the middle even at a normal BMI.
Measure on bare skin after breathing out normally, tape level all round. The rule applies to adults; it is less studied in older adults and not for pregnancy.
Questions
What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
Below 0.5. In simple words: keep your waist to less than half your height.
What waist size is that for me?
Half your height. At 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm) that is under 83.8 cm, about 33 inches.
Is this better than BMI?
Many studies find it predicts heart and diabetes risk at least as well as BMI, because it looks at belly fat. Using both is best.
Where should I measure my waist?
Midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bone, as recommended by WHO and NICE. That is often around the navel.
Is my data stored?
No. Everything is calculated on your device.