Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) compares the size of your waist to your hips, giving a simple read on where your body stores fat. Fat carried around the abdomen (an "apple" shape, higher ratio) is associated in research with greater health risk than fat carried around the hips (a "pear" shape, lower ratio). The World Health Organization publishes ratio bands as a screening tool. This calculator shows your ratio and where it sits relative to those bands. It is a screening figure, not a diagnosis — a ratio above a threshold is a prompt to talk with a healthcare professional, not a medical conclusion on its own.
Calculate
Default result: 0.85
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator · Result
calculators.dev
Waist-to-hip ratio
34 in × 40 in
This calculator provides an estimate for general information only and is not a medical diagnosis or professional advice. Body-composition and health-risk figures are approximations from population formulas and can differ meaningfully from clinical measurement. Do not use this result to diagnose, treat, or rule out any health condition — consult a qualified healthcare provider before acting on it.
Reviewed by the calculators.dev team · Last updated 2026-06-23
Formula reviewed against World Health Organization. Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation. Geneva, 2008
How to calculate
Use a flexible tape and stand relaxed. Measure your waist at its narrowest point, usually just above the navel, and your hips at their widest point around the buttocks. Keep the tape level and snug without compressing the skin. Enter both measurements — inches or centimetres, as long as both use the same unit-aware field — and the calculator divides waist by hip. A 34-inch waist with 40-inch hips gives 0.85. Compare your number to the WHO bands shown with the result.
WHR = waist ÷ hip. Variables: waist and hip are circumferences measured in the same unit, so the ratio is dimensionless. World Health Organization risk bands: for men, increased risk above 0.90; for women, above 0.85. These bands are population screening thresholds, not individual diagnoses, and do not by themselves account for age, ethnicity, or overall fitness.
Example calculation
A 34-inch waist divided by a 40-inch hip gives a waist-to-hip ratio of 34 ÷ 40 = 0.85. Because both measurements are the same kind of length, the units cancel — you can measure in inches or centimetres and get the same ratio. The World Health Organization flags raised health risk above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women.
- ratio
- 0.85
Assumptions
- Measurement sites matter: waist at the narrowest point, hips at the widest. Measuring elsewhere changes the ratio.
- The WHO bands (men > 0.90, women > 0.85) are population screening thresholds, not individual diagnoses.
- The ratio describes fat distribution, not total body fat — a lean and a heavier person can share the same ratio.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the waist at the belt line instead of the narrowest point, which changes the ratio.
- Reading a ratio above the band as a diagnosis. It is a screening signal to discuss with a professional, nothing more.
- Comparing your ratio to a friend's of a different sex — the men's and women's risk thresholds differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
The World Health Organization flags increased risk above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women. Lower ratios generally indicate less abdominal fat. These are screening bands, not strict cut-offs, and should be interpreted alongside other health information.
How do I measure my waist and hips correctly?
Measure the waist at its narrowest point (usually just above the navel) and the hips at their widest point around the buttocks. Keep the tape level and snug without squeezing. Use the same unit for both measurements.
Is waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI?
Neither is complete. BMI reflects overall weight for height, while WHR reflects where fat is stored. Abdominal fat carries more risk in research, so WHR adds information BMI misses — using both together is more informative than either alone.
Does a high ratio mean I have a health problem?
Not on its own. A ratio above the WHO band is a screening signal that suggests discussing your risk with a healthcare professional, who can consider your full picture. It is not a diagnosis.