📏Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

About this tool

Choose sex and units, then enter your waist and hip measurements. The calculator shows your waist-to-hip ratio, a low, moderate or high risk label against WHO thresholds, whether your shape is closer to apple or pear, and whether your waist alone is above the waist-circumference threshold.

What your waist-to-hip ratio means

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is waist circumference divided by hip circumference. A waist of 86 cm and hips of 100 cm give 0.86. Fat stored around the abdomen, an apple shape, is more closely linked with heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes than fat stored on the hips and thighs, a pear shape. Because BMI can't tell where fat sits, WHR adds useful information. The World Health Organization's 2008 report treats a WHR of 0.90 or more for men and 0.85 or more for women as substantially increased risk; a waist of 102 cm or more for men, or 88 cm or more for women, is a separate warning sign. The same 0.86 ratio is therefore low risk for a man and high risk for a woman. To measure, stand relaxed and breathe out. Measure the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, and the hips around the widest part of the buttocks, keeping the tape level and snug. Honest limits: WHR is a screening indicator, not a diagnosis, and lower thresholds are often used for South Asian and some other populations. Not medical advice. The waist-to-height ratio calculator is another simple measure, and the BMI calculator and the body fat calculator complete the picture. How body fat percentage is estimated — and how much to trust each method compares methods.

Frequently asked questions