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Health

Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator

Check your waist-to-height ratio, a simple measure of health risk from fat around the middle.

Rules last checked 25 October 2026Every step shown

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cm

Measure halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out.

cm

Waist-to-height ratio

0.488 healthy

Waist for a ratio under 0.5
Under 86 cm

Your waist is 48.8% of your height (0.49): healthy. Keeping your waist under half your height, 86 cm, is the usual aim.

How it's worked out

  1. Ratio84 cm ÷ 172 cm0.488
  • Health guidance in the UK (NICE) uses 0.5 and 0.6 as the thresholds for adults. It's a screening measure, not a diagnosis.

The formula

Ratio = waist ÷ height (in the same unit)

Worked example

A waist of 84 cm and a height of 172 cm give 84 ÷ 172 = 0.488, in the healthy range. The aim is a waist under 86 cm.

Questions people ask

What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?

From 0.4 to just under 0.5. In other words, keep your waist to less than half your height.

What does a ratio of 0.5 or more mean?

From 0.5 to 0.59 means increased health risk, and 0.6 or more means high risk, under UK NICE guidance for adults.

Is it better than BMI?

It adds information BMI misses: where fat sits. Fat around the waist is more closely linked to diabetes and heart disease. Using both gives a fuller picture.

Formula and rules last checked 25 October 2026Written and tested by the CalculatorDex teamReport a problem