Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) Calculator

Measure waist and hip in the same units — the ratio is identical in cm or inches.

WHO risk bands. Men — low < 0.90, moderate 0.90–0.99, high ≥ 1.0. Women — low < 0.80, moderate 0.80–0.84, high ≥ 0.85. Abdominal fat (a higher ratio) carries more metabolic risk than fat on the hips.

How do you calculate waist-to-hip ratio?

Divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference: WHR = waist ÷ hip. Because it is a ratio, the units cancel — a waist of 80 cm and hips of 100 cm give the same 0.80 as 31.5 in and 39.4 in. Measure the waist at its narrowest point (roughly at the navel) and the hips at their widest, without compressing the skin.

What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?

Using WHO waist-to-hip cut-offs, health risk is low for men below 0.90 and women below 0.80, moderate from 0.90–0.99 in men and 0.80–0.84 in women, and high at 1.0 or above in men and 0.85 or above in women. A lower ratio (a smaller waist relative to the hips) is generally more favourable. These are thresholds for abdominal obesity rather than a diagnosis, and they sit lower for women because the hip measurement is typically larger relative to the waist. A waist of 80 cm with hips of 100 cm gives 0.80, which is the start of the moderate band for a woman and comfortably inside the low band for a man.

Is waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI?

Waist-to-hip ratio and BMI measure different things. BMI reflects overall weight for height, while WHR captures where fat is stored. Abdominal (apple-shaped) fat carries more metabolic risk than fat on the hips and thighs, so WHR can flag risk that a normal BMI misses. Many clinicians look at both, along with plain waist circumference.

How should I measure my waist and hips?

To measure your waist and hips, stand relaxed and breathe out normally. Measure the waist at the narrowest point between the lowest rib and the hip bone (around the navel for most people), and the hips at the widest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape horizontal and snug but not tight. Using the same units for both is all that matters — the ratio is unit-free.

Does waist-to-hip ratio apply to everyone?

The standard waist-to-hip cut-offs were derived mainly from adults and can misclassify people who are very muscular, pregnant, or of body shapes under-represented in the source data, and they differ somewhat between ethnic groups. Treat the result as one educational marker among several, not a diagnosis. The cut-offs also assume a non-pregnant adult and are not applied to children, who are assessed against growth-based measures instead. Where the hip measurement is hard to take or hard to interpret, plain waist circumference or the waist-to-height ratio is a simpler alternative, since neither depends on hip shape at all.