Body measure
Waist-to-hip ratio calculator
Your waist divided by your hips shows how much weight you carry around the middle. A World Health Organization expert report lists 0.90 or more for men and 0.85 or more for women as a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications.
Your measurements
Use the same unit for both. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
Your waist-to-hip ratio, how it compares with the WHO cutoff for your sex, and the WHO waist size bands.
Educational only, not medical advice. A measurement, not a diagnosis.
Source
World Health Organization, Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, report of a WHO expert consultation held in December 2008 and published in 2011 (Table A1 cutoffs and the measuring method).
Validated in
Adults. The report found that a higher waist or waist-hip ratio goes with higher disease risk in diverse populations, though most data came from people of European descent.
Limits
The report did not set definitive cutoffs and found risk at a given ratio varies between populations. Not for children or pregnancy. Hip measurements are harder to take than waist ones, so small errors can shift the ratio.
The WHO cutoffs
The WHO expert report lists the cutoffs often attributed to WHO for the risk of metabolic complications (WHO 2008):
| Measure | Men | Women | Risk of metabolic complications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waist-to-hip ratio | 0.90 or more | 0.85 or more | Substantially increased |
| Waist | Over 94 cm (37 in) | Over 80 cm (31.5 in) | Increased |
| Waist | Over 102 cm (40.2 in) | Over 88 cm (34.6 in) | Substantially increased |
The waist-to-hip ratio values come from WHO's 1999 working definition of metabolic syndrome, where abdominal obesity was a ratio above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women (WHO 2008). The report notes that the waist size values came from an example in an earlier WHO obesity report, based on a Dutch study, and were not formal WHO recommendations (WHO 2008). Inch values are our conversions.
What the expert report concluded
The experts found convincing evidence that a larger waist and a higher waist-to-hip ratio both go with higher disease risk, in diverse populations (WHO 2008). Setting final cutoffs was outside the scope of the meeting, but the experts recognized that the current cutoffs are simple and can be used everywhere (WHO 2008). They also found that risk at a given waist size varies between populations, with people of Asian descent at higher diabetes risk than their BMI would suggest (WHO 2008).
Because the waist alone is easier to measure, the report favored waist circumference over waist-to-hip ratio, and said it is useful to also know your BMI where possible (WHO 2008). Work out your BMI, or try the waist-to-height ratio calculator, which compares your waist with your height instead.
How to measure, the WHO way
- Stand up straight with your feet close together, arms relaxed at your sides and weight evenly spread, wearing little clothing (WHO 2008).
- Waist: measure at the end of a normal breath out, halfway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, with the tape level with the floor (WHO 2008).
- Hips: measure around the widest part of your buttocks, with the tape level with the floor (WHO 2008).
- Keep the tape snug but not tight. Take each measurement twice; if they are within 1 cm of each other, use the average, and if not, measure again (WHO 2008).
Common questions
Is waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI?
Neither replaces the other. The WHO report found that waist measures and BMI are related but may give different information, and suggested using both where possible (WHO 2008).
Why are the cutoffs different for men and women?
Many countries use different cutoffs for men and women, and the WHO experts found no evidence to stop doing so (WHO 2008).
A high ratio is a reason to talk to your doctor about checks such as blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. See the metabolic syndrome criteria and the type 2 diabetes risk test.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8-11 December 2008. Geneva: WHO; 2011. ISBN 978 92 4 150149 1. iris.who.int/handle/10665/44583
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-31. Spotted an error? See About.