Healthy Waist-to-Height Ratio: Chart by Height and What Your Number Means
A healthy waist-to-height ratio for adults is 0.4 to 0.49, a waist less than half your height. See the NICE ranges, a waist chart for every height from 4 ft 10 in to 6 ft 6 in, and how to measure.
- Published
- November 3, 2026
- Read time
- 9 min read
- Medically reviewed by
-
Rhonda Collins, FNP-C
A healthy waist-to-height ratio for adults is 0.4 to 0.49. Put simply, your waist should measure less than half your height. NICE, the UK’s guideline body, classes a ratio of 0.5 to 0.59 as increased central adiposity (more fat around the middle) and 0.6 or more as high, with health risks rising at each step [1].
To find your ratio, divide your waist measurement by your height, using the same units for both. A 34-inch waist at 5 ft 8 in (68 inches) gives 34 ÷ 68 = 0.5. The ratio is a screening estimate of where you carry fat, not a diagnosis.
Waist-to-height ratio ranges
NICE uses three ranges for adults with a body mass index (BMI) below 35 [1]:
| Waist-to-height ratio | NICE category | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Below 0.4 | No NICE category | Check your BMI as well |
| 0.4 to 0.49 | Healthy central adiposity | No increased health risk |
| 0.5 to 0.59 | Increased central adiposity | Increased health risk |
| 0.6 or more | High central adiposity | Further increased health risk |
The health risks NICE links to higher central adiposity are type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease [1]. NICE sets no range below 0.4, so a ratio under 0.4 is not a sign of extra health. A very small waist for your height can go with low body weight, which your BMI will show more clearly.
The same ranges apply to men and women and to all ethnicities [1]. That makes the ratio simpler than waist circumference on its own: the UK waist cutoffs used alongside BMI start at 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women [2].
Once you know the ranges, you can calculate your waist-to-height ratio with our free calculator. It takes your waist and height in centimetres or inches and places the result on the NICE scale.
What should my waist be for my height?
Your waist should be less than half your height. The chart below shows, for each adult height from 4 ft 10 in to 6 ft 6 in, the waist that gives a ratio of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6. A waist between the 0.4 and 0.5 columns falls in the NICE healthy range. Values are rounded.
Waist measurement by height for a waist-to-height ratio of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6
| Height | Waist at 0.4 | Waist at 0.5 (keep below) | Waist at 0.6 (high from here) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in (147 cm) | 23.2 in (59 cm) | 29 in (74 cm) | 34.8 in (88 cm) |
| 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) | 23.6 in (60 cm) | 29.5 in (75 cm) | 35.4 in (90 cm) |
| 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | 24 in (61 cm) | 30 in (76 cm) | 36 in (91 cm) |
| 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) | 24.4 in (62 cm) | 30.5 in (77 cm) | 36.6 in (93 cm) |
| 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) | 24.8 in (63 cm) | 31 in (79 cm) | 37.2 in (94 cm) |
| 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | 25.2 in (64 cm) | 31.5 in (80 cm) | 37.8 in (96 cm) |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 25.6 in (65 cm) | 32 in (81 cm) | 38.4 in (98 cm) |
| 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | 26 in (66 cm) | 32.5 in (83 cm) | 39 in (99 cm) |
| 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | 26.4 in (67 cm) | 33 in (84 cm) | 39.6 in (101 cm) |
| 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | 26.8 in (68 cm) | 33.5 in (85 cm) | 40.2 in (102 cm) |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 27.2 in (69 cm) | 34 in (86 cm) | 40.8 in (104 cm) |
| 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | 27.6 in (70 cm) | 34.5 in (88 cm) | 41.4 in (105 cm) |
| 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 28 in (71 cm) | 35 in (89 cm) | 42 in (107 cm) |
| 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | 28.4 in (72 cm) | 35.5 in (90 cm) | 42.6 in (108 cm) |
| 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 28.8 in (73 cm) | 36 in (91 cm) | 43.2 in (110 cm) |
| 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | 29.2 in (74 cm) | 36.5 in (93 cm) | 43.8 in (111 cm) |
| 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | 29.6 in (75 cm) | 37 in (94 cm) | 44.4 in (113 cm) |
| 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | 30 in (76 cm) | 37.5 in (95 cm) | 45 in (114 cm) |
| 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | 30.4 in (77 cm) | 38 in (97 cm) | 45.6 in (116 cm) |
| 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | 30.8 in (78 cm) | 38.5 in (98 cm) | 46.2 in (117 cm) |
| 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | 31.2 in (79 cm) | 39 in (99 cm) | 46.8 in (119 cm) |
For example, at 5 ft 4 in, a waist under 32 inches (81 cm) keeps your ratio below 0.5. At 6 ft, the same point is 36 inches (91 cm).
How to measure your waist-to-height ratio
The waist measurement matters most, because a tape placed an inch too high or too low changes the result. NICE gives this method [1]:
- Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.
- Wrap a tape measure around your waist midway between those two points. This is usually just above the belly button.
- Keep the tape level, breathe out naturally, and then read the measurement. Do not pull in your stomach or pull the tape tight.
- Measure your height in the same units as your waist. If you know your height in feet and inches, convert it to inches (5 ft 7 in is 67 inches).
- Divide your waist by your height. NICE’s example: 38 inches ÷ 67 inches = 0.57, the same as 96.5 cm ÷ 170 cm.
Your trouser size is not a substitute, because trousers rarely sit at the midpoint NICE uses. Use the same landmark every time you remeasure, so two readings are comparable.
Waist-to-height ratio vs BMI
BMI compares your weight with your height. Waist-to-height ratio compares your waist with your height, so it reflects where you carry fat rather than how much you weigh. NICE recommends using both in adults with a BMI below 35, and describes BMI as a practical measure of overweight that is not a direct measure of central adiposity [1].
In a meta-analysis of 31 studies covering more than 300,000 adults, waist-to-height ratio was better than BMI and waist circumference at picking out adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats and cardiovascular disease, in both men and women [3]. A UK national survey found that more than a third of adults judged to be at no increased risk by BMI and waist size had a ratio of 0.5 or more. Among adults with a healthy BMI, those with a ratio of 0.5 or more had higher levels of some cardiometabolic risk factors than those below 0.5 [2].
These studies show the ratio is a useful screen. They do not show that lowering your ratio by a set amount will lower your risk by a set amount.
Waist-to-height ratio vs waist-to-hip ratio
Waist-to-hip ratio divides your waist by your hip measurement instead of your height. The two ratios produce different numbers and use different reference ranges, so a 0.5 cutoff does not carry over from one to the other. NICE’s guideline uses waist-to-height ratio for adults [1].
Who waist-to-height ratio does not apply to
The NICE adult ranges and the NHS waist-to-height calculator are not suitable for everyone. Do not rely on them if [1][4]:
- you are pregnant;
- you have a BMI of 35 or more, because people in this group are almost always likely to have a high ratio, so it adds little to predicting risk [5];
- you have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, or think you may have one;
- you have a growth disorder or another condition that affects your height.
This guide covers adults. NICE also uses waist-to-height ratio for children and young people aged 5 and over [1]. The NHS asks parents and carers to check a child’s BMI first and to use its calculator with the child [4].
What waist-to-height ratio cannot tell you
A tape measure records the outside of your body. Your waist includes visceral fat around your organs, fat under the skin, muscle and other tissues, and the ratio cannot separate them. NICE calls it a practical estimate of central adiposity, not a direct measurement [1].
That means a ratio of 0.5 or more is a reason to look more closely, not a diagnosis of any condition. NICE advises people whose ratio shows increased risk to seek further assessment, such as a check of cardiometabolic risk factors [1].
What to check alongside your ratio
Two kinds of measurement add what the tape cannot:
- Body composition. A DEXA scan measures fat mass, lean mass and bone, and many DEXA reports include an estimate of visceral adipose tissue [6]. Our guide to what a DEXA body composition scan shows explains the numbers on the report.
- Metabolic blood tests. HbA1c and fasting glucose show how your body handles blood sugar. A lipid panel, including triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, shows how your body handles fats.
These are the cardiometabolic risk factors that the waist-to-height studies above measured [2][3]. If your ratio is 0.5 or more and some of these results are also out of range, talk to your doctor about what to do next.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Overweight and obesity management (NG246): identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity.
- Ashwell M, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio as an indicator of ‘early health risk’: simpler and more predictive than using a ‘matrix’ based on BMI and waist circumference. BMJ Open. 2016;6(3):e010159.
- Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2012;13(3):275-286.
- NHS. Calculate your waist to height ratio.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Overweight and obesity management (NG246): rationale and impact.
- UC Davis Health. DXA body composition analysis.
Frequently asked questions
Is a waist-to-height ratio of 0.36 good?
A ratio of 0.36 is below the 0.4 to 0.49 range that NICE calls healthy. NICE does not set a category below 0.4, so a very low ratio is not a sign of extra health. Read it alongside your BMI, because a small waist for your height can go with low body weight.
What should my waist be if I am 5 ft 7 in?
At 5 ft 7 in (67 inches, about 170 cm), half your height is 33.5 inches or about 85 cm. A waist below that keeps your ratio under 0.5. A waist of 40.2 inches (about 102 cm) or more gives a ratio of 0.6 or higher.
Do men and women have different healthy waist-to-height ratios?
No. NICE uses the same ranges for men and women and for all ethnicities. This differs from waist circumference on its own, where reference cutoffs are usually set separately for men and women.
Can I have a healthy BMI and a high waist-to-height ratio?
Yes. In a UK national survey, more than a third of adults whose BMI and waist size put them at no increased risk had a waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 or more. In adults with a healthy BMI, a ratio of 0.5 or more went with higher levels of some cardiometabolic risk factors.
Does muscle mass change what my waist-to-height ratio means?
NICE says its waist-to-height ranges can be used in adults with high muscle mass, as long as their BMI is below 35. BMI is the measure that more often misreads muscular people, because it counts muscle and fat as the same weight.
Is waist-to-height ratio the same as waist-to-hip ratio?
No. Waist-to-height ratio divides your waist by your height. Waist-to-hip ratio divides your waist by your hip measurement. The two give different numbers and use different reference ranges, so a cutoff for one does not apply to the other.
Popular lab tests
View current details, availability, and member pricing.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
A 14-marker snapshot of kidney function, liver function, electrolytes, and blood sugar in one draw.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential and Platelet Count Test
A broad screen of red cells, white cells, and platelets that anchors most checkups.
The standard cholesterol workup for cardiovascular risk, and the baseline for tracking diet, exercise, or statin response.
