Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage is the proportion of total body mass that is adipose tissue. It is a body-composition marker used alongside BMI to characterise weight-related health risk, with both very low and very high levels associated with health risks. Women naturally carry more essential fat than men. These percentiles are measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on Hologic scanners in NHANES. DXA, bioelectrical-impedance scales, and skinfold calipers are not directly interchangeable and can differ by several percentage points, so a value from a scale or caliper should not be read straight against these percentiles. The data is from US NHANES, and Americans tend to carry more body fat than European or Asian populations at the same age and BMI, so being 'average' here does not necessarily mean healthy. Read more on Wikipedia
Data source: Kelly et al. - NHANES DXA Body Composition Reference Values About this study
Reference population: US adults aged 20-85 from NHANES 1999-2004, measured by DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry)
Body Fat Percentage Norms Chart by Age and Sex (%)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-24 | Male | 14.3 | 19.2 | 23.4 | 28.3 | 36.6 |
| Female | 24.5 | 30.4 | 35.1 | 40.2 | 48.3 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 15.4 | 20.5 | 24.6 | 29.2 | 36.9 |
| Female | 25.0 | 31.3 | 36.0 | 41.0 | 48.7 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 16.6 | 21.7 | 25.7 | 30.1 | 37.2 |
| Female | 25.6 | 32.2 | 37.0 | 41.9 | 49.2 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 17.6 | 22.7 | 26.6 | 30.8 | 37.3 |
| Female | 26.3 | 33.2 | 38.0 | 42.8 | 49.7 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 18.8 | 23.8 | 27.5 | 31.4 | 37.4 |
| Female | 27.0 | 34.1 | 38.9 | 43.5 | 50.0 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 19.7 | 24.6 | 28.2 | 31.9 | 37.5 |
| Female | 27.9 | 35.1 | 39.8 | 44.2 | 50.3 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 20.5 | 25.5 | 29.0 | 32.6 | 37.9 |
| Female | 29.1 | 36.3 | 40.8 | 45.0 | 50.7 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 21.3 | 26.3 | 29.8 | 33.3 | 38.5 |
| Female | 30.2 | 37.4 | 41.7 | 45.7 | 51.0 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 21.9 | 27.0 | 30.5 | 34.0 | 39.0 |
| Female | 31.3 | 38.3 | 42.5 | 46.3 | 51.2 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 22.4 | 27.6 | 31.1 | 34.6 | 39.5 |
| Female | 32.2 | 39.0 | 43.0 | 46.6 | 51.2 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 22.7 | 27.9 | 31.4 | 34.8 | 39.6 |
| Female | 32.3 | 39.1 | 43.0 | 46.4 | 50.8 | |
| 75-79 | Male | 22.9 | 28.2 | 31.6 | 34.9 | 39.6 |
| Female | 32.2 | 39.1 | 42.9 | 46.2 | 50.4 | |
| 80-84 | Male | 23.1 | 28.2 | 31.6 | 34.8 | 39.3 |
| Female | 31.7 | 38.7 | 42.5 | 45.7 | 49.7 | |
| 85+ | Male | 23.2 | 28.3 | 31.6 | 34.7 | 39.0 |
| Female | 31.0 | 38.3 | 42.1 | 45.3 | 49.2 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults aged 35-39, the middle 50% measure 22.7 to 30.8% body fat for men and 33.2 to 42.8% for women. Male median body fat rises across adulthood and levels off in the 70s, while female median body fat rises to a peak around age 65 and then eases slightly. Female median body fat runs roughly 11 percentage points higher than male across the age brackets in this dataset. These are DXA-measured percentiles from the US population, where obesity rates are among the highest globally, so norms skew higher than in most other countries. About a quarter of US men aged 35-39 measure below 22.7% body fat and about a quarter above 30.8%; for women the corresponding quartile values are 33.2% and 42.8%.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | 19.2 to 28.3 | 30.4 to 40.2 |
| 25-29 | 20.5 to 29.2 | 31.3 to 41.0 |
| 30-34 | 21.7 to 30.1 | 32.2 to 41.9 |
| 35-39 | 22.7 to 30.8 | 33.2 to 42.8 |
| 40-44 | 23.8 to 31.4 | 34.1 to 43.5 |
| 45-49 | 24.6 to 31.9 | 35.1 to 44.2 |
| 50-54 | 25.5 to 32.6 | 36.3 to 45.0 |
| 55-59 | 26.3 to 33.3 | 37.4 to 45.7 |
| 60-64 | 27.0 to 34.0 | 38.3 to 46.3 |
| 65-69 | 27.6 to 34.6 | 39.0 to 46.6 |
| 70-74 | 27.9 to 34.8 | 39.1 to 46.4 |
| 75-79 | 28.2 to 34.9 | 39.1 to 46.2 |
| 80-84 | 28.2 to 34.8 | 38.7 to 45.7 |
| 85+ | 28.3 to 34.7 | 38.3 to 45.3 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What body fat percentage is typical?
Typical depends on sex and age. Among US adults aged 35-39, the DXA-measured median is about 26.6% for men and 38.0% for women, and the middle 50% spans roughly 22.7 to 30.8% for men and 33.2 to 42.8% for women. These figures describe where US adults fall, not a health target.
How is body fat percentage measured?
Methods include DEXA scans (most accurate), bioelectrical impedance scales, skinfold calipers, and hydrostatic weighing. Each has different accuracy levels.
Why does body fat percentage vary by sex?
Women naturally carry more essential fat for reproductive and hormonal functions. This biological difference is why female median body fat runs roughly 11 percentage points higher than male median body fat across the age brackets in this dataset.
Why do these percentiles seem high?
Two reasons. The population is US, which has one of the highest obesity rates globally; Americans carry 5 to 10 percentage points more body fat than Swiss or other European populations at the same age and BMI, so a value at the US 50th percentile would likely fall well above the median in most European or East Asian countries. The method also matters: these are DXA measurements, and DXA, bioelectrical-impedance scales, and skinfold calipers are not directly interchangeable, so a number from the scale or caliper most consumer charts use should not be compared straight against these percentiles.
What age does each bracket represent?
Kelly et al. publish smooth reference curves evaluated at exact ages in 5-year steps (age 20, 25, 30, and so on). Each bracket here carries the curve value at its youngest age: the 20-24 figures are the values fitted at exactly age 20, the 25-29 figures at age 25, and so on. Within a bracket the true value drifts slightly toward the next bracket, so a 24-year-old sits a little above the 20-24 row and closer to the 25-29 row.