Waist Circumference
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
Waist circumference measures abdominal girth. It is also the waist input used in waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio, but the raw circumference and each ratio answer different questions.
These values reproduce the adult male and female percentiles in Table 12 of the June 2025 NCHS anthropometric report, based on measured NHANES August 2021-August 2023 data. Pregnant females were excluded from the published table. The values use the NHANES iliac-crest measurement site; measurements taken at the navel, narrowest waist, or WHO midpoint are not directly interchangeable. Clinical cut-offs are separate from these population percentiles. Read more on Wikipedia
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
-
- Flexible, non-stretch tape measure
- A reference point at the top of the iliac crest (hip bone)
- Protocol Steps
-
- Stand upright with feet together. Cross your arms and place your hands on opposite shoulders so the tape can pass around the waist.
- Locate the top of the right iliac crest (the highest point of the hip bone).
- Place the tape horizontally around the waist at that level, parallel to the floor.
- Snug the tape against the skin without compressing it.
- Read the measurement at the end of a normal exhale.
- Scoring
Record waist circumference in centimetres to the nearest 0.1 cm at the end of a normal expiration.
- Notes
Other protocols measure at the navel or at the narrowest point of the torso and are not directly comparable to the iliac-crest measurement used here.
Data source: Fryar et al. (NHANES 2021-2023) - Waist circumference About this study
Reference population: US adults age 20 and over from NHANES 2021-2023, nationally representative; pregnant females excluded
Waist Circumference Norms Chart by Age and Sex (cm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-29 | Male | 71.3 | 82.6 | 93.4 | 106.1 | 124.4 |
| Female | 68.5 | 77.2 | 85.3 | 98.5 | 127.3 | |
| 30-39 | Male | 80.3 | 90.0 | 98.6 | 109.9 | 130.5 |
| Female | 72.6 | 83.9 | 93.1 | 108.8 | 133.6 | |
| 40-49 | Male | 83.7 | 92.2 | 101.5 | 114.0 | 139.6 |
| Female | 75.3 | 85.2 | 95.7 | 109.2 | 130.8 | |
| 50-59 | Male | 83.2 | 94.2 | 104.3 | 114.8 | 137.0 |
| Female | 77.7 | 88.4 | 100.8 | 112.6 | 130.8 | |
| 60-69 | Male | 84.2 | 95.5 | 104.5 | 113.1 | 132.2 |
| Female | 77.1 | 88.8 | 99.6 | 110.4 | 125.5 | |
| 70-79 | Male | 84.6 | 97.3 | 106.6 | 117.1 | 131.3 |
| Female | 76.7 | 89.1 | 98.9 | 108.4 | 123.7 | |
| 80+ | Male | 84.5 | 95.3 | 102.6 | 111.4 | 126.0 |
| Female | 76.4 | 88.8 | 94.4 | 107.2 | 119.1 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults in their 30s, the middle 50% measure 90.0 to 109.9 cm for men and 83.9 to 108.8 cm for women. Waist circumference generally rises through middle and older age before easing in the 80+ bracket. These percentiles describe population position; they are not clinical risk categories or treatment targets.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 82.6 to 106.1 | 77.2 to 98.5 |
| 30-39 | 90.0 to 109.9 | 83.9 to 108.8 |
| 40-49 | 92.2 to 114.0 | 85.2 to 109.2 |
| 50-59 | 94.2 to 114.8 | 88.4 to 112.6 |
| 60-69 | 95.5 to 113.1 | 88.8 to 110.4 |
| 70-79 | 97.3 to 117.1 | 89.1 to 108.4 |
| 80+ | 95.3 to 111.4 | 88.8 to 107.2 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is waist circumference measured?
In NHANES, waist circumference is measured with a tape at the top of the iliac crest (the highest point of the hip bone), at the end of a normal exhale, with the tape snug but not compressing the skin. Measuring at the navel or at the narrowest point instead will give a different value, so protocol matters for comparison.
What is a healthy waist circumference?
We report where a value sits in the US population, not a clinical category. Health authorities publish sex-specific and ethnicity-specific risk cut-offs separately from population percentiles; interpret an individual value against those guidelines and with a clinician, not against these distribution percentiles.
Why do these percentiles seem high?
The table describes the measured US adult population rather than a selected healthy cohort. A population median is therefore not a low-risk target. Cross-population comparisons also require the same anatomical waist site and measurement protocol.
How does waist circumference relate to the waist ratios on this site?
Waist circumference is the shared numerator of the waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, conicity index, and body roundness index. Those ratios put the waist measurement in the context of height or hip size; this page reports the raw circumference on its own.