Waist Circumference
Waist circumference is a direct measure of central (abdominal) adiposity, taken with a tape measure at the top of the hip bone. It is the single measurement underlying the waist-to-height, waist-to-hip, conicity, and body roundness ratios, and is itself a marker of cardiometabolic risk.
These percentiles reflect the US population, which has one of the highest obesity rates among major countries, so the values run higher than in most other countries; the 50th percentile here is a population midpoint, not a low-risk target. Clinical risk cut-offs for waist circumference are defined by health authorities (and are ethnicity-specific, with lower thresholds for South and East Asian populations), not by population percentiles; this page reports where a value sits in the US population only. 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 and the abdomen relaxed.
- 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
Waist circumference in centimetres, measured at the top of the iliac crest at the end of a normal exhale (NHANES protocol). Larger values indicate greater central adiposity.
- 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 rises from the 20s through the 60s-70s then eases in the oldest bracket. These percentiles reflect the US population, where central adiposity runs higher than in most other countries, so being at the 50th percentile here does not indicate a low-risk waist.
| 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?
These percentiles reflect the US adult population, which has among the highest obesity rates of any major country, so US waist circumferences run higher than European or East Asian norms. A value at the US 50th percentile would typically rank higher in a leaner population.
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.