Waist-to-Height Ratio
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is waist circumference divided by height. It is a simple marker of central fat distribution: higher values indicate more abdominal fat relative to height, which is linked to greater cardiometabolic risk. A common rule of thumb is to keep WHtR below 0.5 — that is, keep your waist to less than half your height.
These percentiles are from pooled NHANES data (2015–2016, 2017–March 2020, and 2021–2023), approximately 18,700 US adults aged 20 and over. No published study provides US adult WHtR percentile tables, so these were derived directly from CDC public microdata; the method is described on the methodology page. These percentiles reflect the US adult population, which has one of the highest obesity rates among high-income countries — 42.4% of US adults are obese by BMI (Hales et al. 2020). Being at the median here does not mean a value is healthy; the 0.5 boundary sits at or below the 25th percentile in most age groups.
For comparison, a Colombian national survey found substantially lower WHtR at every age — young Colombian men had a median of 0.47 versus 0.52 in this US dataset (Ramirez-Velez et al. 2016). A British national survey found WHtR above 0.5 identifies cardiometabolic risk missed by BMI alone (Ashwell et al. 2010).
How to Perform This Test
- Equipment
-
- Flexible non-stretch anthropometric tape
- Stadiometer or other accurate height measure
- Steps
-
- Stand upright with feet together, arms relaxed at the sides, and abdomen relaxed.
- Locate the midpoint between the lowest rib margin and the top of the iliac crest.
- Wrap the tape horizontally around the waist at that midpoint without compressing the skin.
- Take the waist measurement at the end of a normal expiration and record it to the nearest 0.1 cm.
- Measure standing height, then divide waist circumference by height using the same units to calculate WHtR.
- Scoring
WHtR = waist circumference divided by height. Lower values generally indicate less central adiposity; 0.5 is the most widely used screening boundary.
- Notes
NHANES body measures follow standardized CDC examination procedures. Waist and height must be measured in the same units before calculating the ratio.
Data source: NHANES (CDC) — derived WHtR percentiles About this study
Waist-to-Height Ratio Norms by Age and Sex
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-24 | Male | 0.405 | 0.455 | 0.515 | 0.593 | 0.703 |
| Female | 0.416 | 0.464 | 0.525 | 0.608 | 0.764 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 0.423 | 0.474 | 0.527 | 0.605 | 0.71 |
| Female | 0.438 | 0.486 | 0.554 | 0.652 | 0.787 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 0.444 | 0.504 | 0.56 | 0.631 | 0.771 |
| Female | 0.443 | 0.503 | 0.577 | 0.664 | 0.813 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 0.461 | 0.524 | 0.575 | 0.634 | 0.736 |
| Female | 0.454 | 0.525 | 0.585 | 0.677 | 0.822 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 0.476 | 0.529 | 0.577 | 0.634 | 0.747 |
| Female | 0.461 | 0.526 | 0.598 | 0.675 | 0.801 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 0.469 | 0.541 | 0.583 | 0.636 | 0.766 |
| Female | 0.469 | 0.524 | 0.588 | 0.677 | 0.798 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 0.473 | 0.543 | 0.592 | 0.643 | 0.759 |
| Female | 0.46 | 0.551 | 0.607 | 0.689 | 0.821 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 0.48 | 0.544 | 0.59 | 0.654 | 0.761 |
| Female | 0.474 | 0.549 | 0.619 | 0.693 | 0.801 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 0.482 | 0.546 | 0.597 | 0.658 | 0.777 |
| Female | 0.475 | 0.554 | 0.618 | 0.692 | 0.808 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 0.496 | 0.557 | 0.601 | 0.659 | 0.749 |
| Female | 0.489 | 0.563 | 0.628 | 0.704 | 0.812 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 0.503 | 0.568 | 0.614 | 0.661 | 0.754 |
| Female | 0.498 | 0.572 | 0.638 | 0.697 | 0.792 | |
| 75-79 | Male | 0.493 | 0.569 | 0.62 | 0.666 | 0.754 |
| Female | 0.485 | 0.565 | 0.629 | 0.689 | 0.781 | |
| 80+ | Male | 0.511 | 0.562 | 0.606 | 0.655 | 0.727 |
| Female | 0.495 | 0.566 | 0.623 | 0.681 | 0.76 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults in their 30s, the middle 50% measure 0.504 to 0.631 for men and 0.503 to 0.664 for women. WHtR rises steadily with age in both sexes; women tend to run slightly higher than men at most ages. These percentiles are from nationally representative NHANES data and reflect the US adult population, where the commonly cited 0.5 risk threshold already falls at or below the 25th percentile for most age groups, so being at the median here does not indicate a healthy target.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | 0.455 to 0.593 | 0.464 to 0.608 |
| 25-29 | 0.474 to 0.605 | 0.486 to 0.652 |
| 30-34 | 0.504 to 0.631 | 0.503 to 0.664 |
| 35-39 | 0.524 to 0.634 | 0.525 to 0.677 |
| 40-44 | 0.529 to 0.634 | 0.526 to 0.675 |
| 45-49 | 0.541 to 0.636 | 0.524 to 0.677 |
| 50-54 | 0.543 to 0.643 | 0.551 to 0.689 |
| 55-59 | 0.544 to 0.654 | 0.549 to 0.693 |
| 60-64 | 0.546 to 0.658 | 0.554 to 0.692 |
| 65-69 | 0.557 to 0.659 | 0.563 to 0.704 |
| 70-74 | 0.568 to 0.661 | 0.572 to 0.697 |
| 75-79 | 0.569 to 0.666 | 0.565 to 0.689 |
| 80+ | 0.562 to 0.655 | 0.566 to 0.681 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
The most widely used screening threshold is 0.5: keep your waist circumference to less than half your height. That rule comes from population studies linking WHtR above 0.5 to higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk, including a British national survey (Ashwell et al. 2010). It is a screening threshold, not a guarantee of health.
Why can WHtR be more useful than BMI?
BMI measures total body mass relative to height but does not show where fat is stored. WHtR focuses on abdominal fat distribution, which is more strongly tied to hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk. Someone can have a normal BMI but still carry a high WHtR.
Why is 0.5 not the median in these charts?
A risk threshold is not the same as the population average. These percentiles reflect the US adult population, where obesity rates are high. For most US adult age groups, 0.5 sits at or below the 25th percentile — meaning the majority of US adults already exceed it. The 0.5 rule is better understood as a health target, not a description of what is typical.
Where does the data come from?
These percentiles are derived from NHANES, the CDC's nationally representative health and nutrition survey of US adults. Three cycles were pooled (2015–2016, 2017–March 2020, 2021–2023), covering approximately 18,700 adults aged 20 and over. No published study provides US adult WHtR percentile tables, so they were calculated directly from CDC public microdata. The method is described on the methodology page.
Why are these values higher than other WHtR reference charts?
Most published WHtR percentile tables come from non-US populations such as Colombia or East Asia, which tend to be leaner than the US adult population. A Colombian national survey, for example, found young men had a median WHtR of about 0.47, compared with 0.52 in this US dataset (Ramirez-Velez et al. 2016). If you are a US or UK adult, these NHANES-based percentiles are the more applicable reference.