Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is waist circumference divided by hip circumference. It describes waist size relative to the buttocks, but it remains a screening measure rather than a diagnosis.
These percentiles were derived from paired waist and hip measurements for 5,657 nonpregnant US adults in NHANES August 2021-August 2023. FitnessNorms computes weighted empirical percentiles from CDC public microdata; these are not official CDC estimates and do not include survey-design standard errors. The methodology page documents pregnancy exclusion, cell sizes, the rejected multi-cycle pool, and why NHANES and WHO waist landmarks are not interchangeable.
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
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- Flexible non-stretch anthropometric tape
- Protocol Steps
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- Stand upright with feet together. Cross your arms and place your hands on opposite shoulders so the tape can pass around the waist and hips.
- Measure waist circumference at the high point of the iliac crest (the top edge of the hip bone), with the tape horizontal and not compressing the skin. Record at the end of a normal expiration to the nearest 0.1 cm. This is the site used by the NHANES Anthropometry Procedures Manual; it is not the same as the WHO midpoint-between-ribs-and-iliac-crest site.
- Measure hip circumference at the largest horizontal circumference around the buttocks, with the tape horizontal and not compressing the skin. Record to the nearest 0.1 cm.
- Divide waist by hip circumference using the same units to calculate WHR.
- Scoring
WHR = waist circumference divided by hip circumference, using the same units for both. The percentile chart shows where a NHANES-protocol value sits in the US adult distribution; it does not assign a clinical category.
- Notes
Both the waist site (NHANES iliac-crest) and the hip site (largest extension of the buttocks) follow CDC anthropometric procedures. Measurements taken at other sites, such as the WHO midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest for waist or the trochanter for hip, produce systematically different values and are not directly comparable to these NHANES-based norms.
Data source: NHANES (CDC), derived WHR percentiles About this study
Reference population: US adults aged 20 and over with valid measured waist and hip circumference in NHANES August 2021-August 2023; known pregnancies excluded
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Norms Chart by Age and Sex
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-24 | Male | 0.796 | 0.838 | 0.882 | 0.938 | 1.005 |
| Female | 0.721 | 0.776 | 0.815 | 0.866 | 0.977 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 0.816 | 0.864 | 0.922 | 0.977 | 1.051 |
| Female | 0.745 | 0.798 | 0.840 | 0.900 | 0.981 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 0.831 | 0.894 | 0.932 | 0.991 | 1.065 |
| Female | 0.763 | 0.821 | 0.885 | 0.945 | 1.003 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 0.844 | 0.910 | 0.954 | 1.017 | 1.080 |
| Female | 0.756 | 0.812 | 0.866 | 0.909 | 1.010 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 0.860 | 0.908 | 0.962 | 1.003 | 1.060 |
| Female | 0.772 | 0.832 | 0.884 | 0.923 | 0.980 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 0.875 | 0.940 | 0.987 | 1.024 | 1.081 |
| Female | 0.779 | 0.841 | 0.883 | 0.932 | 1.005 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 0.895 | 0.959 | 0.999 | 1.039 | 1.085 |
| Female | 0.779 | 0.862 | 0.906 | 0.949 | 1.003 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 0.887 | 0.960 | 1.002 | 1.051 | 1.098 |
| Female | 0.798 | 0.874 | 0.919 | 0.962 | 1.027 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 0.902 | 0.960 | 1.005 | 1.046 | 1.113 |
| Female | 0.791 | 0.861 | 0.908 | 0.954 | 1.014 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 0.901 | 0.979 | 1.020 | 1.055 | 1.116 |
| Female | 0.812 | 0.866 | 0.926 | 0.965 | 1.023 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 0.923 | 0.984 | 1.025 | 1.063 | 1.108 |
| Female | 0.808 | 0.867 | 0.915 | 0.962 | 1.014 | |
| 75-79 | Male | 0.922 | 0.984 | 1.025 | 1.061 | 1.132 |
| Female | 0.821 | 0.875 | 0.919 | 0.959 | 1.017 | |
| 80+ | Male | 0.910 | 0.973 | 1.020 | 1.057 | 1.106 |
| Female | 0.813 | 0.886 | 0.917 | 0.957 | 1.021 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults aged 30-34, the middle 50% measure 0.894 to 0.991 for men and 0.821 to 0.945 for women. These percentiles describe population position, not clinical risk categories. The table uses the latest NHANES cycle; an older pooled sensitivity analysis crossed the review threshold in three female 20-24 quantiles.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | 0.838 to 0.938 | 0.776 to 0.866 |
| 25-29 | 0.864 to 0.977 | 0.798 to 0.900 |
| 30-34 | 0.894 to 0.991 | 0.821 to 0.945 |
| 35-39 | 0.910 to 1.017 | 0.812 to 0.909 |
| 40-44 | 0.908 to 1.003 | 0.832 to 0.923 |
| 45-49 | 0.940 to 1.024 | 0.841 to 0.932 |
| 50-54 | 0.959 to 1.039 | 0.862 to 0.949 |
| 55-59 | 0.960 to 1.051 | 0.874 to 0.962 |
| 60-64 | 0.960 to 1.046 | 0.861 to 0.954 |
| 65-69 | 0.979 to 1.055 | 0.866 to 0.965 |
| 70-74 | 0.984 to 1.063 | 0.867 to 0.962 |
| 75-79 | 0.984 to 1.061 | 0.875 to 0.959 |
| 80+ | 0.973 to 1.057 | 0.886 to 0.957 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
These percentiles show population position, not a clinical category. The WHO expert-consultation report discusses public-health cut-offs, but its waist landmark differs from the NHANES iliac-crest protocol used here. Apply only a guideline that matches the measurement method and clinical context.
WHR or waist-to-height ratio: which should I use?
Waist-to-height ratio divides waist by height; WHR divides waist by hip circumference. They are different indices and their percentiles are not interchangeable. Use the chart that matches the measurements and protocol you actually took.
Why are these values higher than other WHR reference charts?
Reference charts can differ because populations, survey years, age groups, and anatomical landmarks differ. NHANES measures waist at the iliac crest, whereas the WHO report describes a midpoint site. Values should not be converted between charts without matching both waist and hip protocols.
Why no data from before 2017?
Hip circumference was not measured in the NHANES 2011-2016 examination cycles. It returned in 2017-March 2020. This reviewed table uses the latest August 2021-August 2023 release; the earlier release is retained only as a sensitivity comparison.
Where does the data come from?
These percentiles were calculated from paired waist and hip measurements in the latest NHANES release, August 2021-August 2023. The reviewed cohort contains 5,657 adults aged 20 and over after excluding known pregnancies and records without valid measurements or MEC weights. The methodology page documents the derivation and sensitivity checks.