Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is waist circumference divided by hip circumference, a measure of where body fat is distributed. Higher values indicate more fat around the waist relative to the hips, which is associated with greater cardiometabolic risk.
These percentiles are derived from pooled NHANES data (2017 to March 2020 plus 2021-2023), covering approximately 13,700 US adults aged 20 and over. Hip circumference was not measured in NHANES 2011-2016, so the WHR pool is two cycles rather than the three available for waist-to-height ratio. No published study provides US adult WHR percentile tables; these were computed directly from CDC public microdata (see methodology).
The US adult population has one of the highest obesity rates among high-income countries: 42.4% of adults are obese by BMI (Hales et al. 2020), so US WHR distributions sit higher than older reference values from leaner populations. A meta-analysis of 15 prospective studies found WHR predicts cardiovascular events more strongly than BMI (de Koning et al. 2007).
The WHO Expert Consultation (2008) defines abdominal obesity as WHR above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women, but the WHO cut-offs are calibrated for the WHO waist-measurement protocol (midpoint between the lowest rib and iliac crest), whereas NHANES measures waist at the iliac-crest level. The two protocols produce systematically different values, so the WHO cut-offs are not directly comparable to the NHANES-based percentiles on this page; use the percentiles for population position and treat the WHO numbers as separate, protocol-specific clinical thresholds.
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
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- Flexible non-stretch anthropometric tape
- Protocol Steps
-
- Stand upright with feet together, arms relaxed at the sides, and abdomen relaxed.
- 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. The site's percentile chart shows where a NHANES-protocol value sits in the US adult distribution. The WHO Expert Consultation (2008) abdominal-obesity cut-offs (>0.90 men, >0.85 women) are defined for a different waist-measurement protocol and are not directly comparable to these NHANES-based percentiles.
- 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
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Norms Chart by Age and Sex
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-24 | Male | 0.793 | 0.844 | 0.894 | 0.954 | 1.019 |
| Female | 0.743 | 0.788 | 0.836 | 0.888 | 0.980 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 0.823 | 0.868 | 0.911 | 0.966 | 1.051 |
| Female | 0.748 | 0.804 | 0.855 | 0.918 | 0.988 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 0.833 | 0.891 | 0.938 | 0.991 | 1.065 |
| Female | 0.750 | 0.816 | 0.874 | 0.937 | 0.997 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 0.847 | 0.914 | 0.959 | 1.010 | 1.073 |
| Female | 0.763 | 0.826 | 0.872 | 0.925 | 1.009 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 0.864 | 0.919 | 0.964 | 1.014 | 1.078 |
| Female | 0.773 | 0.837 | 0.888 | 0.928 | 0.992 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 0.880 | 0.942 | 0.985 | 1.020 | 1.080 |
| Female | 0.787 | 0.841 | 0.886 | 0.937 | 1.002 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 0.889 | 0.952 | 0.995 | 1.037 | 1.088 |
| Female | 0.795 | 0.863 | 0.905 | 0.944 | 1.004 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 0.898 | 0.963 | 1.002 | 1.047 | 1.100 |
| Female | 0.794 | 0.868 | 0.916 | 0.956 | 1.016 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 0.904 | 0.961 | 1.008 | 1.050 | 1.113 |
| Female | 0.791 | 0.867 | 0.912 | 0.958 | 1.012 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 0.904 | 0.970 | 1.012 | 1.051 | 1.112 |
| Female | 0.812 | 0.873 | 0.923 | 0.963 | 1.017 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 0.908 | 0.979 | 1.017 | 1.056 | 1.106 |
| Female | 0.818 | 0.878 | 0.923 | 0.959 | 1.010 | |
| 75-79 | Male | 0.924 | 0.982 | 1.020 | 1.060 | 1.114 |
| Female | 0.821 | 0.883 | 0.925 | 0.964 | 1.025 | |
| 80+ | Male | 0.910 | 0.973 | 1.016 | 1.049 | 1.099 |
| Female | 0.815 | 0.885 | 0.921 | 0.962 | 1.021 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults in their 30s, the middle 50% measure 0.891 to 0.991 for men and 0.816 to 0.937 for women. WHR rises through middle age in both sexes and plateaus from the 60s onward.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | 0.844 to 0.954 | 0.788 to 0.888 |
| 25-29 | 0.868 to 0.966 | 0.804 to 0.918 |
| 30-34 | 0.891 to 0.991 | 0.816 to 0.937 |
| 35-39 | 0.914 to 1.010 | 0.826 to 0.925 |
| 40-44 | 0.919 to 1.014 | 0.837 to 0.928 |
| 45-49 | 0.942 to 1.020 | 0.841 to 0.937 |
| 50-54 | 0.952 to 1.037 | 0.863 to 0.944 |
| 55-59 | 0.963 to 1.047 | 0.868 to 0.956 |
| 60-64 | 0.961 to 1.050 | 0.867 to 0.958 |
| 65-69 | 0.970 to 1.051 | 0.873 to 0.963 |
| 70-74 | 0.979 to 1.056 | 0.878 to 0.959 |
| 75-79 | 0.982 to 1.060 | 0.883 to 0.964 |
| 80+ | 0.973 to 1.049 | 0.885 to 0.962 |
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?
The WHO Expert Consultation on Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio (2008) defines abdominal obesity as WHR above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women. The WHO cut-offs are calibrated for the WHO waist-measurement protocol (midpoint between the lowest rib and iliac crest), which produces systematically different values from the NHANES iliac-crest protocol used for the percentiles on this page. Use the WHO cut-offs only when measuring with the WHO protocol; use the NHANES-based percentiles to see how a NHANES-protocol measurement compares to the US adult population.
WHR or waist-to-height ratio: which should I use?
Waist-to-height ratio uses one threshold (0.5) for both sexes and adjusts for height. WHR has a longer clinical history and sex-specific WHO cut-offs, and is the form most often quoted in cardiovascular guidelines. Both measure central fat distribution. If you only know your waist and hip, use WHR; if you only know your waist and height, use WHtR.
Why are these values higher than other WHR reference charts?
Most older WHR reference values come from leaner populations or pre-date the rise in US obesity rates. US adult medians are higher than those reference values across most age brackets. For US and UK readers these NHANES-based percentiles are the closer reference; readers from leaner populations should expect lower centiles. Comparing values across charts also requires matching the measurement protocol: NHANES measures waist at the iliac-crest level, which produces systematically different values from the WHO midpoint protocol used in many older reference charts.
Why no data from before 2017?
Hip circumference was not measured in the NHANES 2011-2016 examination cycles. NHANES reinstated hip measurement starting with the 2017-March 2020 release, so the WHR percentiles here pool the 2017-March 2020 and 2021-2023 cycles. Waist-to-height ratio has more cycles available because waist and standing height were measured continuously.
Where does the data come from?
These percentiles are derived from NHANES, the CDC's nationally representative health and nutrition survey of US adults. Two cycles were pooled (2017-March 2020 and 2021-2023), covering approximately 13,700 adults aged 20 and over. No published study provides US adult WHR percentile tables, so they were calculated directly from CDC public microdata. The method is described on the methodology page.