Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and find your cardiovascular disease risk category based on WHO classification guidelines.
What Is Waist-to-Hip Ratio?
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference. It is used as a proxy for abdominal obesity — the accumulation of fat around the abdomen rather than the hips and thighs — which is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Unlike BMI, which only accounts for total body weight relative to height, WHR captures fat distribution. Visceral fat (the fat stored around internal organs in the abdominal cavity) is metabolically active and more harmful than subcutaneous fat stored around the hips and thighs. Two people with identical BMIs can have very different WHRs and very different health risks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies WHR risk by sex because men and women naturally store fat differently — women typically have more fat stored around the hips and buttocks, giving them a lower WHR for the same amount of abdominal fat.
WHR Risk Classification (WHO)
| Risk level | Men (WHR) | Women (WHR) |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | < 0.90 | < 0.80 |
| Moderate risk | 0.90 – 0.99 | 0.80 – 0.89 |
| High risk | ≥ 1.00 | ≥ 0.90 |
These thresholds are from the WHO's 2008 waist circumference and waist–hip ratio report and remain the most widely cited clinical reference. Some national guidelines use slightly different cut-points for specific ethnic populations.
How to Measure Correctly
Waist: Stand relaxed (do not suck in). Find the midpoint between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone (iliac crest). This is usually just above the navel. Wrap the tape horizontally at this point, exhale gently, and record the measurement. Do not pull the tape tight.
Hips: Stand with feet together. Wrap the tape horizontally around the widest part of your hips — typically the fullest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape parallel to the floor. Record the measurement without compressing the skin.
Take each measurement twice and average the readings if they differ by more than 1 cm.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Male, waist 88 cm, hips 100 cm. WHR = 88 / 100 = 0.88 → Low risk (below 0.90).
Example 2: Female, waist 80 cm, hips 92 cm. WHR = 80 / 92 = 0.87 → Moderate risk (0.80–0.89).
Example 3: Male, waist 102 cm, hips 98 cm. WHR = 102 / 98 = 1.04 → High risk (≥ 1.00).
Imperial example: Female, waist 30 in, hips 38 in. WHR = 30 / 38 = 0.79 → Low risk (below 0.80).
Frequently Asked Questions
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For men, a WHR below 0.90 is considered low risk. For women, a WHR below 0.80 is low risk. Values above 1.0 in men or 0.90 in women indicate high cardiovascular risk according to WHO guidelines. These thresholds reflect the point at which abdominal obesity becomes clinically significant.
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BMI does not account for where fat is stored. Abdominal (visceral) fat carries far greater cardiovascular risk than fat stored around the hips and thighs. WHR captures this fat distribution, making it a better predictor of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome than BMI alone. Athletes with high muscle mass can have a high BMI but a healthy WHR; conversely, "normal weight obese" individuals can have a healthy BMI but a risky WHR.
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Measure your waist at its narrowest point, usually about halfway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones — roughly at the level of your navel or just above it. Stand relaxed, exhale gently, and measure without pulling the tape tight. Sucking in your stomach gives an artificially low reading.
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Measure your hips at their widest point — usually around the fullest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape horizontal and parallel to the floor. Do not pull the tape tight against the skin. If you are unsure, measure at a few heights and use the largest reading.
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Yes. Aerobic exercise and calorie restriction primarily reduce abdominal fat, which shrinks the waist measurement faster than the hips. Resistance training can also build gluteal and hip muscle, increasing the denominator. Both effects improve WHR over time. Studies show WHR improves significantly within 8–12 weeks of consistent aerobic exercise even without large changes in body weight.