Type your waist and your hips. You get the ratio, where it sits against the World Health Organization’s cut-off, what the gap between your waist and hips means for the body shapes on our Body Shape Calculator, and how WHO says to measure. It informs; it is not a diagnosis.
Waist 30 in, hips 40 in (a woman)
0.75 · below WHO’s 0.85Your waist is 75% of your hips. WHO’s cut-off for women is 0.85: its table links a ratio at or above it to a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. It is one measure among several — your doctor reads it with the rest.
- Ratio
- 0.75
- WHO cut-off (women)
- 0.85
- Waist
- 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Hips
- 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Hips minus waist
- 10 in
Your waist alone: at or under 31.5 in (80 cm) — the figures WHO’s table carries for women (80 cm “increased”, 88 cm “substantially increased”), which its report calls an example.
Your hips are 10 in bigger than your waist: the 10 in that the Body Shape Calculator’s hourglass asks for. Its full rule: Your bust is no more than 1 inch bigger than your hips, your hips are less than 3.6 inches bigger than your bust, and your waist is at least 9 inches smaller than your bust or 10 smaller than your hips. Add your bust there for your shape. Open the Body Shape Calculator with your numbers
What WHO says about the ratio: “Waist–hip ratio (i.e. the waist circumference divided by the hip circumference) was suggested as an additional measure of body fat distribution.” WHO “With respect to ethnicity‐specific cut‐off points, there was substantial evidence of population‐dependent variations in association of disease risk with measures of abdominal obesity.” WHO
How WHO measures: “Measure the waist circumference at the end of several consecutive natural breaths, at a level parallel to the floor, midpoint between the top of the iliac crest and the lower margin of the last palpable rib in the mid axillary line.” WHO “Measure the hip circumference at a level parallel to the floor, at the largest circumference of the buttocks.” WHO
See a doctor for what your numbers mean for you. This page never diagnoses, and a ratio says nothing about what a body is worth or how it looks.
On Needle Style: outfits for broad shoulders and wide hips · outfits for broad shoulders and a large bust · jeans that fit at the waist
Cut-offs from WHO’s expert consultation report and a 2024 meta-analysis (Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine); how to measure from WHO. Checked 2026-10-09. The shape reading is the Body Shape Calculator’s.
Quick answer: your waist-to-hip ratio is your waist divided by your hips, both in the same unit — a 30 in waist and 40 in hips make 0.75. The World Health Organization’s cut-off is 0.85 for women and 0.90 for men: its table links a ratio at or above it to a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. It informs; it is not a diagnosis.
How to use it
Measure your waist and your hips the way WHO does (below), type both in inches or centimetres, and pick which cut-off to compare with. You get the ratio, where it sits against WHO’s cut-off, your waist on its own against the figures WHO’s table carries, and — for women — what the gap between your hips and waist means for the shapes on our Body Shape Calculator, which opens with your two numbers so you can add your bust.
WHO’s cut-offs, in WHO’s words
What the ratio is — WHO: “Waist–hip ratio (i.e. the waist circumference divided by the hip circumference) was suggested as an additional measure of body fat distribution.” The cut-off comes from WHO’s 1999 report on diabetes, which the 2011 report quotes: “Abdominal obesity is further defined as waist–hip ratio above 0.90 for males and above 0.85 for females, or a BMI above 30.0.” Its summary table reads “Waist–hip ratio ≥0.90 cm (M); ≥0.85 cm (W) Substantially increased” (the cm is a slip in WHO’s own table: a ratio has no unit). A 2024 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (2024) states the same: “The waist circumference divided by the hip circumference defines the WHR, and the World Health Organization recommends a WHR ≥ 0.9 for men and ≥ 0.85 for women as the standard diagnostic criteria for abdominal obesity”.
The same table carries waist sizes too, and the report is careful about them: “The recommended sex‐specific cut‐off points are 94 cm (men) and 80 cm (women) for increased risk, and 102 cm (men) and 88 cm (women) for substantially increased risk.” But “Based on these two WHO reports, the recommendations often attributed to WHO are shown in Table A1 although those sex‐specific cut‐off points cited in the report of the WHO Expert Consultation on Obesity (2000b) were an example only and not WHO recommendations.” Bodies and risks also differ between populations: “With respect to ethnicity‐specific cut‐off points, there was substantial evidence of population‐dependent variations in association of disease risk with measures of abdominal obesity.”
What is ours: a ratio exactly on the cut-off counts as at or above it (the table and the meta-analysis write ≥); the check that a waist and hips are each between 15 and 100 inches and the waist not under half the hips; and the hips-minus-waist reading against the Body Shape Calculator’s own lines.
The waist that reaches each cut-off
For each hip size, the waist at which the ratio reaches WHO’s cut-off — the waist divided by those hips is exactly 0.85 or 0.90.
| Hips | Waist at 0.85 (women) | Waist at 0.90 (men) |
|---|---|---|
| 34 in (86.4 cm) | 28.9 in (73.4 cm) | 30.6 in (77.7 cm) |
| 36 in (91.4 cm) | 30.6 in (77.7 cm) | 32.4 in (82.3 cm) |
| 38 in (96.5 cm) | 32.3 in (82 cm) | 34.2 in (86.9 cm) |
| 40 in (101.6 cm) | 34 in (86.4 cm) | 36 in (91.4 cm) |
| 42 in (106.7 cm) | 35.7 in (90.7 cm) | 37.8 in (96 cm) |
| 44 in (111.8 cm) | 37.4 in (95 cm) | 39.6 in (100.6 cm) |
| 46 in (116.8 cm) | 39.1 in (99.3 cm) | 41.4 in (105.2 cm) |
| 48 in (121.9 cm) | 40.8 in (103.6 cm) | 43.2 in (109.7 cm) |
How WHO says to measure
- “Measure the waist circumference at the end of several consecutive natural breaths, at a level parallel to the floor, midpoint between the top of the iliac crest and the lower margin of the last palpable rib in the mid axillary line.”
- “Measure the hip circumference at a level parallel to the floor, at the largest circumference of the buttocks.”
- “Make both measurements with a stretch‐resistant tape that is wrapped snugly around the subject, but not to the point that the tape is constricting.”
- “Each measurement should be repeated twice; if the measurements are within 1 cm of one another, the average should be calculated.”
Worked examples
- A 30 in waist, 40 in hips: 0.75 · below who’s 0.85. Your waist is 75% of your hips; the hips are 10 in bigger, the gap the Body Shape Calculator’s hourglass asks for.
- A 34 in waist, 40 in hips: 0.85 · at or above who’s 0.85 — exactly on the cut-off, so at or above it.
- A 76 cm waist, 96 cm hips: 0.79 · below who’s 0.85. Centimetres or inches give the same ratio, as long as both are in the same unit.
Common mistakes
- Measuring at the belly button or the narrowest point. WHO measures midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone.
- Mixing units. A waist in inches and hips in centimetres gives a meaningless number.
- Pulling the tape tight, or holding your breath. Snug, level, at the end of a normal breath out.
- Reading it as a verdict. It is one measure among several; a doctor reads it with your history, your blood pressure and your blood tests.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate waist to hip ratio?
Divide your waist by your hips, both in the same unit. A 30 in waist and 40 in hips: 30 ÷ 40 = 0.75.
What is a healthy waist to hip ratio for a woman?
WHO’s cut-off for women is 0.85: its table links a ratio at or above it to a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. Below it is below that cut-off — not a clean bill of health, which only a doctor can give.
What is the WHO cut-off for men?
0.90. “The waist circumference divided by the hip circumference defines the WHR, and the World Health Organization recommends a WHR ≥ 0.9 for men and ≥ 0.85 for women as the standard diagnostic criteria for abdominal obesity” (Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (2024)).
Where do I measure my waist and hips?
“Measure the waist circumference at the end of several consecutive natural breaths, at a level parallel to the floor, midpoint between the top of the iliac crest and the lower margin of the last palpable rib in the mid axillary line.” “Measure the hip circumference at a level parallel to the floor, at the largest circumference of the buttocks.” (WHO).
Does the ratio tell me my body shape?
Partly. The gap between your hips and waist is one of the measurements the Body Shape Calculator uses; your bust decides the rest. This calculator opens it with your two numbers.
On Needle Style
Dressing your proportions: outfits for broad shoulders and wide hips, outfits for broad shoulders and a large bust and jeans that fit at the waist.
More free tools: the body shape calculator, the women’s size converter and the bra size calculator.