The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) divides your waist circumference by your hip circumference to show where your body stores fat. Because it's a ratio, the unit cancels — use centimetres or inches, as long as both are the same. The WHO sets risk bands that differ by sex; a higher ratio means more abdominal fat, linked to higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: the WHR definition and WHO bands, recomputed in code. General wellness information, not a diagnosis.
The formula & bands
Divide waist by hip to get the ratio, then read the band for your sex. The thresholds are lower for women because of typical differences in fat distribution. WHR captures shape — an "apple" (more around the middle) versus a "pear" (more on hips and thighs) — which BMI alone can't see.
Worked examples
Waist 80, hip 100:
Waist 90, hip 100:
A WHR of 0.80 is low-risk for a man and at the low/moderate boundary for a woman; 0.90 is the low/moderate edge for a man and high-risk for a woman. Same numbers, different bands — which is why sex is part of the reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Waist ÷ hip, same unit. Waist 80, hip 100 → 0.80. Ratio is unitless, so cm or inches both work.
WHO low risk: ≤ 0.90 men, ≤ 0.80 women. High: ≥ 1.0 men, ≥ 0.85 women.
More abdominal ("apple") fat is linked to higher heart and metabolic risk than hip/thigh ("pear") fat.
Breathe out, tape level. Waist at narrowest (near navel), hips at widest. Snug, not compressing.
Different things. BMI = weight for height; WHR = fat distribution. Use together. Neither is a diagnosis.