Waist-Hip Ratio Calculator — educational

Type your waist and hip circumferences (cm or inches), pick a sex, and see the waist-hip ratio with the WHO 2008 cardiovascular risk band for that ratio. The calculator uses the per-sex cut-points the WHO publishes for "substantially increased risk" of CVD events (≥ 0.90 for men, ≥ 0.85 for women) and the IDF/NCEP-III "increased risk" cut-point as the moderate threshold. The body-shape descriptor (pear / avocado / apple) is a one-line read on the same ratio. Nothing leaves your browser.

cm
cm

How to measure. Waist: at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest, at the end of a normal exhale, with the tape snug but not compressing the skin. Hip: at the widest point around the buttocks, with the tape level. Both in the same unit. Use the units selector if you measured in inches.

Waist-hip ratio
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waist / hip
Risk band
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Body shape
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WHO 2008 cut-points

The "substantially increased risk" cut-points from the WHO 2008 expert consultation, plus the IDF/NCEP-III "increased risk" thresholds. Bands are upper-bound-inclusive (a male ratio of 0.95 is the last "low risk" value; 1.00 is the last "moderate" value).

Sex
Risk band
WHR range
Source
How this calculator works
  • Formula. WHR = waist ÷ hip with both circumferences in the same unit. The result is unit-less and rounded to two decimal places.
  • Cut-points. The "low / moderate / high" bands come from the WHO 2008 report Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio, with the IDF/NCEP-III threshold for the moderate cut-off. A male WHR ≥ 0.90 is the canonical "substantially increased risk" threshold; for women the same threshold is ≥ 0.85.
  • Body shape. A descriptive label — pear (waist smaller than hips), avocado (close to 1.0), apple (waist larger than hips) — derived from the same ratio and the sex's WHO cut-points. The shape label is a one-line read, not a verdict.
  • Why both waist and hip. A high WHR captures central adiposity — the waist-dominant pattern that's the strongest single anthropometric predictor of cardiovascular events. BMI alone doesn't distinguish lean mass from central fat.
  • Not a health verdict. WHR is a population statistic. Individual cardiovascular risk depends on blood pressure, lipids, glucose, smoking, family history, and more. Talk to a doctor for an individualised assessment.
  • Nothing is uploaded. The whole thing runs in your browser.