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How-to guide

How to Calculate Waist to Hip Ratio: Formula, Steps & Examples

Learn how to calculate Waist to Hip Ratio — the formula explained step by step, with worked examples and a free calculator to check your answer.

By Dr. Neha Sharma, MBBS, MD (Nutrition) · Updated Jun 2026 · 2 min read

Calculating your waist-to-hip ratio is straightforward once you know the Waist to Hip Ratio formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator.

What is Waist to Hip Ratio?

The Waist to Hip Ratio calculation tells you your waist-to-hip ratio from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the waist-to-hip ratio.

The Waist to Hip Ratio formula

The core formula is:

Waist-to-hip ratio = Waist circumference ÷ Hip circumference

Here is what each input means:

  • Waist circumference — a value measured in cm. Example: 80 cm.
  • Hip circumference — a value measured in cm. Example: 100 cm.

How to calculate it step by step

  • Write down the waist circumference (for example, 80 cm).
  • Write down the hip circumference (for example, 100 cm).
  • Apply the formula above to get your waist-to-hip ratio.
  • Double-check the result with the Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator.

Worked examples

Example 1

Input / OutputValue
Waist circumference80 cm
Hip circumference100 cm
Waist-to-hip ratio0.80

With waist circumference of 80 cm and hip circumference of 100 cm, the waist-to-hip ratio works out to 0.80.

Example 2

With waist circumference of 160 cm and hip circumference of 100 cm, the waist-to-hip ratio works out to 1.60.

ResultValue
Waist-to-hip ratio1.60

Example 3

With waist circumference of 40 cm and hip circumference of 100 cm, the waist-to-hip ratio works out to 0.40.

ResultValue
Waist-to-hip ratio0.40

Tips for an accurate result

  • Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
  • Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
  • Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
  • These figures are general estimates, not medical advice — check with a qualified professional before acting on them.

Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.

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Calculators in this guide

Frequently asked questions

The formula is: Waist-to-hip ratio = Waist circumference ÷ Hip circumference. With waist circumference of 80 cm and hip circumference of 100 cm, the waist-to-hip ratio works out to 0.80.

Gather each input, apply the formula step by step keeping your units consistent, and round only at the end. You can verify your answer instantly with the Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator.

It uses the standard formula with exact arithmetic, so the result is correct for the inputs you enter. Bear in mind that real-world outcomes can still differ when underlying assumptions change.

Dr. Neha Sharma · MBBS, MD (Nutrition)

Dr. Neha Sharma is a physician specialising in nutrition and preventive health, with over a decade of clinical experience helping patients understand body metrics and healthy lifestyle targets.