Body fat percentage by age for men and women
What’s healthy in your 20s, 40s and 60s, how that differs from average, and what to aim for.
Short answer
Healthy body fat by age (Gallagher 2000): men 8–19% at 20–39, 11–21% at 40–59 and 13–24% at 60–79; women 21–32%, 23–33% and 24–35%. Average adults are higher: about 28% for men and 40% for women in US body-scan data. Fitness categories don’t change with age.
Healthy body fat range by age
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 20–39 | 8–19% | 21–32% |
| 40–59 | 11–21% | 23–33% |
| 60–79 | 13–24% | 24–35% |
From Gallagher et al. (2000), who linked body fat to healthy BMI ranges. Above the top of each range is considered overfat for that age.
Average body fat by age
Average is not the same as healthy. In US body-scan surveys, average adult body fat is about 28% for men and about 40% for women, and it tends to rise with age as muscle declines. The fitness categories most coaches use (ACE: about 14–17% “fitness” for men, 21–24% for women) don’t change with age.
Body fat at 40, 50 and 60
- 40-year-old man: about 11–21% is healthy; 15% looks fit.
- 40-year-old woman: about 23–33%; 25% looks fit.
- 50s: the same healthy range as your 40s; keeping muscle matters more each decade.
- 60-year-old man: about 13–24%; 60-year-old woman: about 24–35%.
After 40, lifting twice a week and enough protein do more for body composition than any diet tweak. Watch your waist and arms, not only the scale.
Not sure where you are? Estimate it with a tape measure in the free body fat calculator, compare with the body fat chart, or let ProgressLens read your photos plus tape and give you a range with a confidence level.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy body fat percentage for a 40-year-old man?
About 11–21% (Gallagher 2000). About 15% looks fit.
What is a healthy body fat percentage for a 40-year-old woman?
About 23–33%. About 25% looks fit.
What body fat percentage for a 60-year-old woman?
About 24–35% is the healthy range for ages 60–79.
What body fat percentage for a 70-year-old man?
About 13–24% (the 60–79 range). Keeping muscle matters more than the exact number.
Sources
- American Council on Exercise (ACE), body fat percentage categories.
- Gallagher D et al. (2000). Healthy percentage body fat ranges. Am J Clin Nutr 72:694–701.
- Kelly TL et al. (2009). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition reference values from NHANES. PLoS ONE 4(9):e7038.