---
title: What Is a Good Waist Size? By Height, for Men and Women
url: https://progresslens.app/guides/what-is-a-good-waist-size/
language: en
updated: 2026-11-13
---

# What is a good waist size?

By the [ProgressLens team](https://progresslens.app/about/) · Updated November 13, 2026

Your waist says more about health and body fat than your weight does. Here’s what to aim for.

Short answer

A good rule is a waist under half your height: under 87.5 cm (34.5 in) if you’re 175 cm (5′9″) tall. The WHO also uses fixed thresholds: increased risk above 94 cm (37 in) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women, and substantially increased above 102 cm (40 in) and 88 cm (34.6 in).

**On this page**
- [Healthy waist by height (ratio 0.5)](#height)
- [How to measure](#measure)
- [Track it, not just check it](#track)
- [FAQ](#faq)

## Healthy waist by height (ratio 0.5)

| Height | Waist under (cm) | Waist under (in) |
| 155 cm | 77.5 | 30.5 |
| 160 cm | 80.0 | 31.5 |
| 165 cm | 82.5 | 32.5 |
| 170 cm | 85.0 | 33.5 |
| 175 cm | 87.5 | 34.4 |
| 180 cm | 90.0 | 35.4 |
| 185 cm | 92.5 | 36.4 |
| 190 cm | 95.0 | 37.4 |

### Watch your waist come down.

ProgressLens lines up every photo with your last one, then AI Analyze tells you your body-fat range, what changed, fat vs muscle, and whether to cut or bulk. iPhone and Android, private, no account.

## How to measure

Halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, relaxed, after breathing out, tape level all the way round. See [how to measure your waist](https://progresslens.app/guides/how-to-measure-waist/).

## Track it, not just check it

Your waist is the most useful single number for fat loss: it moves with belly fat and barely with water. Measure every two weeks and keep it next to your progress photos. Calculate your ratio with the [waist-to-height calculator](https://progresslens.app/tools/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator/).

FAQ

## Frequently asked questions

**What is a good waist size for a man?**

Under half your height, and below 94 cm (37 in) by WHO thresholds.

**What is a good waist size for a woman?**

Under half your height, and below 80 cm (31.5 in) by WHO thresholds.

## Sources

- NICE (2022). Obesity: identification, assessment and management (waist-to-height ratio).
- WHO (2008). Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation.

## Keep reading

[How to measure your waistWhere to put the tape.Read more →](https://progresslens.app/guides/how-to-measure-waist/)[Body measurements for progressWhat to measure and how.Read more →](https://progresslens.app/guides/body-measurements-for-progress/)[Losing inches but not weightWhat it means.Read more →](https://progresslens.app/guides/losing-inches-but-not-weight/)

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ProgressLens is an AI progress photo app for iPhone, iPad and Android that turns your check-in photos and tape measurements into a Progress Report: your body-fat range, what changed, whether you are losing fat or muscle, and whether to cut, lean bulk, recomp or maintain.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/progresslens/id6806300575
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.progresslens