What is the Army waist-to-height ratio standard?

Less than 0.55, and not equal to it. The same line applies to every Soldier, with no separate figure by age or sex, and Soldiers are measured at least twice per calendar year.

How do I calculate my waist-to-height ratio for the Army?

Divide your waist by your height in the same unit. The Army’s announcement says the waistline is measured at the navel and divided by height in inches. A 34 in waist at 70 in is 0.486, and a 39 in waist at 70 in is 0.557.

What is the maximum waist for my height in the Army?

The waist has to stay under 0.55 × height. To the nearest 0.1 in that is 35.1 in at 64 in tall, 36.2 in at 66 in, 38.4 in at 70 in, 39.5 in at 72 in and 41.7 in at 76 in.

What happens if my ratio is 0.55 or higher?

Under the directive, a confirmation measurement is made on the same duty day by a team other than the one that took the first measurements, before any action by the commander. Units may start separation actions for a Soldier flagged for failing, but no Soldier will be separated until a 180-day assessment is completed by Headquarters, Department of the Army and further guidance is issued. This page only does the arithmetic.

Is the Army tape test still used?

No. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded the 2023 directives behind the one-site tape test and the fitness-score exemption, and tape or other body fat assessments cannot be used to challenge the ratio. The old tape estimate is in the section headed “Body-fat tape methods used until July 2026”, with no pass or fail.

What was the Army one-site body fat formula?

Men: −26.97 − 0.12 × weight in pounds + 1.99 × abdomen in inches. Women: −9.15 − 0.015 × weight in pounds + 1.27 × abdomen in inches. The result was rounded to the nearest whole percent: a 180 lb man with a 34 in abdomen comes out at 19%, and a 165 lb woman with a 30 in abdomen at 26%. It was the Army’s method from June 2023 until July 2026.

Army Body Fat Calculator

Army waist-to-height ratio: waist at the navel divided by height, below 0.55 to meet the standard since July 2026. Also the tape-test body fat used before. How it works

Length unit

Waist circumference at the navel (belly button)

Height

Waist-to-height ratio

0.457

Below 0.55: meets the Army's waist-to-height standard.

At a height of 70 in, the largest waist to the nearest 0.1 in that stays below 0.55 is 38.4 in.

Shown to 3 decimals. The sources do not state a rounding rule, so the verdict compares the unrounded ratio with 0.55: a ratio that shows as 0.550 can still be below or above it.

This estimates the assessment only; the Army's own measurement decides.

The Army measures the waistline at the navel (belly button) and divides it by height in inches. The ratio has no unit, so centimetres give the same ratio.

What the Army standard says

Army Directive 2026-13, signed 1 July 2026 and announced on 7 July 2026, is effective immediately. It adopts the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as the sole measurement for all Soldiers and discontinues the height and weight screening tables.

The standard is a WHtR of less than, and not equal to, 0.55.
Soldiers are measured at least twice per calendar year.
If the initial WHtR does not meet the standard, a confirmation measurement is made on the same duty day by a team other than the one that took the initial measurements, before any action by the commander.
Units may start separation actions for a Soldier flagged for failing, but no Soldier will be separated until a 180-day assessment is completed by HQDA and further guidance is issued.
The circumference-based tape test and other body fat assessments cannot be used to challenge the WHtR result, and no AFT score exempts a Soldier from the WHtR standard.

Sources: Army Directive 2026-13, "Army Body Composition Program and Standards", listed as active and dated 1 July 2026 by the Army Publishing Directorate (armypubs.army.mil; its text read in the official PDF at home.army.mil), and the Army news item of 7 July 2026 on myarmybenefits.us.army.mil. Checked on 11 October 2026; the Army may have issued guidance since.

Body-fat tape methods used until July 2026

These methods are no longer the Army standard: Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded Army Directives 2023-11 and 2023-08. They are kept for comparing old results. No pass or fail is given. Height is the value entered above.

Age (years)

Body weight

Abdomen circumference at the navel (one-site)

One-site: abdomen against the skin at the navel, parallel to the floor, at the end of a normal relaxed breath out.

Estimated body fat (one-site tape method, historical)

19%

Rounded to the nearest whole percent, as the Army did. Unrounded: 19.09%

For reference, the maximum allowable body fat in AR 600-9 (16 July 2019, Table B-2) for age 21 to 27 (male) was 22%. That limit is no longer in force.

Equations: Army Directive 2023-11 (9 June 2023). The 2019 limits below are shown for comparison only and are not in force.

Historical maximum allowable percent body fat by age group (AR 600-9, 16 July 2019, no longer in force)
Age	Male	Female
17 to 20	20%	30%
21 to 27	22%	32%
28 to 39	24%	34%
40 and over	26%	36%

About the Army Body Fat Calculator

The Army’s body composition standard is a waist-to-height ratio below 0.55: waist at the navel divided by height, and exactly 0.55 does not meet it. Percent body fat limits no longer apply. A 32 in waist at 70 in tall is 0.457, and at that height the largest waist to the nearest 0.1 in that stays below 0.55 is 38.4 in. Since July 2026 the ratio has replaced the height and weight tables and the tape test; the page keeps the tape estimate as the method used until July 2026.

Largest waist that stays below 0.55, by height

Height	0.55 × height	Largest waist to the nearest 0.1 in	Ratio at that waist
60 in (5 ft 0 in)	33.00 in	32.9 in	0.548
61 in (5 ft 1 in)	33.55 in	33.5 in	0.549
62 in (5 ft 2 in)	34.10 in	34 in	0.548
63 in (5 ft 3 in)	34.65 in	34.6 in	0.549
64 in (5 ft 4 in)	35.20 in	35.1 in	0.548
65 in (5 ft 5 in)	35.75 in	35.7 in	0.549
66 in (5 ft 6 in)	36.30 in	36.2 in	0.548
67 in (5 ft 7 in)	36.85 in	36.8 in	0.549
68 in (5 ft 8 in)	37.40 in	37.3 in	0.549
69 in (5 ft 9 in)	37.95 in	37.9 in	0.549
70 in (5 ft 10 in)	38.50 in	38.4 in	0.549
71 in (5 ft 11 in)	39.05 in	39 in	0.549
72 in (6 ft 0 in)	39.60 in	39.5 in	0.549
73 in (6 ft 1 in)	40.15 in	40.1 in	0.549
74 in (6 ft 2 in)	40.70 in	40.6 in	0.549
75 in (6 ft 3 in)	41.25 in	41.2 in	0.549
76 in (6 ft 4 in)	41.80 in	41.7 in	0.549
77 in (6 ft 5 in)	42.35 in	42.3 in	0.549
78 in (6 ft 6 in)	42.90 in	42.8 in	0.549

The standard is a ratio of less than 0.55, so a waist of exactly 0.55 × height does not meet it: at 70 in, 38.5 in is a ratio of 0.550 and 38.4 in is the largest tenth of an inch below the line.

Waist-to-height ratio by waist and height

Waist	62 in	64 in	66 in	68 in	70 in	72 in	74 in	76 in
28 in	0.452	0.438	0.424	0.412	0.400	0.389	0.378	0.368
30 in	0.484	0.469	0.455	0.441	0.429	0.417	0.405	0.395
32 in	0.516	0.500	0.485	0.471	0.457	0.444	0.432	0.421
34 in	0.548	0.531	0.515	0.500	0.486	0.472	0.459	0.447
36 in	0.581	0.563	0.545	0.529	0.514	0.500	0.486	0.474
38 in	0.613	0.594	0.576	0.559	0.543	0.528	0.514	0.500
40 in	0.645	0.625	0.606	0.588	0.571	0.556	0.541	0.526
42 in	0.677	0.656	0.636	0.618	0.600	0.583	0.568	0.553
44 in	0.710	0.688	0.667	0.647	0.629	0.611	0.595	0.579

Ratios as the page shows them, to 3 decimals. Below 0.55 meets the Army standard; 0.55 or greater does not.

Body fat by the one-site tape equation for men (used June 2023 to July 2026)

Abdomen	150 lb	170 lb	190 lb	210 lb	230 lb
30 in	15%	12%	10%	8%	5%
32 in	19%	16%	14%	12%	9%
34 in	23%	20%	18%	15%	13%
36 in	27%	24%	22%	19%	17%
38 in	31%	28%	26%	23%	21%
40 in	35%	32%	30%	27%	25%
42 in	39%	36%	34%	31%	29%
44 in	43%	40%	38%	35%	33%

Historical. −26.97 − 0.12 × weight in pounds + 1.99 × abdomen in inches, rounded to a whole percent. At the same abdomen a heavier man gets a lower figure.

Body fat by the one-site tape equation for women (used June 2023 to July 2026)

Abdomen	120 lb	140 lb	160 lb	180 lb	200 lb
26 in	22%	22%	21%	21%	21%
28 in	25%	24%	24%	24%	23%
30 in	27%	27%	27%	26%	26%
32 in	30%	29%	29%	29%	28%
34 in	32%	32%	32%	31%	31%
36 in	35%	34%	34%	34%	34%
38 in	37%	37%	37%	36%	36%
40 in	40%	40%	39%	39%	39%

Historical. −9.15 − 0.015 × weight in pounds + 1.27 × abdomen in inches, rounded to a whole percent.

Maximum percent body fat in AR 600-9 of July 16, 2019 (no longer in force)

Age	Men	Women
17 to 20	20%	30%
21 to 27	22%	32%
28 to 39	24%	34%
40 and over	26%	36%

Table B-2 of the 2019 regulation, shown for comparing old results. Army Directive 2026-13 made the waist-to-height ratio the sole measurement, so these limits no longer decide anything.

Methodology

Waist-to-height ratio = waist at the navel ÷ height, with both in the same unit. The page shows the ratio to 3 decimals and compares the unrounded value with 0.55, because the Army’s published text gives no rounding rule. The historical section estimates percent body fat with the one-site equations of Army Directive 2023-11 (weight and abdomen) or the earlier neck, waist, hip and height equations of AR 600-9, rounded to a whole percent, and gives no pass or fail.

How to use this tool

Enter your waist, measured at the navel (belly button).
Enter your height. Inches or centimeters both work, because the ratio has no unit.
Read the ratio, whether it is below 0.55, and the largest waist that stays below 0.55 at your height.
Open “Body-fat tape methods used until July 2026” for the old percent body fat estimate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Army waist-to-height ratio standard?: Less than 0.55, and not equal to it. The same line applies to every Soldier, with no separate figure by age or sex, and Soldiers are measured at least twice per calendar year.
How do I calculate my waist-to-height ratio for the Army?: Divide your waist by your height in the same unit. The Army’s announcement says the waistline is measured at the navel and divided by height in inches. A 34 in waist at 70 in is 0.486, and a 39 in waist at 70 in is 0.557.
What is the maximum waist for my height in the Army?: The waist has to stay under 0.55 × height. To the nearest 0.1 in that is 35.1 in at 64 in tall, 36.2 in at 66 in, 38.4 in at 70 in, 39.5 in at 72 in and 41.7 in at 76 in.
What happens if my ratio is 0.55 or higher?: Under the directive, a confirmation measurement is made on the same duty day by a team other than the one that took the first measurements, before any action by the commander. Units may start separation actions for a Soldier flagged for failing, but no Soldier will be separated until a 180-day assessment is completed by Headquarters, Department of the Army and further guidance is issued. This page only does the arithmetic.
Is the Army tape test still used?: No. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded the 2023 directives behind the one-site tape test and the fitness-score exemption, and tape or other body fat assessments cannot be used to challenge the ratio. The old tape estimate is in the section headed “Body-fat tape methods used until July 2026”, with no pass or fail.
What was the Army one-site body fat formula?: Men: −26.97 − 0.12 × weight in pounds + 1.99 × abdomen in inches. Women: −9.15 − 0.015 × weight in pounds + 1.27 × abdomen in inches. The result was rounded to the nearest whole percent: a 180 lb man with a 34 in abdomen comes out at 19%, and a 165 lb woman with a 30 in abdomen at 26%. It was the Army’s method from June 2023 until July 2026.

Checking a waist against the Army standard

With a 32 in waist and a height of 70 in the ratio is 0.457, and the page adds the largest waist that stays below 0.55 at that height, 38.4 in. At 70 in each inch of waist moves the ratio by about 0.014, so a waist of 38.4 in and one of 38.5 in sit on either side of the line.

Take the tape at the navel, as the Army does, and at the same spot each time you check, so a change in the ratio reflects your waist and not where the tape sat. The old percent body fat estimate is still here, in a section marked as the method used until July 2026, for comparing past results. Nothing on the page is an Army record: the Army’s own measurement decides.

Waist divided by height

waist-to-height ratio = waist at the navel ÷ height

standard: ratio less than 0.55

Both lengths are in the same unit, so inches and centimeters give the same ratio. The page shows the ratio to 3 decimals and compares the unrounded value with 0.55, because the Army’s published text states no rounding rule. A ratio of exactly 0.55 does not meet the standard.

Example: waist 36 in, height 66 in. 36 ÷ 66 = 0.545, which is below 0.55. At 66 in the limit is 0.55 × 66 = 36.3 in, so the largest waist to the nearest 0.1 in that stays below it is 36.2 in.

The standard comes from Army Directive 2026-13 of July 1, 2026, which replaced the height and weight tables and the tape test.

The historical section uses the equations that applied from June 2023:

men: % body fat = −26.97 − 0.12 × weight (lb) + 1.99 × abdomen (in)

women: % body fat = −9.15 − 0.015 × weight (lb) + 1.27 × abdomen (in)

The result is rounded to a whole percent: a 210 lb man with a 35 in abdomen gets 17.48, shown as 17%. The older neck, waist, hip and height equations of AR 600-9 (2019) are there as well. The body fat limits printed in that regulation, 20% to 26% for men and 30% to 36% for women by age, are shown for reference only and are no longer in force.

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Army Body Fat Calculator

Use the Army Body Fat Calculator

What the Army standard says

Estimated body fat (one-site tape method, historical)

About the Army Body Fat Calculator

Largest waist that stays below 0.55, by height

Waist-to-height ratio by waist and height

Body fat by the one-site tape equation for men (used June 2023 to July 2026)

Body fat by the one-site tape equation for women (used June 2023 to July 2026)

Maximum percent body fat in AR 600-9 of July 16, 2019 (no longer in force)

Methodology

How to use this tool

Frequently asked questions

Checking a waist against the Army standard

Waist divided by height

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Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator

ACFT Calculator

Ideal Weight Calculator

Military PFT Calculator

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