Percentiles
Waist: how do you compare?
Median 39.7 Men, 20 and over
Waist measured just above the hip bone (not your trouser size, which runs smaller).
Men, 20 and over
| Percentile | Waist |
|---|---|
| 5th percentile | 31.2 in (79.3 cm) |
| 10th percentile | 32.9 in (83.5 cm) |
| 25th percentile | 36 in (91.4 cm) |
| 50th percentile | 39.7 in (100.9 cm) |
| 75th percentile | 44.2 in (112.3 cm) |
| 90th percentile | 48.9 in (124.3 cm) |
| 95th percentile | 52.4 in (133.2 cm) |
Women, 20 and over
| Percentile | Waist |
|---|---|
| 5th percentile | 29.1 in (73.8 cm) |
| 10th percentile | 30.3 in (77 cm) |
| 25th percentile | 33.4 in (84.9 cm) |
| 50th percentile | 37.7 in (95.7 cm) |
| 75th percentile | 43 in (109.2 cm) |
| 90th percentile | 47.8 in (121.5 cm) |
| 95th percentile | 50.9 in (129.2 cm) |
Published CDC/NCHS percentiles (NHANES, August 2021 to August 2023), interpolated between anchors. The slider on the main page runs past this table up to the record: Walter Hudson, 302 cm (119 in), the largest waist ever measured, 1987.