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Army Body Fat Calculator: 2026 Waist-to-Height Ratio

The Army now uses waist-to-height ratio, not body fat percentage. Enter waist and height to see your ratio beside the 0.55 standard in Army Directive 2026-13.

Use the same unit for both. Waist 10 to 100 in (25.4 to 254 cm); height 48 to 96 in (121.92 to 243.84 cm). The army.mil release describes the waist measured at the navel.

Waist-to-height ratio

0.485

This ratio is below 0.55.

Army Directive 2026-13, paragraph 5a(3): “The standard is a WHtR of less than and not equal to 0.55.”

Shown to three decimals, rounded down. The comparison uses the unrounded ratio.

Substituted formula34 in ÷ 70 in = 0.485

Independent estimate. Not an official Army measurement.

How this Army body fat calculator works

Under Army Directive 2026-13, dated 1 July 2026, the Army body composition standard is a waist-to-height ratio, not a body fat percentage. The directive makes the waist-to-height ratio, or WHtR, “the sole measurement for all Soldiers.” This page keeps the name Army body fat calculator because that is what many people still search for, but the number it calculates is the ratio the Army now uses.

The calculation is one division: WHtR = waist ÷ height, with both measurements in the same unit. Because the units cancel, the ratio is the same in inches or centimeters. A 34-inch waist and a height of 70 inches give 34 ÷ 70 = 0.4857, which this page shows as 0.485. In centimeters, 86.36 ÷ 177.8 gives the same ratio.

The result is shown to three decimals and rounded down, so a ratio just under 0.55 never displays as 0.550. The comparison with 0.55 uses the unrounded ratio. You can enter each measurement to two decimal places. The directive does not state a rounding rule for the ratio or for the tape and height readings, so this page applies none beyond the display.

The Army waist-to-height ratio standard: less than 0.55

Paragraph 5a(3) of the directive states: “The standard is a WHtR of less than and not equal to 0.55.” Under that wording, a ratio of exactly 0.55 is not less than 0.55, so this calculator reports it as 0.55 or higher. A 38.5-inch waist at 70 inches tall is exactly 0.550. A 38-inch waist at 69.5 inches tall is about 0.5468, which is below 0.55 and displays as 0.546.

The result line says only whether your ratio is below 0.55 or is 0.55 or higher. It does not grade the result or predict any Army decision. Small tape differences matter: at 70 inches tall, each inch of waist moves the ratio by about 0.014.

What Army Directive 2026-13 changed

The directive is dated 1 July 2026. Paragraph 5 begins “Effective immediately, the following policy governs the ABCP” (the Army Body Composition Program) and says the policy “is not retroactive.”

Under paragraph 5a, “The WHtR is adopted as the sole measurement for all Soldiers,” and “The use of height and weight screening tables is discontinued.” The circumference-based tape test and other body fat assessments are not authorized “for the purpose of challenging the results of the WHtR.” All Soldiers will have their WHtR measured at least twice per calendar year. The directive also states: “No AFT score exempts a Soldier from meeting the WHtR standard.” (AFT is the Army Fitness Test.)

The directive rescinds Army Directive 2023-11, the 2023 policy behind the one-site tape method described below. Paragraph 5b(8) concerns separation actions connected to the ABCP and says, in part: “no Soldier will be separated until an 180-day assessment is completed by HQDA and further guidance is disseminated.” That sentence is about separation actions only. The Army release on army.mil, dated 7 July 2026, says the 180-day assessment is meant “to validate accuracy and determine if adjustments are needed.” That purpose comes from the Army release, not from the directive.

The directive says its provisions will be added to Army regulations within two years, and that it is rescinded when those revised regulations are published. Further guidance may follow the 180-day assessment, so see the last-checked date at the end of this page.

How the waist is measured

The directive does not say where to measure the waist or which unit to use. The Army release on army.mil (7 July 2026) names the navel and gives height in inches: the assessment “measures a Soldier’s waistline at the navel (belly button) and divides that measurement by their height in inches, which produces the ratio for record.” To match that description, measure your waist at the navel. EVR did not find published Army step-by-step measuring guidance in the sources listed below.

Army height and weight tables

Many people still search for an Army height and weight calculator. Paragraph 5a of the directive discontinues the height and weight screening tables, so this page does not show them and does not ask for weight. The only inputs are waist and height.

For people applying to enlist, the separate height and weight tables in AR 40-501 still apply; to check those, use the Army height and weight calculator.

Superseded: the 2023 one-site tape formula (no longer used)

Before Army Directive 2026-13, the Army estimated body fat with a one-site tape method. ALARACT 046/2023 set out that method under Army Directive 2023-11, using body weight in pounds and abdomen circumference in inches. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinds Army Directive 2023-11, so this formula is superseded and no longer used for the Army standard. It appears here as history only, because many older Army body fat calculators still use it. This page has no calculator for it.

Men: % body fat = −26.97 − (0.12 × body weight in pounds) + (1.99 × abdomen circumference in inches). Women: % body fat = −9.15 − (0.015 × body weight in pounds) + (1.27 × abdomen circumference in inches). These are the equations published in ALARACT 046/2023, Table B-5.

The ALARACT gives two worked samples. For a man weighing 210 lb with a 35-inch abdomen: −26.97 − 25.2 + 69.65 = 17.48, rounded to 17% body fat. For a woman weighing 165 lb with a 30-inch abdomen: −9.15 − 2.475 + 38.1 = 26.475, rounded to 26% body fat. Neither figure is used by the current Army standard.

Not an official Army measurement

This page is an independent estimate. It is not affiliated with the U.S. Army, and it is not an official measurement or record. Official ratios are taken by the Army. For questions about your own record, ask your chain of command.

If you want a body fat percentage, the body fat calculator uses the Hodgdon and Beckett Navy circumference method. It is a different method from the Army ratio on this page and does not apply any Army standard.

Sources

Sources last checked: 8 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the new Army body fat standard?

Army Directive 2026-13, dated 1 July 2026, makes the waist-to-height ratio “the sole measurement for all Soldiers.” Its paragraph 5a(3) states: “The standard is a WHtR of less than and not equal to 0.55.” The directive also discontinues the height and weight screening tables.

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

Divide your waist by your height, using the same unit for both. The Army release on army.mil says the waist is measured at the navel and divided by height in inches. A 34-inch waist at 70 inches tall gives 0.485 when shown to three decimals and rounded down.

Does the Army still use the tape test?

Not for the standard. Army Directive 2026-13 makes the waist-to-height ratio the sole measurement and states that the circumference-based tape test and other body fat assessments are not authorized for challenging WHtR results. It also rescinds Army Directive 2023-11, the policy behind the 2023 one-site tape method.

Are the Army height and weight tables still used?

Not for current Soldiers. AD 2026-13 replaced them with waist-to-height. Enlistment applicants still have to meet the AR 40-501 tables. See the Army height and weight calculator.

What does this calculator show for a ratio of exactly 0.55?

It shows “This ratio is 0.55 or higher.” The directive standard is “less than and not equal to 0.55,” so exactly 0.55 is not less than 0.55. A 38.5-inch waist at 70 inches tall is exactly 0.550. The comparison always uses the unrounded ratio.

Does a high Army Fitness Test score exempt me?

No. The directive states: “No AFT score exempts a Soldier from meeting the WHtR standard.” It also rescinds Army Directive 2025-17.

What does the 180-day assessment mean?

Paragraph 5b(8) of the directive concerns separation actions connected to the Army Body Composition Program and says, in part, that no Soldier will be separated until a 180-day assessment is completed by HQDA and further guidance is disseminated. That sentence concerns separations only. The army.mil release says the assessment is meant to validate accuracy and determine if adjustments are needed.