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Body Fat Calculator

Estimate your body fat percentage with just a tape measure. Enter your height, weight and a few simple measurements to see your fat mass, lean mass and where you stand.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Nothing you enter is stored
  • Updated 30 Sept 2026

Calculate your body fat

Uses the U.S. Navy tape-measure method. For adults aged 18 and above.

How do you want to measure?
Gender
Age
Height
Height unit
Weight
Weight unit
Body measurementsUse a soft tape measure
Measurement unit
Neck

Just below the Adam's apple, tape level

Waist

Around the navel, after breathing out gently

Your result will appear here

Enter your details, then press Calculate body fat.

What is body fat percentage?

Body fat percentage is the share of your total weight that is fat. The rest is lean mass: muscle, bone, organs and water. A 70 kg person with 20% body fat carries 14 kg of fat and 56 kg of lean mass.

Some fat is essential. It stores energy, protects organs and helps make hormones. Health problems start when there is too much, especially around the belly.

How is body fat calculated?

This calculator uses the U.S. Navy method, which estimates body fat from your height and a few body measurements. Measurements are in centimetres, and log₁₀ is the common logarithm.

Men

Body fat % = 495 ÷ (1.0324 − 0.19077 × log₁₀(waist − neck) + 0.15456 × log₁₀(height)) − 450

Women

Body fat % = 495 ÷ (1.29579 − 0.35004 × log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) + 0.221 × log₁₀(height)) − 450

For example, a man who is 178 cm tall with a 38 cm neck and an 86 cm waist has about 17.2% body fat, which falls in the fitness category.

For a second opinion, the calculator also shows an estimate based on your BMI, age and gender. It is less precise because it cannot tell muscle from fat, but it is useful to compare.

BMI method

Body fat % = 1.2 × BMI + 0.23 × age − 10.8 × gender − 5.4 (gender is 1 for men, 0 for women)

How to take your measurements

  • Use a soft, non-stretch tape measure and measure against bare skin.
  • Neck: measure just below the voice box, keeping the tape level and not too tight.
  • Waist for men: measure around the navel, after breathing out normally.
  • Waist for women: measure at the narrowest part of the waist, usually just above the navel.
  • Hips for women: measure around the widest part of the hips and bottom.
  • Measure each spot two or three times and use the average, ideally in the morning before eating.

Body fat percentage chart

CategoryWomenMen
Essential fat10 – 13%2 – 5%
Athletes14 – 20%6 – 13%
Fitness21 – 24%14 – 17%
Average25 – 31%18 – 24%
Obese32% and above25% and above

These ranges, widely used by fitness professionals, come from the American Council on Exercise. Women naturally carry more essential fat than men, which is why their ranges are higher.

Why body fat matters more than weight

Two people can have the same weight and BMI but very different amounts of fat. Body fat percentage separates fat from muscle, so it gives a clearer picture of health than the scale alone.

Fat stored deep in the belly, around the organs, is the most harmful kind. It is linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver and heart disease. South Asians tend to store more fat this way, even at a normal weight, so tracking body fat and waist size is especially useful.

How to lower your body fat

  • Eat a little less than your daily calorie needs, aiming to lose about half a kilo a week.
  • Eat enough protein, such as dal, paneer, curd, eggs, fish or chicken, to protect your muscle.
  • Do strength training two or three times a week. More muscle raises the energy you burn at rest.
  • Add at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio a week, such as brisk walking or cycling.
  • Cut back on sugary drinks, sweets, fried snacks and alcohol.
  • Sleep seven to nine hours. Poor sleep makes it harder to lose fat.

How accurate is a body fat calculator?

The U.S. Navy method is usually within a few percentage points of lab tests for most people, as long as the measurements are taken carefully. Small measuring errors, especially at the waist, can change the result noticeably.

More precise methods include DEXA scans and underwater weighing, which are done at clinics. Home body fat scales and skinfold callipers are other options, but their results vary. Whatever you use, track the trend over time with the same method.

Frequently asked questions

1.What is a healthy body fat percentage?

For most adults, about 14% to 24% for men and 21% to 31% for women is considered healthy, covering the fitness and average categories. Athletes often sit lower. Above 25% for men or 32% for women is classed as obese.

2.Why does the calculator need my neck and waist?

The U.S. Navy method uses the difference between your waist and neck (and hips, for women) to estimate how much of your body is fat. These spots change with fat gain more than with muscle gain.

3.Why are women's body fat ranges higher?

Women need more essential fat for hormones and childbearing, so a healthy woman naturally has a higher body fat percentage than a healthy man.

4.Why is my BMI method result different?

The BMI method only uses height, weight, age and gender, so it cannot tell muscle from fat. It tends to overestimate body fat for muscular people and underestimate it for people with little muscle. The tape-measure result is usually the better guide.

5.How often should I measure my body fat?

Every two to four weeks is enough. Body fat changes slowly, and measuring too often mostly picks up day-to-day noise such as water and food.

6.Can I lose fat from just my belly?

No. You cannot choose where your body burns fat from. Losing overall body fat through diet and exercise reduces belly fat too, and belly fat often responds well to regular activity.

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