Army body fat standard for 2026: your waist-to-height ratio, pass or fail against 0.55 (AD 2026-13), the largest passing waist for your height and margin.
At a recorded height of 70 in, an average waist of 37.667 in gives a ratio of 0.538, which meets the Army standard of below 0.550. The largest passing waist at this height is 38 in, 0.33 in above your average.
| Height | cm | Largest passing waist (in) | cm | Ratio at that waist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67.0 in | 170.2 | 36.5 | 92.7 | 0.544 |
| 67.5 in | 171.4 | 37 | 94 | 0.548 |
| 68.0 in | 172.7 | 37 | 94 | 0.544 |
| 68.5 in | 174 | 37.5 | 95.2 | 0.547 |
| 69.0 in | 175.3 | 37.5 | 95.2 | 0.543 |
| 69.5 in | 176.5 | 38 | 96.5 | 0.546 |
| 70.0 in (you) | 177.8 | 38 | 96.5 | 0.542 |
| 70.5 in | 179.1 | 38.5 | 97.8 | 0.546 |
| 71.0 in | 180.3 | 39 | 99.1 | 0.549 |
| 71.5 in | 181.6 | 39 | 99.1 | 0.545 |
| 72.0 in | 182.9 | 39.5 | 100.3 | 0.548 |
| 72.5 in | 184.2 | 39.5 | 100.3 | 0.544 |
| 73.0 in | 185.4 | 40 | 101.6 | 0.547 |
EXORD 182-26 Annex A: measured in socks, rounded to the nearest half inch.
Annex A: waist measurements are always rounded down to the nearest 0.5 inch.
Table B–1: the ratio is recorded to three decimals and digits after the third are dropped, never rounded (0.549888 is recorded as 0.549).
0.538 is below 0.550, so it meets the AD 2026-13 standard.
The largest half-inch waist strictly below 0.55 × height; the same rule produces the Army's Figure B–1 table.
Since July 2026 the Army's body composition standard is a waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) below 0.55, set by Army Directive 2026-13. It replaced the height and weight screening tables and the one-site abdominal tape test for body fat. The waist is measured at the navel three times, each reading rounded down to the nearest half inch; height is rounded to the nearest half inch; the average waist is divided by height and the ratio is cut, not rounded, to three decimals.
Soldiers use it to check where they stand before a record measurement, which happens at least twice a year. At 70 inches tall the largest passing waist is 38 inches, a ratio of 0.542; 38.5 inches gives exactly 0.550 and fails. The same limits appear in Figure B–1 of the Army's implementing guidance, EXORD 182-26 Annex A.
The standard is the same for men and women at every age. A ratio of 0.550 or more after a same-day confirmation by a second team means enrollment in the Army Body Composition Program and a flag.
Checked against: EXORD 182-26 Annex A Figure B–1: height 70 in, max waist allowed 38 in, resulting ratio 0.542
Checked against: 38.5 / 70 = 0.55 exactly; Annex A Table B–1: “WHtR of 0.550 does not meet the standard”
Checked against: Figure B–1: 51 in → 28 in, ratio 0.549 (28 / 51 = 0.54902, cut to 0.549 as in Table B–1's 0.549888 → 0.549 example)
Checked against: Figure B–1: 64.5 in → 35 in, ratio printed as 0.5426 (35 / 64.5 = 0.54264), recorded as 0.542
A waist-to-height ratio below 0.55, for all soldiers regardless of age or sex. Army Directive 2026-13 (July 2026) made the ratio the only authorized body composition measure and dropped body fat percentages. The ratio is recorded to three decimals without rounding, so 0.549 meets the standard and 0.550 does not. The directive also covers USMA and Senior ROTC cadets.
No. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded Army Directive 2023-11, which had introduced the one-site abdominal tape test for body fat in June 2023, and discontinued the height and weight screening tables. The directive also bars any tape test or other body fat assessment as a way to challenge a failed waist-to-height ratio; a failed first measurement gets a confirmation by a different team on the same duty day instead.
The largest half-inch waist that keeps the ratio below 0.55. From the Army's Figure B–1 table: 64 inches tall allows 35 inches, 66 inches allows 36, 68 inches allows 37, 70 inches allows 38 and 72 inches allows 39.5. Height is rounded to the nearest half inch first, and each waist reading is rounded down, so a reading of 38.4 inches counts as 38.
Not any more. Army Directive 2025-17 (September 2025) had exempted soldiers who scored 465 or more on the Army Fitness Test with at least 80 points in each event. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded it and states that no AFT score exempts a soldier from the waist-to-height standard. Units must leave at least 7 days between an AFT or Combat Field Test and the measurement.
Accuracy depends on your inputs and the method's assumptions. Decimal arithmetic uses 50 significant digits, but estimates, numerical methods and source data can be less precise; the displayed rounding does not remove those limits. It is checked against 8 worked examples whose answers come from independent sources; for example, “70 in tall, waist 38 in” is checked against EXORD 182-26 Annex A Figure B–1: height 70 in, max waist allowed 38 in, resulting ratio 0.542.
Army Directive 2026-13 (Army Body Composition Program and Standards), Secretary of the Army, July 2026; EXORD 182-26 Annex A — Implementing guidance for waist-to-height ratio measurement procedures for the ABCP (Figure B–1, Table B–1); U.S. Army — Army Body Composition Program and Standards: frequently asked questions (effective 7 July 2026); U.S. Army — Army modifies body composition program, adopts waist-to-height ratio (7 July 2026).
For information only, not medical advice. These formulas describe populations, not you; talk to a clinician before acting on a result.
8 worked examples with independently sourced answers ship with this calculator. They run in the test suite; you can run them here too.
Waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio from tape measurements, with the WHO risk cut-offs, the NICE bands and the WHO waist size category.
Body fat percentage by the US Navy tape method, Jackson-Pollock 3- or 7-site skinfolds, or from BMI, with fat and lean mass and the ACE category.
Body mass index (BMI) from height and weight in metric or imperial units, with the WHO adult category and the healthy weight range for your height.
Ideal body weight (IBW) for your height and sex by the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas, with the healthy BMI weight range.
Lean body mass (LBM) from height, weight and sex by the Boer, James and Hume formulas, with the implied body fat percentage.
Body surface area (BSA) in m² from height and weight by the Mosteller, DuBois and Haycock formulas, with the spread between them.
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