Body Fat Calculator
Estimate your body fat percentage with the US Navy method, using your height, neck and waist measurements.
Measure just below the larynx.
Measure at the navel.
Add it to see fat and lean mass.
What Body Fat Percentage Means
Body fat percentage is the share of your weight that is fat, rather than muscle, bone, water and organs. Two people at the same weight can carry very different amounts of fat. That is why this number tells you more about your shape and health than the scale alone.
Healthy ranges differ by sex. Women carry more essential fat than men, so their healthy numbers sit higher. For men, a fitness range runs about 14 to 17% and average about 18 to 24%. For women, fitness is near 21 to 24% and average near 25 to 31%. Some fat is needed to stay well, so chasing the lowest possible number is not the aim for most people.
How the US Navy Method Works
This calculator uses the US Navy tape method. You measure a few spots with a soft tape: your neck and waist for everyone, plus your hips if you are a woman. The tool then runs a log-based formula that compares those circumferences against your height to estimate the fat percentage.
The idea is simple. A larger waist relative to your neck and height points to more stored fat. The formula was built and tested on thousands of service members, which is why it holds up well for most adult bodies without any special equipment.
Validated example: a man at 180 cm with a 40 cm neck and a 90 cm waist comes out at 18.5%, which lands in the Average band. Change any measurement and the result moves with it.
How to Measure Correctly
Good numbers depend on good measurements. Use a soft tape and keep it level around the body, snug but not pressing into the skin. Measure the neck just below the larynx. Men measure the waist at the navel. Women measure the waist at the narrowest point and the hips at the widest point.
Stand relaxed and breathe out gently before each reading. Take every measurement twice and use the average. Most of all, measure the same way at the same spots each time. That keeps your trend honest, even if any single reading is off by a little.
Body Fat vs BMI
BMI is quick but blunt. It uses only your height and weight, so it cannot tell fat from muscle. A lean, muscular person can read as overweight on BMI while carrying low body fat. To check that, run the BMI calculator and compare it with your body fat figure here. When the two disagree, body fat usually tells the truer story.
Body fat and BMI answer different questions, so it helps to read them together. The BMI calculator gives a fast screen, while this page shows what that weight is made of. To set a sensible target weight for your height, try the ideal weight calculator.
Once you know your body fat, the next step is action. To lose fat, eat below your maintenance level. The calorie deficit calculator sets a safe daily target, and the TDEE calculator shows the maintenance number that target starts from. The Velpa app then logs your weight and measurements in one private place, so you can see whether your body fat is moving the way you planned.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a healthy body fat percentage?
- It depends on your sex. For men, fitness sits around 14 to 17% and average around 18 to 24%. For women the numbers run higher because of essential fat, with fitness near 21 to 24% and average near 25 to 31%. Some fat is needed for health, so very low numbers are not a goal for most people. The category table in the result panel shows where your figure lands.
- How does the US Navy body fat method work?
- It uses a tape measure and a log-based formula. Men enter height, neck and waist. Women add a hip measurement. The formula compares the size of your waist (and hips for women) against your neck and height to estimate the fat percentage. It needs no special gear, just a soft tape and a flat surface to read it.
- How accurate is the US Navy body fat calculator?
- For most people it lands within a few points of a clinical scan, as long as you measure carefully. It can read high for very muscular builds and low for very lean ones, because it works from circumference, not direct fat. Treat it as a trend tool. Measure the same way each time and watch the direction over weeks.
- How do I measure my waist and neck correctly?
- Use a soft tape and keep it level, snug but not tight. For the neck, measure just below the larynx. For the waist, men measure at the navel and women at the narrowest point. Stand relaxed, breathe out gently, and do not pull the tape into the skin. Take each reading twice and use the average.
- Is body fat percentage better than BMI?
- For body composition, yes. BMI uses only height and weight, so it cannot tell fat from muscle. A lean, muscular person can read as overweight on BMI while carrying low body fat. The Navy method estimates fat directly from your shape. Use both: BMI for a quick screen, body fat for a closer look.