Body fat % for women, from a tape measure.

Pick 'Female' in the calculator below. The US Navy formula uses neck + waist + hip + height for women, weighted differently from the men's version because women carry more fat at the hips and a higher essential-fat baseline.

Gender

Determines which formula and which categories apply

Height

Neck

Below the larynx, perpendicular to the long axis of the neck

Waist

At the navel

FITENABLE offers informational fitness and nutrition coaching — not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk to a qualified professional before starting, especially if you're pregnant, injured, or managing a medical condition.

Enter your numbers — gender, height, neck, waist (and hip for women) — then tap Calculate body fat for an estimate using the US Navy circumference method.

How this is calculated

US Navy circumference method, measurements in inches. Men: %fat = 86.010 × log₁₀(waist − neck) − 70.041 × log₁₀(height) + 36.76 Women: %fat = 163.205 × log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log₁₀(height) − 78.387

Published error margin is about ±3 percentage points against hydrostatic weighing. It is a directional estimate from a tape measure, not a clinical body-composition scan. Track the trend over weeks rather than reading a single number as a verdict.

Sources

US Department of Defense circumference body-fat equations (DoD Instruction 1308.1), derived by Hodgdon JA & Beckett MB, Naval Health Research Center Reports 84-11 and 84-29, 1984 — both the men's and women's equations reproduced in Military Medicine 2025, hosted free by the US National Library of Medicine

Body fat percentage ranges for women

Women run higher body-fat percentages than men at the same fitness level — that's biology, not a flaw. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) chart for women:

Essential fat: 10–13%. Required for hormone production and ovulation.
Athlete: 14–20%. Visible muscle definition. Often unsustainable long-term.
Fit: 21–24%. Healthy, athletic, sustainable.
Acceptable: 25–31%. Normal range for most adult women.
Obese: 32%+. Health risk band.

Why low body fat hurts women specifically

Below ~15% body fat, women routinely lose their menstrual cycle (functional hypothalamic amenorrhea), drop bone density, and see mood and sleep disruption. The fitness-magazine ideal of "ripped abs" is a competition-day picture, not a year-round goal. The healthiest sustainable target for most active women is the 18–24% band.

Cycle, contraception, and body fat readings

Hormonal water retention can shift waist and hip measurements by 1–2 cm across the cycle, which moves the calculator's output by 1–2 percentage points. Always measure on the same cycle day (e.g. day 7) and the same time of morning. Birth-control users without natural cycles can pick any consistent day.

Pregnancy and post-partum

Don't use this calculator during pregnancy — body composition is changing for biological reasons unrelated to fitness, and the Navy formula isn't calibrated for pregnant bodies. Wait at least 3 months postpartum before re-measuring; your numbers will swing in those first months as fluid, milk supply, and tissue redistribute.

Want to track on a goal? Combine body fat % with TDEE for women for your calorie target, then take the 4-minute assessment to set realistic, repeatable targets.

See the main body fat calculator for full method comparison and FAQ.

The next step

Numbers told you where you are. We tell you where to go.

A 4-minute assessment, a coach-reviewed plan — built for your body, your kitchen, your life.

Take the assessment →