Army Body Fat Calculator 2026 — Waist-to-Height Ratio Standard (AD 2026-13)

Army maximum waist by height (WHtR under 0.55)

Max waist = 0.55 × height. A tape reading below the figure meets the standard; the figure itself does not (¶5a(3)). One table for all ages and both sexes.

Height	Inches	Waist must be under
4'10"	58	31.90 in
4'11"	59	32.45 in
5'0"	60	33.00 in
5'1"	61	33.55 in
5'2"	62	34.10 in
5'3"	63	34.65 in
5'4"	64	35.20 in
5'5"	65	35.75 in
5'6"	66	36.30 in
5'7"	67	36.85 in
5'8"	68	37.40 in
5'9"	69	37.95 in
5'10"	70	38.50 in
5'11"	71	39.05 in
6'0"	72	39.60 in
6'1"	73	40.15 in
6'2"	74	40.70 in
6'3"	75	41.25 in
6'4"	76	41.80 in
6'5"	77	42.35 in
6'6"	78	42.90 in
6'7"	79	43.45 in
6'8"	80	44.00 in

Timeline

July 1, 2026 — Army Directive 2026-13 signed by the Secretary of the Army; effective immediately (¶5).
July 7, 2026 — announced Army-wide (army.mil).
September 29, 2026 — every Soldier must have a WHtR recorded in ATIS (¶5a(9): 90 days from the directive).
About December 28, 2026 — end of HQDA's 180-day assessment; no separations for WHtR before it completes and further guidance is issued (¶5b(8)).
Within 2 years — G-1 folds the directive into AR 600-9 and AR 600-8-2; G-3/5/7 into AR 350-1 (¶6). The directive is rescinded when the revised regulations publish (¶7).

What the directive replaced

Height and weight screening tables are discontinued, and the circumference-based tape test (neck and waist, plus hip for women) and every other body-fat assessment are no longer authorized to challenge a WHtR result (¶5a, ¶5a(1)). Also rescinded: AD 2025-17 (AFT score body-fat exemption); AD 2023-11 (body fat assessment); AD 2023-08 (ACFT score exemption); DA Form 5501 (references d–g, ¶5a(7)–(8)). AR 600-9 still governs enrollment, counseling and administrative actions until it is rewritten (¶5b(7)).

Who it covers: the Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, all USMA and Senior ROTC cadets, all retention actions, and all military schools and institutional training courses (¶3, ¶5). The policy is not retroactive (¶5).

How to plan against the line

Height is the lever you do not control — every inch of height adds 0.55 in of allowed waist. Measure height honestly, without shoes; your unit will.
Measure at the navel, not the belt line. Most people wear their belt below the navel; the Army measures at the navel, which is usually the larger number.
Use the 7-day rule. Commanders must give at least 7 days between the AFT/CFT and the WHtR (¶5a(6)). If you are asked to tape the day after the test, that is the paragraph to cite.
A near-line ratio is a coin flip. The standard is written to two decimals with no published rounding rule. If this calculator flags you within 0.005, treat yourself as over the line and build a half inch of margin.
Scoring your AFT? Use the fitness test calculator — and remember an AFT score no longer exempts you from the WHtR (¶5a(7)).

Army WHtR — frequently asked questions

What is the Army body fat standard in 2026?

Since Army Directive 2026-13 (signed 1 July 2026) the only Army body composition standard is the waist-to-height ratio: your waist, measured at the navel, divided by your height, both in inches, must be less than 0.55 (¶5a(3)). The height and weight screening tables are discontinued and the tape test can no longer be used to challenge a WHtR result (¶5a, ¶5a(1)). There are no age or sex tables — one line for every Soldier.

How is the Army waist-to-height ratio calculated?

Waist ÷ height. Example: a 70-inch (5'10") Soldier with a 36-inch waist is 36 ÷ 70 = 0.514, which meets the standard; at 38.5 inches the ratio is exactly 0.55, which does not (the standard is "less than and not equal to 0.55"). The maximum passing waist at any height is just under 0.55 × height — 38.5 in at 70 in tall, 35.2 in at 64 in, 39.6 in at 72 in. The directive publishes no rounding rule, so a ratio within 0.005 of the line comes down to the measuring team's tape reading.

What happens if my WHtR is 0.55 or higher?

A different team re-measures you the same duty day before any command action (¶5a(4)). If confirmed, you are flagged (code K) and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program (¶5a(5)). Regular Army and AGR commanders request a medical exam to rule out an underlying condition; Guard and Reserve Soldiers not on active duty may request one at their own expense (¶5b(4)–(5)). Monthly progression assessments are gone — you are removed from the ABCP as soon as you meet the standard (¶5b(6)). Separation actions may be initiated, but no Soldier will be separated for WHtR until HQDA completes its 180-day assessment (¶5b(8)).

Does a high AFT score exempt me from the Army body composition standard?

No. Army Directive 2026-13 ¶5a(7) states that no AFT score exempts a Soldier from the WHtR standard, and it rescinds AD 2025-17, which had created that exemption. The directive does require at least 7 days between the AFT or CFT and the WHtR measurement (¶5a(6)).

When do I have to be measured under the new standard?

Every Soldier must have a WHtR recorded on DA Form 5500 and in ATIS within 90 days of the directive — by 29 September 2026 (¶5a(8)–(9)). After that you are measured at least twice per calendar year (¶5a(2)), and a commander may direct a measurement at any time they are concerned you do not meet the standard (¶5a(10)).

Is the Army tape test gone?

For Army body composition purposes, yes. Army Directive 2026-13 discontinues the height and weight screening tables and bars the circumference-based tape test and any other body-fat assessment from being used to challenge a WHtR result (¶5a, ¶5a(1)). It also rescinds AD 2023-11 and AD 2023-08. AR 600-9 still governs ABCP enrollment, counseling and administrative actions until it is rewritten within two years (¶5b(7), ¶6).

Army Body Composition Calculator

You meet the standard — what the directive says happens

Army maximum waist by height (WHtR under 0.55)

Timeline

What the directive replaced

How to plan against the line

Army WHtR — frequently asked questions

Army Body Composition Calculator

You meet the standard — what the directive says happens

Army maximum waist by height (WHtR under 0.55)

Timeline

What the directive replaced

How to plan against the line

Army WHtR — frequently asked questions

Next steps