The Army body fat standard changed in 2026
Under Army Directive 2026-13, dated July 1, 2026, the Army no longer judges Soldiers on a body fat percentage. The waist-to-height ratio is now the only standard. It replaced the height and weight screening tables, and the tape test or any other body fat assessment can no longer be used to challenge it. A ratio under 0.55 meets the standard. A Soldier at 0.55 or higher is measured again the same duty day by a different team and, if still over, is flagged and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program.
This Army body fat calculator leads with that current standard and also shows what the older tape test would have estimated, so it works as both an Army tape calculator and an Army body composition calculator.
No Soldier will be separated for failing the program until Army headquarters completes a 180-day assessment and issues further guidance, so check with your unit for the latest rules.
How the Army waist-to-height ratio is calculated
The first result works as a waist to height ratio calculator, using this simple division:
Waist-to-height ratio = Waist at the navel (in) ÷ Height (in)
DA Form 5500 sets how the numbers are recorded. The waist is rounded down to the half inch, the height is rounded to the nearest half inch, and the ratio is cut off after three decimals rather than rounded. A ratio of 0.549888 is recorded as 0.549 and passes, while 0.550 does not.
A 34-inch waist at a height of 70 inches gives 34 ÷ 70 = 0.485, which meets the standard. At that height the waist must measure under 38.5 inches. Weight, age, and sex don't change this result. Metric entries are converted to inches before rounding.
How the Army tape test estimated body fat
The one-site tape test, introduced by Army Directive 2023-11 and rescinded by Army Directive 2026-13, used weight to the nearest pound and the abdominal circumference at the navel, rounded down to the half inch as AR 600-9 requires:
- Male: −26.97 − (0.12 × weight) + (1.99 × waist)
- Female: −9.15 − (0.015 × weight) + (1.27 × waist)
For a man weighing 180 pounds with a 34-inch waist, that gives −26.97 − 21.6 + 67.66 = 19%. The result is rounded to a whole percent and stays between 0% and 100%. The former limits by age, from table B-2 of AR 600-9, were:
| Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21–27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28–39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40 and over | 26% | 36% |
How to measure yourself
- Stand upright with your arms relaxed at your sides.
- Wrap the tape around your waist at the navel, level with the floor and snug without pressing into the skin.
- The Army takes three waist measurements, rounds each down to the half inch, and averages them. Enter one measurement here, and the calculator rounds it down the same way.
- Measure height without shoes, standing against a wall. The Army rounds height to the nearest half inch, and so does the calculator.
What this calculator can't tell you
This is an unofficial estimate, not an official Army assessment. Only a measurement taken under your unit's procedures counts. The body fat figure is a population estimate and can be well off for an individual. This calculator is not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Army still use the tape test?
No. The Army replaced the circumference-based tape test with the waist-to-height ratio in 2026. A tape measure is still used, but only to find your waist at the navel.
What is the Army height and weight standard now?
The height and weight screening tables were discontinued. There is no weight limit in the new measure, only a waist-to-height ratio under 0.55, checked at least twice a calendar year.
What waist size do I need to pass?
Multiply your height by 0.55. Because the waist is rounded down to the half inch, you pass while your waist measures under the next half inch at or above that number. At 66 inches, 66 × 0.55 = 36.3, so the waist must measure under 36.5 inches. At 72 inches, 72 × 0.55 = 39.6, so it must measure under 40 inches.
Does a high AFT score exempt me from the standard?
No. Army Directive 2026-13 states that no Army Fitness Test score exempts a Soldier from the waist-to-height standard.
Does this work as a Marine or military body fat calculator?
No. Each service sets its own rules, so this applies to the Army only.
Why does the calculator still ask for age, sex, and weight?
Only the tape test estimate uses them. The current waist-to-height result needs just your waist and height.
What's changed
- The waist-to-height ratio now follows DA Form 5500: the waist is rounded down and the height rounded to the nearest half inch before dividing, which can change a result near 0.55.
- Launched with the Army's 2026 waist-to-height standard (under 0.55), plus an estimate from the retired one-site tape test and its age and sex limits.
References
- Army Directive 2026-13, Army Body Composition Program and Standards
the current standard: a waist-to-height ratio below and not equal to 0.55, replacing the tape test and the height and weight tables
- DA Form 5500, Army Body Composition Screening and Assessment Worksheet (July 2026)
how the ratio is measured: waist at the navel rounded down and height rounded to the nearest half inch, with the ratio cut off at three decimals
- U.S. Army, Army Modifies Body Composition Program, Adopts Waist-to-Height Ratio
what the waist-to-height ratio replaced
- U.S. Army, Army Publishes New Body Fat Assessment Guidance
the one-site tape method introduced by Army Directive 2023-11, used for the body fat estimate
- U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson Inspector General, IG Update 23-4: Guidance on Changes to Army Directive 2023-11
the one-site tape equations for men and women from weight in pounds and abdomen at the navel in inches, rounded to the nearest whole percent
- Army Regulation 600-9, The Army Body Composition Program (administrative revision, February 27, 2025)
the former maximum body fat limits by age and sex (table B-2), weight to the nearest pound, and the abdomen rounded down to the half inch