The full WHO classification, in one table
BMI Chart
This is the complete World Health Organization BMI classification table for adults, the same reference table used by the calculator on the homepage. Below it you will also find a height-to-healthy-weight lookup table, so you can see a target weight range for a specific height without doing any math at all. Both tables apply to adult men and women equally; see the note below on why there is no separate men's or women's version.
The full adult BMI chart
These are the eight WHO weight-status classifications for adults, based on BMI in kg/m2. This is the exact table the BMI calculator uses to categorize your result.
| Classification | BMI range |
|---|---|
| Severe thinness | Below 16 |
| Moderate thinness | 16 to 16.9 |
| Mild thinness | 17 to 18.4 |
| Normal weight | 18.5 to 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25 to 29.9 |
| Obese, Class I | 30 to 34.9 |
| Obese, Class II | 35 to 39.9 |
| Obese, Class III | 40 and above |
The first three rows (severe, moderate and mild thinness) are often grouped together and simply labeled "Underweight" in everyday use, which is what the calculator's short result label does. The full eight-row breakdown above is the more precise version used in clinical and research contexts.
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Height-to-healthy-weight lookup table
Each row below shows the weight range that keeps a person of that height inside the WHO "Normal weight" band (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Use this table for a quick look-up, or the BMI calculator for your exact height and an exact BMI value.
| Height | Healthy weight range (imperial) | Healthy weight range (metric) |
|---|---|---|
| 4'10" (147 cm) | 89-120 lb | 40.0-54.0 kg |
| 5'0" (152 cm) | 95-128 lb | 42.7-57.8 kg |
| 5'2" (157 cm) | 101-137 lb | 45.6-61.6 kg |
| 5'4" (163 cm) | 108-146 lb | 49.2-66.4 kg |
| 5'6" (168 cm) | 115-155 lb | 52.2-70.6 kg |
| 5'8" (173 cm) | 122-164 lb | 55.4-74.8 kg |
| 5'10" (178 cm) | 129-174 lb | 58.6-79.2 kg |
| 6'0" (183 cm) | 136-184 lb | 62.0-83.7 kg |
| 6'2" (188 cm) | 144-195 lb | 65.4-88.4 kg |
| 6'4" (193 cm) | 152-205 lb | 68.9-93.1 kg |
Every row is calculated the same way as the calculator's healthy-weight-range result: the low end is the weight where BMI equals 18.5 for that height, and the high end is the weight where BMI equals 24.9 (rounded to 25 for the lookup table above). If your exact height is not listed, use the BMI calculator, it accepts any height down to the tenth of an inch or centimeter.
Why there is no separate "BMI chart for women" or "BMI chart for men"
A lot of people search specifically for a women's BMI chart or a men's BMI chart expecting different numbers, so it is worth explaining directly: the WHO adult BMI classification above applies identically to men and women aged 20 and over. There is no official separate scale for either sex in the standard adult classification. This can feel counter-intuitive, since men and women do carry body fat differently on average for the same BMI (women tend to carry more body fat than men at an equivalent BMI, according to the CDC), but the WHO's adult weight-status bands do not adjust for that difference. The only place sex is factored in at all is in pediatric BMI-for-age charts (ages 2 to 19), which use separate percentile curves for boys and girls because growth patterns genuinely differ by sex during childhood and adolescence, see below.
The children and teen BMI chart is different
If you are looking for a BMI chart for a child or teenager (age 2 through 19), the table above does not apply, and this calculator does not compute it. Pediatric BMI is judged with age- and sex-specific percentile curves from the CDC growth charts, since a BMI that is perfectly healthy for a 6-year-old boy would be underweight for a 16-year-old boy, and the reference ranges shift continuously with age rather than sitting at fixed numeric cutoffs like the adult table. The broad pediatric percentile bands are: below the 5th percentile is Underweight, the 5th to 85th percentile is Healthy weight, the 85th to 95th percentile is At risk of overweight, and above the 95th percentile is Overweight, but the actual BMI number that corresponds to each percentile changes for every single month of age and differs between boys and girls. A pediatrician or the CDC's own Child and Teen BMI Calculator is the right source for an accurate pediatric result.
How to read the chart if your BMI is on a category boundary
A BMI of exactly 25.0 or 30.0 sits right on a category line, and a small measurement error (a slightly wrong height, or a scale that reads a pound or two off) can flip which side of the line you land on. Categories are useful for a quick read, but the underlying BMI number itself, and how it is trending over time, generally matters more than which exact labeled box it falls into on a given day. If your BMI sits close to a boundary, re-checking with a consistent scale and an accurately measured height (rather than a remembered or estimated one) gives a more reliable read than the label alone.
See the BMI formula page for the exact math behind every number on this chart, including worked examples of category-boundary cases.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BMI chart different for men and women?
What BMI range counts as a healthy weight?
Does this chart apply to children?
How accurate is the height-to-weight lookup table?
What does "Obese Class I, II and III" mean?
Where do the numbers on this chart come from?
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