Healthy Body Fat Percentage Ranges
- Essential fat (men): 2–5%
- Essential fat (women): 10–13%
- Athletic (men): 6–13%
- Athletic (women): 14–20%
- Fitness (men): 14–17%
- Fitness (women): 21–24%
- Average (men): 18–24%
- Average (women): 25–31%
- Obese (men): 25%+
- Obese (women): 32%+
Navy Method Estimation (Manual)
Men: 86.010 × log(abdomen − neck) − 70.041 × log(height) + 36.76
Women: 163.205 × log(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log(height) − 78.387
Use Mode 2 above to calculate weight as a percentage of total body weight for any body composition metric.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy body fat percentage?
For men: 10–20% is generally healthy. For women: 18–28% is considered healthy. Athletes may have lower percentages (6–15% men, 14–20% women).
How accurate are home body fat scales?
Bioelectrical impedance scales (home body fat scales) have margins of error of 3–8%. They are useful for tracking trends, not absolute values. Consistency in measurement conditions matters.
Does body fat percentage change with age?
Yes. Body fat naturally increases with age even without weight gain, because muscle mass decreases. Older adults typically have higher healthy body fat ranges.
What is the difference between BMI and body fat percentage?
BMI uses only height and weight — it cannot distinguish between fat and muscle. Body fat percentage directly measures the proportion of fat in your body.