Ideal weight calculator by height
Ideal weight is a range, not a single number. On the WHO scale a healthy adult BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, so a healthy weight runs from 18.5 × height² to 24.9 × height², with height in metres. At 170 cm that's 53.5–72 kg, at 160 cm 47.4–63.7 kg. Enter your sex and height to see your range and what the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas give.
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Where the number comes from
The formula, a worked example and where it stops working
Ideal weight for your height: the short answer
Ideal weight is a range, not a single number. By WHO fact sheet on obesity and overweight, checked 19 October 2026 cut-offs a healthy body mass index runs from 18.5 to 24.9, so at 170 cm a healthy weight is 53.5 to 72 kg, and at 160 cm it is 47.4 to 63.7 kg. The Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas give one point inside it: about 61-67 kg for 170 cm.
How we calculate
The main number is the BMI range. BMI is weight divided by height in metres squared, and for adults the WHO counts 18.5 to 24.9 as normal (WHO page on body mass index, checked 19 October 2026). Turn the formula around and you get a healthy weight: from 18.5 × height² to 24.9 × height². For 170 cm, height in metres squared is 2.89, which gives 53.5-72 kg.
Below that the calculator shows four classic ideal body weight formulas. They all work the same way: a base weight for a height of 5 feet (152.4 cm) plus a set number of kilograms for every inch (2.54 cm) above it.
The constants follow Nowaczyk et al., Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery, 2012, where all four are written out side by side. Doctors still use the Devine formula, for example to dose some medicines — the clinical reference MDCalc notes this too. These are tools for clinicians, not a weight-loss target.
- Devine (1974): men 50 kg, women 45.5 kg, plus 2.3 kg per inch
- Robinson (1983): men 52 kg plus 1.9 kg per inch, women 49 kg plus 1.7 kg
- Miller (1983): men 56.2 kg plus 1.41 kg per inch, women 53.1 kg plus 1.36 kg
- Hamwi (1964): men 48 kg plus 2.7 kg per inch, women 45.5 kg plus 2.2 kg
Ideal weight chart for women
Worked out by the same engine as the calculator. At 160 cm, for example, the healthy range is 47.4–63.7 kg, while the formulas give 52.1 to 57.2 kg.
| Height | BMI 18.5–24.9 | Devine | Robinson | Miller | Hamwi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 41.6–56.0 | 43.3 | 47.4 | 51.8 | 43.4 |
| 155 cm | 44.4–59.8 | 47.9 | 50.7 | 54.5 | 47.8 |
| 160 cm | 47.4–63.7 | 52.4 | 54.1 | 57.2 | 52.1 |
| 165 cm | 50.4–67.8 | 56.9 | 57.4 | 59.8 | 56.4 |
| 170 cm | 53.5–72.0 | 61.4 | 60.8 | 62.5 | 60.7 |
| 175 cm | 56.7–76.3 | 66.0 | 64.1 | 65.2 | 65.1 |
| 180 cm | 59.9–80.7 | 70.5 | 67.5 | 67.9 | 69.4 |
| 185 cm | 63.3–85.2 | 75.0 | 70.8 | 70.6 | 73.7 |
| 190 cm | 66.8–89.9 | 79.5 | 74.2 | 73.2 | 78.1 |
Women. Weight in kg. The range uses WHO BMI cut-offs; the formulas are the classic ones, meant for heights from 152 cm.
Ideal weight chart for men
The BMI range is the same for men as for women: the WHO does not split the cut-offs by sex. Only the formulas differ, and for men they come out a few kilograms higher.
| Height | BMI 18.5–24.9 | Devine | Robinson | Miller | Hamwi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 41.6–56.0 | 47.8 | 50.2 | 54.9 | 45.4 |
| 155 cm | 44.4–59.8 | 52.4 | 53.9 | 57.6 | 50.8 |
| 160 cm | 47.4–63.7 | 56.9 | 57.7 | 60.4 | 56.1 |
| 165 cm | 50.4–67.8 | 61.4 | 61.4 | 63.2 | 61.4 |
| 170 cm | 53.5–72.0 | 65.9 | 65.2 | 66.0 | 66.7 |
| 175 cm | 56.7–76.3 | 70.5 | 68.9 | 68.7 | 72.0 |
| 180 cm | 59.9–80.7 | 75.0 | 72.6 | 71.5 | 77.3 |
| 185 cm | 63.3–85.2 | 79.5 | 76.4 | 74.3 | 82.7 |
| 190 cm | 66.8–89.9 | 84.0 | 80.1 | 77.1 | 88.0 |
Men. Weight in kg. The range uses WHO BMI cut-offs; the formulas are the classic ones, meant for heights from 152 cm.
Which number to trust
The BMI range. It is the cut-off the WHO uses to judge adult weight, and it is honest that many weights are healthy. The formulas give one number and disagree with each other: for a man of 190 cm Miller gives 77.1 kg and Hamwi 88 kg, an 11 kg gap.
Neither BMI nor the formulas can see what your weight is made of. Someone who trains a lot can sit above the «ideal» with little fat. If you want a sense of body composition, try the body fat calculator — also rough, but it looks at your waist, not just the scales.
Age, frame and children
The calculator does not use age: WHO BMI cut-offs for adults are the same at 20 and at 60, and none of the classic formulas has age in it either. They do not account for frame size («big bones») — one more reason to read a healthy weight as a range.
This calculator is not for children or teenagers. For them the WHO compares BMI with the average for their age and sex using its own growth charts. A child's weight is a question for a paediatrician.
What to do with the result
If your weight is inside the range, there is nothing you have to change. If it is above, two neighbouring calculators help.
- Find out how much to eat to lose weight at a calm pace — calorie deficit calculator
- See the date you would reach your goal — weight loss calculator
- Check your BMI and category — BMI calculator
Your weight follows what you eat every day. To see that without spreadsheets there is a bot that counts calories from a photo: it remembers your target, adds up what you ate and logs your weight when you type it into the chat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal weight for 160 cm?
The healthy WHO BMI range is 47.4–63.7 kg for both women and men. The ideal weight formulas give 52.1 to 57.2 kg for a woman of 160 cm and 56.1 to 60.4 kg for a man.
What is the ideal weight for 170 cm?
By WHO BMI it is 53.5–72.0 kg. The classic formulas give 60.7-62.5 kg for a woman of 170 cm and 65.2-66.7 kg for a man.
Is ideal weight different for men and women?
The BMI range is not: the WHO uses one set of cut-offs for adults. The classic formulas are different, and at the same height they give men a few kilograms more.
Does the ideal weight calculator take age into account?
No. WHO BMI cut-offs for adults do not depend on age, and the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas have no age in them either.
Can I use it for a child?
Not this calculator. For children and teenagers the WHO judges weight with its own growth charts that account for age and sex. That is a question for a paediatrician.
Reminders
Water and weight