Ideal Weight for Height Chart for Indians (Asian BMI)

For most Indian adults, a healthy weight is the range that puts your BMI between 18.5 and 22.9. At 160 cm (5′3″) that's about 47–59 kg; at 170 cm (5′7″) about 53.5–66 kg; at 180 cm (5′11″) about 60–74 kg. Indian guidelines use a lower cut-off than the global one: 23 counts as overweight and 25 as obesity, instead of 25 and 30.

There's no single "ideal" weight. There's a healthy range for your height, and inside that range, your waist size and how much of your weight is muscle matter more than the exact number. You can check your own figures with the BMI calculator with Indian cut-offs.

Why do Indians use a BMI cut-off of 23?

BMI is weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. The global WHO categories (normal up to 24.9, overweight 25–29.9, obese 30+) were built mostly on data from European populations.

In 2004, a WHO expert consultation published in The Lancet concluded that Asian populations have a different relationship between BMI, body fat and health risk. It identified additional "public health action points" at BMI 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5 for countries to use.

In India, a 2009 consensus statement by Misra and colleagues in JAPI set the lines that most Indian doctors use: 23–24.9 overweight and 25 or more obese, plus waist limits of 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women.

A 2025 revision of that definition (Misra et al., Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews) kept 23 as the key line and explained why, in plain terms:

• Asian Indians carry more body fat for a given BMI.
• Type 2 diabetes and related problems show up at lower BMIs than in many other populations.

That's backed up by older measurement work. A review in Obesity Reviews found that Asian groups, including Singaporean Indians, generally had 3–5 percentage points more body fat than Caucasians at the same BMI.

Ideal weight for height chart (cm)

Every range below is BMI 18.5 to 22.9, worked out as BMI × height². The last two columns show where overweight (BMI 23) and obesity (BMI 25) begin on Indian cut-offs. Weights are rounded to one decimal.

Height weight chart in feet and inches

Most Indians know their height in feet, so here's the same calculation by inch. Heights are converted at 2.54 cm per inch.

The same chart applies to men and women. BMI doesn't change by sex, which is one of its weaknesses (more on that below). It's for adults; children and teenagers need age-specific BMI charts from a paediatrician.

How to work out your own healthy range

1. Measure your height without shoes, back against a wall, in cm. If you only know feet and inches, multiply total inches by 2.54.
2. Convert to metres and square it. Example: 162 cm = 1.62 m; 1.62 × 1.62 = 2.62.
3. Multiply by 18.5 and by 22.9. 2.62 × 18.5 = 48.5 kg; 2.62 × 22.9 = 60.1 kg.
4. That's your healthy range: about 48.5–60 kg at 162 cm.

Or skip the arithmetic and use the BMI calculator, which shows both the Indian and WHO scales and your range in kg.

What about waist size?

BMI tells you nothing about where the fat sits, and fat around the belly is the bigger health risk. Indian guidelines use these waist limits, confirmed again in the 2025 revised definition:

How to measure your waist properly. The 2025 paper describes it as: stand straight, ideally before eating, and wrap a non-stretch tape horizontally just above the top of your hip bones, reading it at the end of a normal breath out. Don't suck in. Don't measure over a thick kurta or jeans.

Waist-to-height ratio is the easiest one to remember: your waist should be less than half your height. At 165 cm tall, that means a waist under 82.5 cm.

Say you're a woman at 5′3″ (160 cm) weighing 56 kg. Your BMI is 21.9, nicely in range. But if your waist is 86 cm, you're above the 80 cm line and your waist-to-height ratio is 0.54. That combination is common in India, and it's worth acting on even though the scale looks fine.

When is BMI misleading?

BMI is a screening number, not a diagnosis. It's least useful when:

• You lift seriously. Muscle is dense. A man at 170 cm and 74 kg with plenty of muscle has a BMI of 25.6, which reads "obese" on Indian cut-offs, even if he carries very little fat.
• You're older. The 2025 paper notes that with age, muscle tends to fall and fat tends to rise while weight stays about the same, so BMI can look unchanged as health risk climbs.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. BMI targets don't apply; your doctor will track weight gain differently.
• You're under 18. Use age- and sex-specific growth charts instead.
• You have a "thin-fat" build. A normal BMI with a large waist and little muscle is common in South Asians, which is exactly why the waist check matters.

If you want a better picture than BMI alone, estimate your body fat with the tape-measure body fat calculator and compare it with the body fat percentage chart for Indians.

What should you do if you're above the range?

You don't need to get to the bottom of the range, or even the middle. For many people, losing a few kilos and a few centimetres off the waist makes a real difference to blood sugar and blood pressure.

• Aim for a slow loss. The 2025 Indian guideline describes 0.5–1 kg per week as a safe, commonly accepted rate, which needs a deficit of roughly 500–1,000 kcal a day. For how to set yours, see calorie deficit and maintenance calories.
• Start strength training. Muscle improves body composition even when the scale moves slowly. The beginner gym workout plan is a good place to start.
• Track your waist monthly, not just your weight.

If you're below 18.5, focus on gaining weight with enough food and strength training rather than chasing a number, and see a doctor if you're losing weight without trying.

The short version

• Healthy range for Indians: BMI 18.5–22.9; overweight from 23, obese from 25
• At 160 cm: about 47–59 kg. At 170 cm: about 53.5–66 kg. At 180 cm: about 60–74 kg
• Waist: under 90 cm for men, under 80 cm for women, and under half your height
• BMI misreads muscular people, older adults, pregnant women and children
• Use the range as a guide, then look at waist and body fat for the real picture

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, are pregnant, are under 18, or have a history of eating disorders, talk to a doctor before setting a weight goal.