Body Fat Percentage

Body Fat Percentage: Charting Averages in Men and Women

Body fat (BF) percentage refers to the ratio of fat (adipose tissue) in the body in comparison to overall body weight.¹ While body mass index (BMI) is often used to estimate body fat, it’s not always an accurate method of doing so.

Some researchers believe that body fat percentage provides a more reliable indicator of the potential for obesity-related health complications like heart disease and type 2 diabetes 

This article will take a look at average body fat percentage charts in the United States by age and sex, as well as how to calculate it.

Measuring Body Fat Percentage

There are several methods for measuring body fat. You an measure it at home or with the help of a professional, such as a healthcare provider, physical therapist, or personal trainer.

Determining Factors

Ways to estimate body fat percentage include:³

• Waist circumference measurements: Abdominal fat typically gives important clues as to your overall body fat percentage. Measuring your waist-to-hip and/or waist-to-height ratio in addition to your waist circumference can help to estimate your body fat. Neck circumference is also sometimes included.
• Skinfold calipers: A healthcare provider may use handheld tools known as skinfold calipers to measure your subcutaneous fat, which is the layer of fat just under your skin.
• Underwater weighing: Also known as hydrostatic weighing, this method of estimating body fat is highly accurate but can be difficult to access. Another method that uses displacement to estimate body fat percentage is air-displacement plethysmography.
• Body scans: Three-dimensional (3D) body scans can provide an overall picture of your body composition, including the percentages of muscle, bone, and fat in your body. 
• Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan: A DEXA scan are a highly accurate way of estimating body fat percentage. This method uses X-rays to assess the density of different kinds of tissue.
• Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA): BIA uses currents to provide an overall picture of your body composition.
• BMI: Body mass index is a simple ratio of body weight to height. However, it doesn't measure body fat directly or take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.

Differences Between Men and Women

On average, women tend to have higher body fat percentages than men, including at the same BMI. This is likely due to differences in body composition that prepare the female body for potential pregnancy.

Changes in hormone levels (particularly estrogen) over the life span, especially during puberty and after menopause, cause women to metabolize food differently and store fat more easily.

Body Fat Percentage Chart by Sex

The following data on average body fat percentage of men and women in the United States has been collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).⁵

What’s Average?

As reported by the CDC, the average estimated body fat percentages among men and women in the United States are as follows

What’s Below Average?

The overall average body fat percentage in the United States is about 39.9% for women and 28.1% for men, so below these amounts would technically be “below average.” However, most people in the United States tend to have higher BF percentages than recommended.⁶ 

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a body fat range of 25% to 31% for women or 18% to 24% for men is typical for the average nonathlete. A BF below 14% for women or 6% for men may be considered dangerously low and can lead to health risks.⁷

What’s Above Average?

In the United States, an above-average body fat would be approximately 40% or over for women or 28% for men.⁶ However, research suggests that men with a body fat of 25% or more and women with a BF of 35% or higher may have a significantly higher risk of related health problems, such as coronary heart disease (CHD). Other researchers set the upper optimal limit for women as 32%

Body Fat Percentage Chart by Age

According to the CDC, this is the average estimated body fat percentage among various age groups:

Meeting Body Fat Percentage for Your Body

There’s no single agreed-upon optimal body fat percentage. Instead, the right amount of body fat for you will depend on your particular dietary habits, nutritional needs, underlying health conditions, and particular goals.

A professional athlete, for example, will likely have a much lower ideal body fat percentage than someone with a more typical level of physical activity.

The American Council on Exercise has come up with the following potential BF percentage ranges for men at different levels of fitness:⁷

• Essential fat: 2–5%
• Athletes: 6–13%
• Fitness enthusiasts: 14–17%
• Healthy average: 18–24%
• Dangerously high (obese): 25% and over

Common body fat percentage ranges among women at different levels of fitness are as follows:

• Essential fat: 10–13%
• Athletes: 14–20%
• Fitness enthusiasts: 21–24%
• Healthy average: 25–31%
• Dangerously high (obese): 32% and over

If you’d like to decrease or increase your body fat percentage, collaborate with a healthcare provider to come up with the eating and exercise plan that works for you.⁷

Losing Belly Fat

Excess abdominal fat is associated with a higher risk of many different health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Research suggests that engaging in moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes per week can significantly reduce your waist circumference and lower your risk of chronic health problems.⁹

Summary

Many researchers believe that a body fat percentage of 25% or over for men or 32% to 35% or over for women may be dangerously high. However, you should talk to a healthcare provider to set the right goals for your own body, based on your diet and physical activity level.