Reference
BMI Chart (UK) — NHS Categories by Height and Weight
A British BMI chart for adults using the NHS weight categories. Find your height down the left, your weight across the top, and read off your BMI and category. Stones, pounds and kilograms — the BMI table the UK actually uses.
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The BMI chart below uses the same weight categories as the NHS: under 18.5 is underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 and above is in the obese range. BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis — it gives you a starting point, not a final answer. Whether you call it a BMI chart, BMI table, BMI graph or body mass index chart, the underlying NHS categories are the same.
UK BMI chart (stones and pounds)
Find your height in the left column and your weight across the top. Each cell shows your BMI, coloured by NHS category. Cells on this chart are calculated at round stones — your own weight will fall between cells.
| Height | 7st | 8st | 9st | 10st | 11st | 12st | 13st | 14st | 15st | 16st | 17st | 18st | 19st | 20st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4ft 10in | 20.5 | 23.4 | 26.3 | 29.3 | 32.2 | 35.1 | 38.0 | 41.0 | 43.9 | 46.8 | 49.7 | 52.7 | 55.6 | 58.5 |
| 4ft 11in | 19.8 | 22.6 | 25.4 | 28.3 | 31.1 | 33.9 | 36.8 | 39.6 | 42.4 | 45.2 | 48.1 | 50.9 | 53.7 | 56.6 |
| 5ft 0in | 19.1 | 21.9 | 24.6 | 27.3 | 30.1 | 32.8 | 35.5 | 38.3 | 41.0 | 43.7 | 46.5 | 49.2 | 51.9 | 54.7 |
| 5ft 1in | 18.5 | 21.2 | 23.8 | 26.5 | 29.1 | 31.7 | 34.4 | 37.0 | 39.7 | 42.3 | 45.0 | 47.6 | 50.3 | 52.9 |
| 5ft 2in | 17.9 | 20.5 | 23.0 | 25.6 | 28.2 | 30.7 | 33.3 | 35.8 | 38.4 | 41.0 | 43.5 | 46.1 | 48.7 | 51.2 |
| 5ft 3in | 17.4 | 19.8 | 22.3 | 24.8 | 27.3 | 29.8 | 32.2 | 34.7 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 42.2 | 44.6 | 47.1 | 49.6 |
| 5ft 4in | 16.8 | 19.2 | 21.6 | 24.0 | 26.4 | 28.8 | 31.2 | 33.6 | 36.0 | 38.4 | 40.9 | 43.3 | 45.7 | 48.1 |
| 5ft 5in | 16.3 | 18.6 | 21.0 | 23.3 | 25.6 | 28.0 | 30.3 | 32.6 | 34.9 | 37.3 | 39.6 | 41.9 | 44.3 | 46.6 |
| 5ft 6in | 15.8 | 18.1 | 20.3 | 22.6 | 24.9 | 27.1 | 29.4 | 31.6 | 33.9 | 36.2 | 38.4 | 40.7 | 42.9 | 45.2 |
| 5ft 7in | 15.3 | 17.5 | 19.7 | 21.9 | 24.1 | 26.3 | 28.5 | 30.7 | 32.9 | 35.1 | 37.3 | 39.5 | 41.7 | 43.9 |
| 5ft 8in | 14.9 | 17.0 | 19.2 | 21.3 | 23.4 | 25.5 | 27.7 | 29.8 | 31.9 | 34.1 | 36.2 | 38.3 | 40.4 | 42.6 |
| 5ft 9in | 14.5 | 16.5 | 18.6 | 20.7 | 22.7 | 24.8 | 26.9 | 28.9 | 31.0 | 33.1 | 35.1 | 37.2 | 39.3 | 41.3 |
| 5ft 10in | 14.1 | 16.1 | 18.1 | 20.1 | 22.1 | 24.1 | 26.1 | 28.1 | 30.1 | 32.1 | 34.1 | 36.2 | 38.2 | 40.2 |
| 5ft 11in | 13.7 | 15.6 | 17.6 | 19.5 | 21.5 | 23.4 | 25.4 | 27.3 | 29.3 | 31.2 | 33.2 | 35.1 | 37.1 | 39.1 |
| 6ft 0in | 13.3 | 15.2 | 17.1 | 19.0 | 20.9 | 22.8 | 24.7 | 26.6 | 28.5 | 30.4 | 32.3 | 34.2 | 36.1 | 38.0 |
| 6ft 1in | 12.9 | 14.8 | 16.6 | 18.5 | 20.3 | 22.2 | 24.0 | 25.9 | 27.7 | 29.6 | 31.4 | 33.2 | 35.1 | 36.9 |
| 6ft 2in | 12.6 | 14.4 | 16.2 | 18.0 | 19.8 | 21.6 | 23.4 | 25.2 | 27.0 | 28.8 | 30.6 | 32.4 | 34.2 | 35.9 |
| 6ft 3in | 12.2 | 14.0 | 15.7 | 17.5 | 19.2 | 21.0 | 22.7 | 24.5 | 26.2 | 28.0 | 29.7 | 31.5 | 33.2 | 35.0 |
| 6ft 4in | 11.9 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 17.0 | 18.7 | 20.4 | 22.2 | 23.9 | 25.6 | 27.3 | 29.0 | 30.7 | 32.4 | 34.1 |
| 6ft 5in | 11.6 | 13.3 | 14.9 | 16.6 | 18.3 | 19.9 | 21.6 | 23.2 | 24.9 | 26.6 | 28.2 | 29.9 | 31.5 | 33.2 |
| 6ft 6in | 11.3 | 12.9 | 14.6 | 16.2 | 17.8 | 19.4 | 21.0 | 22.6 | 24.3 | 25.9 | 27.5 | 29.1 | 30.7 | 32.4 |
What does each BMI category mean?
Healthy weight (18.5 to 24.9)
For most UK adults a BMI in this range is associated with the lowest risk of weight-related disease. It is not a guarantee of good health — lifestyle, family history and other markers all matter — but at this BMI weight is unlikely to be the thing your GP wants you to change first.
Overweight (25 to 29.9)
A BMI in the overweight range raises the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. The good news: losing 5 to 10% of your current body weight meaningfully reduces most of those risks, even if your BMI stays in the overweight band.
Obese (30 and above)
A BMI in the obese range is a stronger flag to raise with your GP. The NHS splits obesity further into obese class I (30–34.9), class II (35–39.9) and class III (40+). Higher classes carry higher risk, and people in class II and III may be offered more support — the NHS Weight Loss Plan, tier-2 weight management services or, in some cases, referral to specialist weight management.
Underweight (under 18.5)
Being underweight also carries health risks — reduced immunity, bone density loss, and in younger women, problems with periods. If your BMI is under 18.5 and you are not trying to be, speak to your GP.
What is a healthy weight range for my height?
Instead of reading off the full chart, you can read off just the healthy-weight band:
- 5ft 0in: 6st 11lb – 9st 1lb (43.0–57.8 kg)
- 5ft 4in: 7st 10lb – 10st 5lb (48.9–65.8 kg)
- 5ft 7in: 8st 6lb – 11st 5lb (53.6–72.1 kg)
- 5ft 10in: 9st 3lb – 12st 6lb (58.5–78.7 kg)
- 6ft 0in: 9st 10lb – 13st 2lb (61.9–83.3 kg)
- 6ft 3in: 10st 8lb – 14st 3lb (67.1–90.4 kg)
Why does the NHS still use BMI?
BMI is a blunt instrument — it does not know the difference between muscle and fat, it was originally built on 19th-century European data, and it is less accurate at the extremes of height and in very muscular adults. But it is quick, reproducible and a reasonable first filter, which is why the NHS and most UK GPs still open with it before adding waist measurement and other checks.
When doesn’t the BMI chart apply?
- Pregnancy — BMI is not used during pregnancy. Speak to your midwife.
- Under 18 — children and young people use age- and sex-adjusted BMI centiles rather than the adult categories.
- Over 65 — a BMI slightly above the healthy range is often linked to better outcomes in older adults.
- Muscular adults — athletes and people with a lot of lean mass will often land in the overweight or obese range by BMI alone. Combine with a waist measurement.
- Ethnicity — people of South Asian, Chinese, Black African and African-Caribbean family background have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at lower BMIs. The NHS uses 23 (overweight) and 27.5 (obese) as the thresholds for these groups.
BMI chart for women and men
The NHS uses the same BMI categories for adult women and men: 18.5 to 24.9 healthy, 25 to 29.9 overweight, 30 and above obese. The healthy weight range in stones and pounds is different for the two — because women and men differ in average height — but the BMI thresholds are identical.
- BMI chart for women (UK) — healthy ranges by height, notes on age, pregnancy and waist measurement.
- BMI chart for men (UK) — healthy ranges by height, plus when muscle mass makes BMI misleading.
UK BMI calculator
For a BMI that knows your age, sex and ethnicity and places you on a UK-wide percentile scale, use the UK BMI calculator on the home page. It accepts both imperial (stones and pounds) and metric (kilograms) input and shows where your BMI sits against other UK adults of the same age and sex.
Frequently asked questions
What BMI counts as healthy in the UK?
For most UK adults the NHS considers 18.5 to 24.9 a healthy BMI. Thresholds are lower for people of South Asian, Chinese, Black African or African-Caribbean family background (healthy range 18.5 to 22.9).
How is BMI calculated from stones and pounds?
Convert to kilograms (1 stone = 6.35 kg, 1 pound = 0.454 kg) and divide by the square of your height in metres. Or skip the maths and use the calculator on the home page.
Where do the NHS BMI categories come from?
They match the World Health Organization (WHO) adult classification: under 18.5 underweight, 18.5–24.9 healthy, 25–29.9 overweight, 30 and above obese.
Is this the same BMI chart used by the NHS?
This chart uses the same WHO/NHS weight categories as the official NHS calculator. It is not the NHS's own chart and the site is not affiliated with the NHS.
Is the BMI chart different for women and men in the UK?
No — the NHS uses the same BMI categories for adult women and men: 18.5 to 24.9 healthy, 25 to 29.9 overweight, 30 and above obese. The healthy weight range in stones and pounds differs because women and men differ in average height, but the BMI thresholds themselves are identical.
What is the BMI chart for adults in kg/m²?
The adult BMI chart in kg/m² uses four bands: under 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 overweight, 30 and above obese. The obese band is sometimes split further into class I (30–34.9), class II (35–39.9) and class III (40+).
Does this BMI chart work for older adults?
The same NHS BMI categories are used at every adult age, but in adults over 65 a BMI slightly above the healthy range (up to about 27) is often associated with better outcomes around frailty and recovery from illness.
Calculate your BMI now
Use the free UK BMI calculator — instant, imperial or metric, and shows where you sit against the UK population.
Open the calculator →Keep reading
Not medical advice. If you have questions about your weight or health, speak to your GP. This site is not affiliated with the NHS.