WHO centile charts

Check if a child's height and weight are within WHO ranges.

Centile calculator

For under 1 year, use decimals (e.g. 0.5 for 6 months)

Results

Fill in the form and click "Compute centiles" to see results.

Interpretation

Severely below average

0-3 centile

Below 3rd centile - consult a pediatrician.

Below average

3-15 centile

Between 3rd and 15th centile - may need attention.

Average

15-85 centile

Between 15th and 85th centile - within typical range.

Above average

85-97 centile

Between 85th and 97th centile - may need attention.

Severely above average

97-100 centile

Above 97th centile - consult a pediatrician.

What are centile charts?

Centile charts visualize the distribution of physical traits (height, weight, BMI) in a reference population by age and sex.

Centile indicates the position relative to peers (e.g. 75th centile: 75% lower, 25% higher).

How are centiles calculated?

WHO uses the LMS method (Lambda-Mu-Sigma) with three parameters to model distributions:

  • L (Lambda) – skewness
  • M (Mu) – median
  • S (Sigma) – coefficient of variation

Z-score formulas:

For L ≠ 0: Z = ((X/M)^L - 1) / (L × S)
For L = 0: Z = log(X/M) / S

Z-score is then converted to a centile using the normal distribution CDF.