What is a 33 Inch Waist?

A 33-inch waist is a circumference measurement around the abdomen. And you can use this number for everything from buying clothing to assessing your risk for health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

But it’s critical to measure your waist correctly to know if it really is 33 inches around.

How to Measure Your Waist

To check your waist size, you will need a flexible tape measure. First, wrap the tape measure around your waist parallel to the floor just above your hip bone.

Now pull the tape snug but not so tight that it indents into your skin. Also, take the reading at the end of a normal exhale but do not suck in your stomach. The number where the end of the tape intersects is your waist size.

Is a 33 Inch Waist Normal?

Generally speaking, a 33-inch waist is pretty common. But whether it’s considered small or big depends on your gender and to whom you’re comparing yourself. So let’s look at some waist-size statistics for women and men.

33 Inch Waist for Women

The average waist size for American women is 35.6 inches. That means a 33-inch is smaller than most females and would put you in the 30-35^th percentile.

However, it’s important to remember that 3 out of 4 adult women in the US are overweight or obese. So you might not want to compare yourself to the general population.

A survey of women in the US Army, who are generally more fit, shows that their average waist size is 28.2 inches. And a 33-inch waist would put you in the 95^th percentile, which is out of shape by fitness standards.

33 Inch Waist FAQ

Now you know how big a 33-inch waist is for men and women. But you might have more questions about this topic. So here are some quick answers to common queries.

What size is a 33 inch waist?

A 33-inch waist typically corresponds to a US dress size of 16 or 46-52 in Euro sizes. Additionally, this waist circumference should put you in an international size Large to XL for other women’s clothing.

At the same time, men with a 33-inch waist would likely fall between the Medium and Large sizes for clothing.

What pants size is a 33 inch waist?

A waist size of 33 inches generally compares to a pant size of 32-33 for women and 31-32 for men. So your jeans size doesn’t always reflect your actual waist size.

One reason for this is how you wear your pants. For example, women’s pants tend to sit higher on the waist, close to the measurement site. In contrast, men wear their pants lower on their hips, where their waists might be smaller.

In addition, your true waist size may not reflect your pant size due to your body proportions. For instance, you may need to size up if you have thicker thighs or a bigger butt.

Is a 33 inch waist good for a woman?

For women, a 33-inch waist is about 2.6″ smaller than the average female. So this would definitely be a good target if you’re trying to improve your overall health and wellness.

However, a 33-inch waist would likely be on the large side among women who exercise regularly. So if your goal is to be in excellent shape, you should probably aim smaller.

In addition, your ideal waist size depends on your body type and height. For instance, a 33-inch waist would be good for a taller woman but not as good for a shorter one.

Is a 33 inch waist good for a man?

For men, a 33-inch waist is about 5 inches smaller than the average male. And among active guys, a 33″ waist is right about the median. Therefore, it should be attainable for most men with proper diet and exercise.

Again, whether this waist size is good depends on your body type and overall size. To illustrate, a 33-inch waist could be expected if you’re an active young man with a standard-size frame. But it may be on the small side for a bigger, taller guy.