Pants Size Chart: Men’s Waist US, UK & EU Conversion 2026

Men’s pants size chart

The rule is simple: EU = US + 16, UK = US, and the waist in centimetres is the US waist times 2.54. On the defaults — US waist 34 — that gives EU 50, UK 34 and 86.36 cm. Odd sizes round to the nearest even table size (ties round up): a US 27 rounds to US 28, EU 44, 71.12 cm.

Women’s pants sizes

Women’s sizing is a separate system: UK = US + 4, EU = US + 32, and the waist in inches is 24.5 + US ÷ 2. A women’s US 8 is UK 12 and EU 40, with a waist of 28.50 in (72.39 cm). Do not mix the two tables — a women’s US 8 and a men’s US 8 are nothing alike.

How to use the chart

From a US waist: read across the row — US 30 is EU 46, UK 30, 76.20 cm; US 40 is EU 56, UK 40, 101.60 cm; US 50 is EU 66, UK 50, 127.00 cm. From an EU size: subtract 16 — EU 48 is US 32, UK 32, 81.28 cm. From centimetres: divide by 2.54 — 91.44 cm is US 36, EU 52, UK 36 (exact 36.00). From a women’s US size: use the second table — women’s US 8 is UK 12, EU 40, 28.50 in / 72.39 cm. Measure the waist at the narrowest point, tape level, breathing normally — and match the nearest row, because brands vary by about an inch either way.

Every branch, checked

US 30: EU 46, UK 30, 76.20 cm. US 40: EU 56, UK 40, 101.60 cm. US 50: EU 66, UK 50, 127.00 cm. EU 48: US 32, UK 32, 81.28 cm — subtract 16 from the EU size to get the US waist. 91.44 cm: US 36, EU 52, UK 36 — 91.44 ÷ 2.54 is exactly 36.00, so the conversion lands on a row with no rounding. Women’s US 8: UK 12, EU 40, waist 28.50 in / 72.39 cm.

The reverses

EU size for US waist 36: 52 (36 + 16). US waist for EU 48: 32 (48 − 16). Waist in cm for US waist 40: 101.60 cm (40 × 2.54). US waist for 91.44 cm: 36 (exact 36.00 — 91.44 ÷ 2.54 = 36 exactly). Smallest US waist whose EU size is 60 or more: 44 (EU 60); at US 42 the EU size is 58. Women’s US size for EU 40: 8 (UK 12) — 40 − 32 = 8.

What the defaults assume

Men’s UK waist sizes use the same inch numbers as US; EU sizes run 16 higher than US; women’s sizing is a separate system (US 8 = UK 12 = EU 40); brands vary by about an inch either way, so measure the waist and match the nearest row — vanity sizing means the label is a guide, not a measurement. The smallest row is US 28 (EU 44, UK 28, 71.12 cm) and the largest is US 50 (EU 66, UK 50, 127.00 cm). A US 27 — odd, between rows — rounds to the nearest even size, US 28 (EU 44, 71.12 cm). A waist of 0 cm has no size: it is below the table, which is a model-level result, not an error — and a waist over 127.00 cm is likewise above the table. The centimetre figures are rounded to 2 decimal places, half-up, from the exact inch times 2.54 — so a rounded value converted back can differ by a hundredth (for example, 71.12 cm ÷ 2.54 is 28.00, but a rounded cm value like 71.13 cm would give 28.004, which still rounds to US 28).

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The shopper buying European trousers online: they learn a US 34 is EU 50 — and they check the US 40 row (EU 56, 101.60 cm) for the next size up.
• The traveller with a tape measure in centimetres: they learn 91.44 cm is US 36 — and they check the 101.60 cm row (US 40) for the size above it.
• The shopper between sizes: they learn a US 27 rounds to US 28 — and they check the US 28 row (71.12 cm) against their own waist measurement before ordering.
• The shopper buying women’s trousers: they learn a women’s US 8 is UK 12 and EU 40 — and they check the women’s table for the waist (28.50 in / 72.39 cm) rather than guessing from the men’s sizes.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is first-principles: men’s EU = US + 16, UK = US, waist cm = US × 2.54 to 2 decimal places half-up; women’s UK = US + 4, EU = US + 32, waist in = 24.5 + US ÷ 2, waist cm = waist in × 2.54. Every cell in both tables is derived from those rules, never hand-typed. What the chart cannot do is fit YOU: brands vary by about an inch either way, vanity sizing means the label is a guide rather than a measurement, and the chart covers waist sizes only — inseam, rise and cut vary by brand and are not in the table. Measure the waist at the narrowest point, tape level, and match the nearest row. For the other everyday conversions, see the shoe size conversion chart, the ring size chart, the belt size chart, and the hat size chart. This is a reference chart, not a fitting service.