Belt size chart
A belt should be about two inches larger than your trouser waist. This chart lines up waist, belt length in inches and centimetres, and the EU number.
| Size | Waist (in) | Belt (in) | Belt (cm) | EU number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 28 | 30 | 76 | 75 |
| S | 30 | 32 | 81 | 80 |
| S | 32 | 34 | 86 | 85 |
| M | 34 | 36 | 91 | 90 |
| M | 36 | 38 | 97 | 95 |
| L | 38 | 40 | 102 | 100 |
| L | 40 | 42 | 107 | 105 |
| XL | 42 | 44 | 112 | 110 |
| XL | 44 | 46 | 117 | 115 |
| XXL | 46 | 48 | 122 | 120 |
Jump to your exact belt size
A belt size is not your trouser waist. The rule of thumb is that a belt should be about two inches larger than your trouser waist size, so the buckle fastens on the middle hole with room to spare on either side. Buy a belt equal to your waist and it will fasten only on the last hole.
US and UK belts are labelled in inches, usually matching that belt length figure, while European belts are numbered in centimetres. The chart below lines up trouser waist, recommended belt length and the EU number so you can pick the right belt in any store.
Belt size questions
What size belt should I buy for my waist?
Buy a belt about two inches larger than your trouser waist size. If your trousers are a 34 waist, a 36 belt will fasten comfortably on the middle hole.
How do EU belt sizes work?
European belts are numbered by length in centimetres. A 90 belt is about 90 centimetres, which suits roughly a 34 inch trouser waist. The chart gives the full conversion.
How do I measure a belt I already own?
Measure from the buckle fold to the hole you use most. That length in inches or centimetres is your belt size, which you can match to a new belt on the chart.
Should I buy a belt in my trouser size?
No, buy about two inches or five centimetres above it. A belt is measured from the buckle fold to the middle hole, and it has to go around the trousers as well as you, so a belt matching your trouser waist ends up on the very first hole or does not close at all.
How do I measure a belt I already own?
Measure from the fold at the buckle to the hole you actually use, not to the end of the leather and not including the buckle. That length is the belt size, and it is the one reading that does not depend on whose brand it is.
What does an EU belt number mean?
It is the belt length in centimetres, so an EU 90 belt measures about 90 cm from the buckle fold to the middle hole. That makes the EU number the easiest one to compare against a belt you already own.
Is there a standard for belt sizes?
We know of no published standard. Some brands label by trouser waist, some by total belt length, and some by the middle hole. That is exactly why measuring an existing belt beats converting a label.
Where these numbers come from
Every row in this chart is anchored to the waist measurement where the belt is actually worn, in inches or centimetres. A belt is normally labelled about two inches (five centimetres) above the trouser waist, so the buckle lands near the middle hole. That offset is a convention, not a rule, and some brands label by total belt length instead.
What is not standardised. We know of no published standard for belt sizes. Measure an existing belt from the buckle fold to the hole you use and compare that length, which is the only reading that is not brand dependent.
Reviewed by Jamey Weber, last checked August 5, 2026. Found an error? Report it and it gets fixed in the changelog. See also the full methodology.
Last reviewed and updated on August 5, 2026. Conversion tables are checked against published international sizing standards.