Hemoglobin Hb normal range — check your value

For adult men it is roughly 13-17 g/dL and for non-pregnant adult women 12-15 g/dL. Pregnancy and childhood use different cut-offs, and your lab prints the range it uses next to the result.

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Your Hemoglobin Hb test value

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Hemoglobin Hb

g/dL

What Hemoglobin Hb measures

The oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. It is the single number that defines whether you are anaemic.

Hemoglobin Hb normal range chart

ResultHemoglobin Hb (g/dL)

Below rangeBelow 12

In range12 – 15

Above range15 and above

These bands are for female, 31–45 years. Enter your age and gender above to see the bands for you. The table below shows the range for every age and gender.

Hemoglobin Hb normal range by age and gender

AgeMaleFemale

0–1 years14 – 22 g/dL14 – 22 g/dL

2–6 years11 – 14 g/dL11 – 14 g/dL

7–11 years11.5 – 15.5 g/dL11.5 – 15.5 g/dL

12–17 years13 – 17 g/dL12 – 15 g/dL

18–30 years13 – 17 g/dL12 – 15 g/dL

31–45 years13 – 17 g/dL12 – 15 g/dL

46–60 years13 – 17 g/dL12 – 15 g/dL

60 years and above13 – 17 g/dL12 – 15 g/dL

What a high Hemoglobin Hb means, and common causes

Blood is carrying more haemoglobin than usual. On its own this is rarely a disease; it usually means the blood is concentrated, or the body is compensating for low oxygen over a long period.

Common causes: Dehydration (the commonest and most harmless reason), smoking, living at high altitude, chronic lung disease, sleep apnoea, testosterone or EPO use, and rarely polycythaemia vera.

What a low Hemoglobin Hb means, and common causes

Low haemoglobin is what anaemia means: the blood carries less oxygen than it should. Symptoms appear gradually, so many people feel normal until it is quite low.

Common causes: Iron deficiency is the leading cause in India, usually from heavy periods, pregnancy, poor dietary iron, hookworm, piles or a stomach ulcer. Also vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, thalassaemia trait, chronic kidney disease and long-standing inflammation.

Frequently asked questions

For adult men it is roughly 13-17 g/dL and for non-pregnant adult women 12-15 g/dL. Pregnancy and childhood use different cut-offs, and your lab prints the range it uses next to the result.

It means moderate anaemia and needs a cause found, not just iron tablets. How urgent it is depends on how fast it fell and how you feel, which is why the doctor will ask about tiredness, breathlessness and periods.

Ferritin shows whether iron stores are empty, and the MCV on the same blood count report suggests the type of anaemia. Vitamin B12 is checked when MCV is high.

Thakan, saans phoolna, chakkar, pale skin aur baal girna aam lakshan hain. Bahut kam hone par dil par zor padta hai, isliye kaaran pata karna zaroori hai.

Please note. This page explains what a number means against reference ranges for your age and gender. It does not diagnose anything, cannot see the rest of your report, and is no substitute for a doctor. If your lab’s printed range differs, your lab’s range applies.