Vital Capacity Calculator — Predicted FVC
Calculate your predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) from age, sex and height, and see how a measured spirometry result compares with the ECSC 1993 reference value.
Sex
years
cm
L
ECSC 1993 reference value for age, sex and height
- 1
Height contribution
0.0576 × 175 = 10.08 - 2
Age adjustment
0.025 × 35 = 0.875 - 3
Predicted FVC
10.08 − 0.875 − 4.34 = 4.87ECSC 1993 male reference equation (Quanjer et al.).
How does this calculator work?
Predicted vital capacity is calculated from your sex, age and height using the ECSC 1993 equations (e.g. men: 0.0576 × H − 0.025 × A − 4.34 litres). Enter a measured FVC to see your percentage of predicted; ≥ 80% is the widely used lower limit of normal.
Formula
How this is calculated
Vital capacity (VC) is the maximum volume of air a person can forcibly exhale after a full inhalation. This calculator uses the ECSC 1993 reference equations published by Quanjer et al. in the European Respiratory Journal — the most widely cited set of prediction formulas in clinical spirometry. Two separate equations (one for males, one for females) combine height (in centimetres) and age (in years) to predict FVC in litres for healthy non-smoking adults aged 18–70, extended here to 90.
If you enter your measured FVC from a spirometer, the calculator converts it to a percentage of predicted. A value ≥ 80% is generally considered within the normal range in most clinical guidelines; values below 80% suggest a restrictive or obstructive pattern that warrants further investigation by a clinician. The cut-offs displayed are approximate guidelines — actual interpretation always depends on the full spirometry tracing, clinical context, and the reference population used by the testing laboratory.
The ECSC equations assume a European reference population of healthy, non-smoking adults. They may overestimate or underestimate predicted values in other ethnic groups; GLI-2012 equations provide ethnicity-specific references but are more complex. Altitude, posture, and measurement technique also influence the result. This calculator is informational only and cannot replace formal clinical spirometry.
Frequently asked questions
A measured FVC that is ≥ 80% of the predicted value for your age, sex and height is generally considered within the normal range. The predicted value itself depends on these three factors and varies widely among individuals.
Vital capacity (VC) is the maximum air you can exhale after a full breath; forced vital capacity (FVC) is the same manoeuvre performed as quickly and forcibly as possible. In most healthy people VC ≈ FVC; in obstructive lung disease FVC is often lower because airways close early during forced exhalation.
Aerobic exercise and breathing training (such as diaphragmatic breathing exercises or singing) can modestly increase vital capacity over time. Avoiding smoking is the single most protective factor for long-term lung function.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Vital Capacity Calculator — Predicted FVC [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/vital-capacity-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Vital Capacity Calculator — Predicted FVC." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/vital-capacity-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Vital Capacity Calculator — Predicted FVC," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/vital-capacity-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_vital_capacity_calculator, title = {Vital Capacity Calculator — Predicted FVC}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/vital-capacity-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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