🫁 Lung Capacity Calculator
Estimate your predicted vital capacity and total lung capacity based on your age, height, and sex, using standard spirometry reference equations.
What is lung capacity?
Vital capacity (VC) is the maximum amount of air you can exhale after taking the deepest possible breath in. Total lung capacity (TLC) is the full volume your lungs can hold, including the air that always remains in the lungs (residual volume) even after you exhale as much as possible.
How this calculator works
This tool uses standard spirometry reference (predicted-value) equations that estimate vital capacity from height, age, and sex, reflecting how lung size and function typically change with body size and age in the general population. Total lung capacity is then estimated from vital capacity, since residual volume typically makes up roughly 20% of total lung capacity in healthy adults.
These are population-average predictions, not a measurement of your actual lungs, and can differ meaningfully from an individual’s true values, especially for people with respiratory conditions, unusual body proportions, or athletic training. An actual spirometry test performed by a healthcare provider is needed for a real measurement. This calculator is for general educational purposes only.