The ferritin ranges MedlinePlus prints and the cut-offs WHO (2020) and ASH (2026) use, side by side, with what the sources say about inflammation and fasting, what an Egyptian State Information Service document lists for anaemia, and the questions to ask your doctor when ferritin is low.
MedlinePlus prints the normal range for ferritin as 30 to 400 ng/mL in men and 13 to 150 ng/mL in women (review date 10 January 2026), while WHO (April 2020) marks iron deficiency in healthy adults below 15 µg/L and ASH (September 2026) at 30 ng/mL or lower, so the sources do not share one line. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
WHO is the World Health Organization and ASH the American Society of Hematology. Ferritin is a protein that binds to iron and stores it in your body (MedlinePlus, updated 18 March 2025). This page does not read your result, tell you it is normal, or diagnose anything.
In short:
- Three published lines: MedlinePlus’s ranges by sex, WHO’s cut-off (below 15 µg/L) and ASH’s cut-off (30 ng/mL or lower for adults). For ferritin, 1 µg/L is the same amount as 1 ng/mL.
- Ferritin stores iron and haemoglobin carries oxygen. ASH’s 2026 guideline is written to support diagnosing iron deficiency whether or not anaemia is present.
- Inflammation and liver disease can raise ferritin (MedlinePlus, March 2025). WHO (2020) and ASH (2026) each give a separate line for people with inflammation.
Last checked: 1 November 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Guidelines and pages change, so confirm with your doctor.
What is the normal range for ferritin?
| Who | Ferritin level | Where this comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Men (printed range) | 30 to 400 ng/mL | MedlinePlus, review date 10 January 2026 |
| Women (printed range) | 13 to 150 ng/mL | MedlinePlus, review date 10 January 2026 |
| Apparently healthy people aged 5 and over, and the first trimester of pregnancy: iron deficiency | Below 15 µg/L | WHO, 21 April 2020, Table 1 |
| People aged 5 and over with infection or inflammation: iron deficiency | Below 70 µg/L | WHO, 21 April 2020, Table 1 |
| Children under 5: iron deficiency | Below 12 µg/L; below 30 µg/L with infection or inflammation | WHO, 21 April 2020, Table 1 |
| Adults, and menstruating or pregnant people: iron deficiency | 30 ng/mL or lower | ASH, 16 September 2026 |
| Higher-risk groups, such as heavy menstrual bleeding or pregnancy with anaemia: iron deficiency | 50 ng/mL or lower | ASH, 16 September 2026 |
| Children aged 9 months to 4 years: iron deficiency | 20 ng/mL or lower | ASH, 16 September 2026 |
| Adults with inflammation: iron deficiency | Ferritin under 100 ng/mL or transferrin saturation under 20% | ASH, 16 September 2026 |
Read 1 November 2026. WHO prints µg/L; MedlinePlus and ASH print ng/mL (1 µg/L is the same amount as 1 ng/mL). MedlinePlus says normal value ranges may vary slightly among laboratories. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
MedlinePlus prints ranges, while WHO and ASH give cut-offs for diagnosing iron deficiency. For an adult, a number from 15 to 30 falls on different sides of WHO’s line for apparently healthy people (below 15) and ASH’s line for adults (30 or lower). Which line applies in your case is a question for your doctor.
Can ferritin be low when haemoglobin is in range?
The two tests measure different things: ferritin is the protein that stores iron, and haemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body (MedlinePlus, updated 18 March 2025). MedlinePlus (same date) says a lower-than-normal ferritin may mean iron deficiency anaemia “or another condition related to low iron levels”.
ASH’s 2026 guideline is written to support diagnosing iron deficiency whether or not anaemia is present (PubMed record), and ASH says iron deficiency can progress to iron deficiency anaemia (press release, 16 September 2026). Whether a low ferritin matters in your case, and why it is low, is for your doctor.
Does inflammation change a ferritin result?
It can. MedlinePlus (updated 18 March 2025) lists inflammation (for example from infection or surgery), liver disease, cancer and obesity among the conditions that may cause increased ferritin, and says certain medicines can lower or raise it. WHO (2020) says markers of inflammation should be assessed along with ferritin, and gives higher iron-deficiency lines when infection or inflammation is present. Whether this applies to you is for your doctor.
Does the ferritin test need fasting?
It can. MedlinePlus (updated 18 March 2025) says your provider may ask you to fast for 12 hours before the test. It also says a ferritin test may be ordered as part of a group of iron tests. The instruction your lab gives you decides. Which blood tests need fasting sets common tests side by side.
What should I ask my doctor about my ferritin?
- Which unit is my ferritin in, and what range does this lab print for my age and sex?
- Which line do you use for iron deficiency, and why?
- Was haemoglobin measured with it, and what did it show?
- Could inflammation, an infection, liver disease or a medicine of mine be changing the number, and was an inflammation marker measured?
- Do I need other iron tests with it, such as transferrin saturation?
- What could explain a low result in my case?
- Could my symptoms be related? The NHS lists tiredness and lack of energy, shortness of breath, noticeable heartbeats, paler than usual skin and headaches for iron deficiency anaemia.
Pick the questions that matter to you and take the list with you:
Try it
Your questions for the doctor
Tick the questions you want to ask, add your own, then copy, print or send the list to yourself.
4 questions on your list.
What you type stays on this page. Nothing is saved or sent unless you copy, print or send it yourself.
For the rest of the report, questions to ask your doctor about your lab results picks up where this page stops.
The NHS (page last reviewed 26 January 2024) says to see a GP if you think you might have iron deficiency anaemia, and the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI, page last updated 24 March 2022) lists shortness of breath or chest pain among the symptoms of more serious cases. For chest pain or sudden or severe shortness of breath, go to the nearest emergency department or call emergency services now.
In Egypt: what does the official source say about iron and ferritin?
Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) compilation of the presidential initiatives (cover dated December 2024) describes a school initiative to detect malnutrition, covering anaemia, obesity and stunting, in primary-school pupils aged 6 to 12 (PDF page 49). It says that initiative’s services include measuring weight, height and the haemoglobin percentage in the blood (PDF page 53). It also lists various tests to detect anaemia among routine antenatal services (PDF page 55). It does not name a ferritin test.
We searched on 1 November 2026 for an Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population page printing ferritin ranges and found none among the pages we could open, which does not prove none exists, so this page uses MedlinePlus, WHO and ASH. Ask the lab you use which range it applies.
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It does not run lab tests or read your result. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the normal range for ferritin?
MedlinePlus prints 30 to 400 ng/mL for men and 13 to 150 ng/mL for women (review date 10 January 2026); WHO (2020) marks iron deficiency below 15 µg/L, and ASH (2026) uses 30 ng/mL or lower for adults. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
Is ferritin the same as iron?
No. Ferritin is a protein that binds to iron and stores it, and the test shows how much iron is stored (MedlinePlus, updated 18 March 2025).
Does the ferritin test need fasting?
Your provider may ask you to fast for 12 hours before the test (MedlinePlus, updated 18 March 2025). The instruction your lab gives you decides.
Can ferritin be low when haemoglobin is in range?
They are different measurements, and ASH’s 2026 guideline is written to support diagnosing iron deficiency whether or not anaemia is present. What your result means is for your doctor to say.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Ferritin blood test (encyclopedia), review date 10 January 2026 (printed 1/10/2026), read 1 November 2026
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Ferritin Blood Test, updated 18 March 2025, read 1 November 2026
- World Health Organization: WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations, 21 April 2020; figures from its executive summary (recommendations 1.1 and 1.2, Table 1 and its footnotes), read 1 November 2026
- American Society of Hematology: ASH Sets New Standards for Diagnosing Iron Deficiency (press release), 16 September 2026, read 1 November 2026
- American Society of Hematology 2026 guidelines for diagnosis of iron deficiency, Blood Advances 2026;10(21):7353–7374 (doi 10.1182/bloodadvances.2025015950; PubMed record), read 1 November 2026
- NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia, page last reviewed 26 January 2024, read 1 November 2026
- US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): Iron-Deficiency Anemia, last updated 24 March 2022, read 1 November 2026
- Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS): The Presidential Initiatives over ten years, 2014 to 2024 (PDF, cover dated December 2024; school-initiative and antenatal passages on PDF pages 49, 53 and 55), read 1 November 2026
Last updated:
Explore Medigize
Medigize is in development. Explore our current scope and express your interest.