Ferritin levels in women: what is normal per life stage?

A normal ferritin level for a woman lies between 15 and 150 µg/l. Below 15 µg/l your iron store is empty. Between 15 and 30 µg/l you are in a grey zone. More and more doctors read that as too low.

That 15 to 150 µg/l is the reference range of Star-shl, a large Dutch laboratory. It is also the reference you see on your result when you test through Lunara. Other labs set the lower limit at 10, 20 or 30 µg/l.

What counts as normal also depends on your life stage: menstruating, pregnant or after menopause. Below you can read what your number means, per life stage. Also for values such as 7, 12 or 22 µg/l.

What ferritin says about your iron

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron, mainly in your liver and bone marrow. The amount in your blood is a measure of your iron stores. The more iron you have stored, the higher your ferritin.

Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin. That is the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen. When your store runs out, ferritin is the first value to fall. Your Hb can still be normal while your reserve is already empty.

How ferritin, iron and transferrin relate is set out in our iron values reference table.

Normal ferritin levels per life stage

There is no single number for all women. Menstruation, pregnancy and menopause all change your iron balance. The table gives a guide value per life stage, with its source.

These are guide values, not hard limits. Always look at the reference printed next to your own result. Labs use different methods, and those differences are real.

Why the limit differs between men and women

At Star-shl the lower limit is 30 µg/l for men. For menstruating women it is 15 µg/l. Sanquin sees the same pattern in healthy adults. Men 25 to 250 µg/l, women 20 to 100 µg/l.

The difference comes from menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Every period costs iron, and a heavy period slowly drains the store.

More and more labs question that lower limit for women. The OLVG lab in Amsterdam now uses 30 µg/l for men and women alike. The reasoning: a woman does not need less iron than a man. She just loses more of it.

Ferritin of 7, 12, 17 or 22: what does it mean?

Women searching for ferritin levels usually want a concrete number. Here is how to read the four most searched values. The yardstick is the WHO and the Dutch NHG anaemia guideline.

• Ferritin 7 or 12 µg/l: below 15 µg/l there is iron deficiency. Your store is empty, even if your Hb is still normal. Discuss this with your GP.
• Ferritin 17 µg/l: just above the hard limit, but tight. With symptoms such as tiredness or hair loss, many doctors count this as too low.
• Ferritin 22 µg/l: within most labs' reference range, yet a small store. Reassuring without symptoms, a reason to look further with them.
• Ferritin 30 µg/l or higher: a filled store by most guidelines. If you are pregnant, 30 µg/l is the lower limit instead.

One caveat: ferritin also rises with inflammation or infection. The NHG guideline therefore treats everything between 15 and 100 µg/l as an in-between zone. Your GP then looks at your MCV, your symptoms and your CRP.

Ferritin levels in pregnant women

In pregnancy you need much more iron. It goes to your baby, the placenta and your own extra blood. Your blood is also diluted, so your Hb drops a little by itself.

A ferritin below 30 µg/l counts as iron deficiency in pregnancy. That limit comes from the 2020 UK guideline by Pavord and colleagues. Your midwife mainly looks at your Hb. A ferritin alongside it shows whether your store can carry the pregnancy.

If you start with a low store, the chance of anaemia later on is higher. Read more in our article on anaemia in pregnancy.

Ferritin levels in women after menopause

After menopause the monthly blood loss stops and your ferritin slowly rises. A Groningen study followed over 2,600 women. Before menopause the median was 33 µg/l. After menopause it was 106 µg/l, more than three times higher.

That makes a low ferritin after menopause stand out. Without periods your store should be growing. If it is low anyway, you are losing blood somewhere else or absorbing too little iron. Bleeding after menopause is therefore always something to have checked.

The reverse also holds: a ferritin above 150 µg/l after menopause is not immediately too high. The European liver guideline then sets the iron-overload limit at 300 µg/l. That is the same limit as for men. Restless legs in menopause can also be linked to your iron.

Low ferritin: symptoms and the role of your Hb

You do not always notice a low ferritin. Symptoms that fit include tiredness, getting out of breath faster, cold hands and hair loss. Restless legs and poor concentration also occur. In women it is often missed, because the Hb is still normal.

A low Hb means anaemia. A low Hb is not always down to iron. A shortage of vitamin B12, folate or both also causes anaemia. A low ferritin with a normal Hb is called iron deficiency without anaemia.

In women the cause is usually a heavy period. A diet with little iron or poor absorption in the gut often plays a part too. A period can be heavy without feeling heavy to you. How to recognise that is covered in anaemia from heavy periods.

High ferritin levels in women

A high ferritin does not immediately mean too much iron. Ferritin is also an inflammation protein. It rises with infection, inflammation, excess weight, heavy drinking and fatty liver. That is why your doctor always looks at your CRP alongside it.

If the value stays high without inflammation, there may be iron overload. The European haemochromatosis guideline names two signals together for women. A ferritin above 200 µg/l and a transferrin saturation above 45 percent. Your doctor then has your iron and the saturation of transferrin measured.

Raising your ferritin: what works and how long it takes

You refill a low store in steps, starting with food. Think meat, fish, pulses, wholegrain cereals and green vegetables. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises at most 300 grams of meat per week. No more than 100 grams of that should be red meat.

Plant iron is absorbed better with vitamin C alongside, such as peppers or citrus fruit. Coffee and tea with a meal slow absorption, so drink them an hour later. With a proven deficiency your GP prescribes iron tablets. Iron tablets without a deficiency are not a good idea, because too much iron is harmful.

More ideas are in our overview of iron-rich foods. Your Hb usually recovers within a few weeks, but your ferritin only rises after that. Your body first makes new red blood cells. A new measurement is usually only worthwhile after a few months.

When should you test your ferritin?

Testing makes sense with symptoms that fit iron deficiency. Think of ongoing tiredness, hair loss, paleness or getting out of breath faster. It is also useful with heavy periods, a vegetarian or vegan diet, or when trying to conceive. In hair loss in women, ferritin is often the first value to stand out.

Donating blood? Sanquin, the Dutch blood bank, measures your Hb before every donation and your ferritin afterwards. Donors with a ferritin of 30 µg/l or lower are monitored more closely. If your ferritin is already low, Sanquin advises donating again only once your store has recovered.

Testing your own ferritin

You can have your ferritin drawn at Lunara without a referral. The Iron Status test measures your ferritin together with your iron and transferrin. If you only want to know your store, the single ferritin test is enough. How the result is built up is explained on our page about ferritin as a blood value.

Your blood is drawn at one of the 650+ draw locations, preferably in the morning. Every result is assessed by a BIG-registered doctor. So you get context, not just a number.

References

1. Star-shl. Test handbook, ferritin: men 30-400, women 15-150 µg/l.
2. NHG. NHG-Standaard Anemie (M76), 2024 revision.
3. Sanquin. Ferritine: wat is het en welke waardes zijn normaal?
4. Pavord S, et al. UK guidelines on the management of iron deficiency in pregnancy. Br J Haematol. 2020;188(6):819-830.
5. Merlo F, et al. Changes in iron status biomarkers with advancing age according to sex and menopause. J Clin Med. 2023.
6. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on haemochromatosis. J Hepatol. 2022. PMID 35662478.
7. OLVG Lab. Normaalwaarden ferritine aangepast.
8. Voedingscentrum. Vlees.

Every blood test result through Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. Blood testing through Lunara does not replace contact with your GP. For diagnosis or treatment, discuss your results with your GP.