GOLD COPD Staging Calculator — FEV1 Grade 1-4

Stage COPD severity by post-bronchodilator FEV1 % predicted. GOLD 1 (≥80%) to GOLD 4 (<30%) with the fixed-ratio obstruction criterion.

FEV₁ actual (L)
FEV₁ predicted (L)
FVC actual (L)
GOLD 2
FEV₁/FVC 0.56 (< 0.70) — obstruction confirmed. FEV₁ 60% predicted → GOLD 2 (Moderate).
Derived values
FEV₁/FVC ratio0.56Obstructed (< 0.70)
FEV₁ % predicted60%(FEV₁ actual ÷ FEV₁ predicted) × 100
GOLD airflow obstruction grades
GradeFEV₁ % predictedSeverity
GOLD 1≥ 80%Mild
GOLD 2← your result50–79%Moderate
GOLD 330–49%Severe
GOLD 4< 30%Very Severe
GOLD staging: Airflow obstruction is confirmed when the post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio is < 0.70. Only then is the FEV₁ % predicted used to grade severity: GOLD 1 ≥80%, GOLD 2 50–79%, GOLD 3 30–49%, GOLD 4 <30%. Staging requires a confirmed post-BD FEV₁/FVC <0.70. This is a clinical decision aid, not a diagnosis.

How GOLD Staging Guides COPD Management

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades the severity of airflow obstruction using the post-bronchodilator FEV₁ as a percentage of the predicted value: GOLD 1 is mild (≥80%), GOLD 2 moderate (50–79%), GOLD 3 severe (30–49%), and GOLD 4 very severe (<30%). This grade describes how much the airways are narrowed but, on its own, does not capture how the disease affects the individual.

Staging is only valid when airflow obstruction is confirmed by a post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio below 0.70 — the GOLD fixed-ratio criterion. The FEV₁ percentage used for grading must be measured after bronchodilator administration. Always interpret the result alongside spirometry quality, symptom trajectory, exacerbation history, and the full clinical picture.

GOLD-Stadien auf Deutsch (GOLD 1–4)

Die Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stuft die Schwere der Atemwegsobstruktion anhand der post-bronchodilatatorischen FEV₁ in Prozent des Sollwerts ein: GOLD 1 (leicht) ≥ 80 %, GOLD 2 (mittel) 50–79 %, GOLD 3 (schwer) 30–49 % und GOLD 4 (sehr schwer) < 30 %. Das Stadium beschreibt, wie stark die Atemwege verengt sind, erfasst aber für sich genommen nicht, wie die Erkrankung den einzelnen Patienten beeinträchtigt.

Die Stadieneinteilung ist nur gültig, wenn eine Atemwegsobstruktion durch eine post-bronchodilatatorische FEV₁/FVC-Ratio unter 0,70 bestätigt wurde — das GOLD-Fixkriterium. Der für die Einteilung verwendete FEV₁-Prozentwert muss nach Bronchodilatation gemessen werden. Interpretieren Sie das Ergebnis stets zusammen mit der Spirometrie-Qualität, dem Symptomverlauf, der Exazerbationshistorie und dem gesamten klinischen Bild.

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How to Use

Enter the values for the scenario you are assessing. Stage COPD severity by post-bronchodilator FEV1 % predicted. GOLD 1 (≥80%) to GOLD 4 (<30%) with the fixed-ratio obstruction criterion. Use the gold copd stage result to inform your calculation.

Frequently Asked Questions