where is the kidney located

The kidneys are located high in the back of your abdomen, on either side of your spine, just below your rib cage. They sit behind the stomach and intestines in an area called the retroperitoneal space, with the right kidney slightly lower than the left because of the liver.

Quick Scoop

• Each person usually has two kidneys, left and right, positioned between about the T12 and L3 vertebrae (roughly mid–back level).

• They lie against the posterior abdominal wall, in front of the muscles of the lower back, and are partly protected by the 11th and 12th ribs.

• The right kidney sits a bit lower and more toward the middle than the left because the large right lobe of the liver pushes it down slightly.

Simple “hand on back” way to find them

• Place your hands on your lower ribs at the back, with thumbs near the spine and fingers wrapping to the sides; that area roughly overlies the kidneys.

• They are not in the pelvis or very low abdomen; they are higher than many people think—more “mid‑back” than “waistline.”

In short: the kidneys sit high in the back of your abdomen, just under the ribs, on either side of the spine, behind other abdominal organs.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.