Height
Standing height (stature) is measured against a wall-mounted stadiometer. It is the height input to body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio.
These values reproduce the adult male and female percentiles in Tables 11 and 9 of the January 2021 NCHS anthropometric report, based on measured NHANES 2015-2018 data from 10,602 adults. Height was measured to the nearest 0.1 cm. The data describe the US civilian noninstitutionalised population. Read more on Wikipedia
Data source: Fryar et al. (NHANES 2015-2018) - Height About this study
Reference population: US adults age 20 and over from NHANES 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 combined, nationally representative
Height Norms Chart by Age and Sex (cm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-29 | Male | 164.5 | 171.0 | 176.0 | 180.2 | 187.1 |
| Female | 151.0 | 158.1 | 162.8 | 167.0 | 172.8 | |
| 30-39 | Male | 163.5 | 171.2 | 176.7 | 181.4 | 188.7 |
| Female | 151.2 | 157.9 | 162.6 | 167.7 | 173.4 | |
| 40-49 | Male | 163.6 | 171.5 | 176.5 | 181.4 | 188.4 |
| Female | 150.7 | 157.7 | 162.6 | 166.6 | 174.2 | |
| 50-59 | Male | 162.8 | 170.1 | 175.3 | 180.6 | 187.7 |
| Female | 150.7 | 156.5 | 160.9 | 165.9 | 171.4 | |
| 60-69 | Male | 162.5 | 169.4 | 174.3 | 178.8 | 185.0 |
| Female | 149.3 | 155.9 | 160.8 | 165.3 | 171.7 | |
| 70-79 | Male | 161.5 | 168.6 | 173.1 | 177.5 | 184.7 |
| Female | 147.5 | 153.9 | 157.9 | 162.6 | 168.1 | |
| 80+ | Male | 157.4 | 166.0 | 170.3 | 175.3 | 182.3 |
| Female | 145.3 | 151.5 | 155.8 | 159.7 | 166.7 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults in their 30s, the middle 50% measure 171.2 to 181.4 cm for men and 157.9 to 167.7 cm for women. Median height is 5.7 cm lower for men and 7.0 cm lower for women in the 80+ bracket than in the 20s. The table is cross-sectional, so that gap compares different birth cohorts as well as different ages.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 171.0 to 180.2 | 158.1 to 167.0 |
| 30-39 | 171.2 to 181.4 | 157.9 to 167.7 |
| 40-49 | 171.5 to 181.4 | 157.7 to 166.6 |
| 50-59 | 170.1 to 180.6 | 156.5 to 165.9 |
| 60-69 | 169.4 to 178.8 | 155.9 to 165.3 |
| 70-79 | 168.6 to 177.5 | 153.9 to 162.6 |
| 80+ | 166.0 to 175.3 | 151.5 to 159.7 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average height for US adults?
For all US adults aged 20 and older in NHANES 2015-2018, median height was 175.4 cm (69.1 in) for men and 161.3 cm (63.5 in) for women. Mean height was 175.3 cm (69.0 in) for men and 161.3 cm (63.5 in) for women.
Does height decrease with age?
In this table, median height is 176.0 cm for men and 162.8 cm for women in their 20s, and 170.3 cm and 155.8 cm in the 80+ bracket. Each age group is a different set of people measured at the same time, so the gap combines change within individuals and differences between people born in different decades, which a cross-sectional table cannot separate.
Why does this page use NHANES 2015-2018 rather than 2021-2023?
The newer August 2021-August 2023 NCHS report does not publish a 95th percentile for men or women aged 80 and over. The 2015-2018 report publishes every percentile for every bracket and is based on 10,602 adults rather than 5,997. Median heights in the two reports differ by at most 1.1 cm in any age and sex group.
How was height measured?
NHANES staff measured standing height to the nearest 0.1 cm with a wall-mounted stadiometer, and the reading was recorded automatically. Each participant was measured once, at a single examination.