Body Weight
Body weight is total body mass. It does not account for height or body composition, which is why body mass index (BMI) divides weight by height squared.
These values reproduce the adult male and female percentiles in Table 3 of the June 2025 NCHS anthropometric report, based on measured NHANES August 2021-August 2023 data. Weight was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg on a digital floor scale during a single examination. Pregnant females were excluded from the published table. The data describe the US civilian noninstitutionalised population. The medians are population positions, not healthy-weight targets. Read more on Wikipedia
Data source: Fryar et al. (NHANES 2021-2023) - Weight About this study
Reference population: US adults age 20 and over from NHANES 2021-2023, nationally representative; pregnant females excluded
Body Weight Norms Chart by Age and Sex (kg)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-29 | Male | 57.0 | 72.2 | 83.7 | 98.2 | 128.3 |
| Female | 47.6 | 59.4 | 68.9 | 82.9 | 121.3 | |
| 30-39 | Male | 63.6 | 77.1 | 87.1 | 101.5 | 132.5 |
| Female | 51.4 | 63.1 | 75.0 | 93.3 | 125.9 | |
| 40-49 | Male | 66.0 | 78.5 | 88.4 | 107.7 | 141.9 |
| Female | 52.8 | 63.9 | 74.8 | 90.6 | 123.7 | |
| 50-59 | Male | 61.0 | 76.8 | 87.8 | 102.0 | 138.7 |
| Female | 53.1 | 65.2 | 78.5 | 95.5 | 121.4 | |
| 60-69 | Male | 62.6 | 76.0 | 86.9 | 99.0 | 123.9 |
| Female | 51.6 | 63.3 | 74.3 | 89.9 | 109.3 | |
| 70-79 | Male | 60.8 | 74.5 | 86.6 | 96.5 | 121.3 |
| Female | 49.8 | 62.0 | 71.7 | 82.4 | 103.5 | |
| 80+ | Male | 58.0 | 70.8 | 79.9 | 90.0 | 108.5 |
| Female | 46.8 | 57.9 | 65.7 | 75.2 | 94.2 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US adults in their 30s, the middle 50% weigh 77.1 to 101.5 kg for men and 63.1 to 93.3 kg for women. Median weight is highest in the 40s for men (88.4 kg) and the 50s for women (78.5 kg), and lowest in the 80+ bracket (79.9 kg and 65.7 kg). Weight does not account for height, so these percentiles describe population position, not whether a weight is healthy for a given person.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 72.2 to 98.2 | 59.4 to 82.9 |
| 30-39 | 77.1 to 101.5 | 63.1 to 93.3 |
| 40-49 | 78.5 to 107.7 | 63.9 to 90.6 |
| 50-59 | 76.8 to 102.0 | 65.2 to 95.5 |
| 60-69 | 76.0 to 99.0 | 63.3 to 89.9 |
| 70-79 | 74.5 to 96.5 | 62.0 to 82.4 |
| 80+ | 70.8 to 90.0 | 57.9 to 75.2 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average weight for US adults?
For all US adults aged 20 and older in NHANES August 2021-August 2023, median weight was 86.6 kg (191.0 lb) for men and 73.5 kg (162.0 lb) for women. Mean weight was 90.3 kg (199.0 lb) for men and 77.9 kg (171.8 lb) for women. The mean sits above the median because the upper tail of the distribution is longer than the lower tail.
How was weight measured?
NHANES staff measured weight to the nearest 0.1 kg on a digital floor scale, and the reading was recorded automatically. Each participant was measured once, at a single examination.
What is a healthy weight for my age?
These percentiles show where a weight sits among US adults of the same age and sex. They are not healthy-weight ranges, because weight alone does not account for height. Clinical weight categories use BMI, which divides weight by height squared. The BMI norms page shows its percentiles and the WHO categories.
Why do these percentiles seem high?
The table describes the measured US adult population rather than a selected healthy cohort, so the median is a population position, not a target. Readers from populations with a different body-size distribution should not read these percentiles as local norms.