Grip Strength

Grip strength measures maximal handgrip force using a hand dynamometer and is a widely used marker of overall muscular strength. It has been linked to functional independence, mobility, and mortality risk. Adult norms (ages 20 to 100+) are from the iGRIPS international norms (n≈2.4M adults worldwide), reported in 5-year age brackets. Youth norms (ages 9-17) are from the Tomkinson 2018 Eurofit meta-analysis (n=203,295 across 24 European countries). Because these come from different studies and populations, the trend chart shows both as a single continuous line; the gap between ages 17 and 20 represents a source boundary, not a true biological break. Read more on Wikipedia

Data source: iGRIPS (International norms for adult handgrip strength) (2025) · n=2.4M About this study

Data source: Tomkinson et al. (Eurofit) (2018) · n=203.3K About this study

Grip Strength Strength

Grip Strength Norms Chart by Age and Sex (kg)

Age Sex Percentile
5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
9 Male 9.4 12.6 15.5 18.5 22.9
Female 8.8 11.7 14.4 17.1 21.3
10 Male 10.5 13.9 17.1 20.4 25.3
Female 9.7 12.9 15.8 18.9 23.3
11 Male 11.8 15.6 19.2 22.9 28.3
Female 10.7 14.3 17.6 21.0 26.0
12 Male 13.4 17.7 21.7 25.8 31.7
Female 11.9 15.8 19.5 23.2 28.6
13 Male 15.6 20.5 25.0 29.8 36.4
Female 13.4 17.6 21.6 25.7 31.5
14 Male 18.5 24.2 29.3 34.6 41.6
Female 14.7 19.2 23.4 27.8 33.8
15 Male 22.1 28.3 33.7 39.3 46.6
Female 15.7 20.3 24.7 29.2 35.4
16 Male 26.0 32.5 38.0 43.6 50.8
Female 16.4 21.2 25.6 30.2 36.5
17 Male 29.4 36.2 42.0 47.7 55.0
Female 17.0 21.9 26.4 31.2 37.6
20-24 Male 33.9 41.9 48.0 54.5 63.6
Female 19.7 24.9 28.6 32.6 39.1
25-29 Male 35.5 43.5 49.3 55.3 64.0
Female 20.0 25.4 29.4 33.6 39.7
30-34 Male 35.0 43.6 49.7 55.9 64.9
Female 19.6 25.4 29.7 34.2 40.4
35-39 Male 33.8 43.0 49.5 56.0 65.3
Female 19.0 25.1 29.7 34.3 40.8
40-44 Male 32.3 42.0 48.8 55.5 65.1
Female 18.3 24.8 29.4 34.1 40.8
45-49 Male 30.6 40.6 47.6 54.5 64.4
Female 17.6 24.1 28.9 33.6 40.4
50-54 Male 28.9 39.0 46.2 53.2 63.1
Female 16.9 23.4 28.2 32.9 39.7
55-59 Male 27.2 37.2 44.4 51.5 61.4
Female 16.1 22.6 27.3 31.9 38.6
60-64 Male 25.5 35.2 42.4 49.5 59.3
Female 15.2 21.6 26.2 30.8 37.4
65-69 Male 23.7 33.1 40.1 47.2 56.8
Female 14.3 20.6 25.0 29.4 35.8
70-74 Male 21.9 30.9 37.7 44.7 54.1
Female 13.2 19.3 23.6 27.9 34.1
75-79 Male 20.0 28.4 35.1 41.9 51.1
Female 12.0 17.9 22.1 26.2 32.2
80-84 Male 18.0 25.9 32.3 39.0 48.0
Female 10.7 16.4 20.4 24.4 30.2
85-89 Male 15.9 23.2 29.4 35.9 44.6
Female 9.3 14.8 18.6 22.4 28.0
90-94 Male 13.7 20.4 26.3 32.7 41.2
Female 7.8 13.1 16.7 20.4 25.7
95-99 Male 11.3 17.6 23.1 29.4 37.5
Female 6.1 11.1 14.6 18.1 23.2
100+ Male 8.8 14.6 19.8 25.9 33.8
Female 4.2 9.1 12.4 15.7 20.6

What to expect by age group

At ages 30-34, the middle 50% score 43.6 to 55.9 kg for men and 25.4 to 34.2 kg for women. Grip strength peaks around the late 20s to mid 30s in both sexes, then declines gradually through midlife and more steeply in older age. Scores below 43.6 kg (men) or 25.4 kg (women) are below the middle 50% for this age group; scores above 55.9 kg (men) or 34.2 kg (women) are above it.

Typical range (25th to 75th percentile) by age group (kg)
Age MalesFemales
9 12.6 to 18.511.7 to 17.1
10 13.9 to 20.412.9 to 18.9
11 15.6 to 22.914.3 to 21.0
12 17.7 to 25.815.8 to 23.2
13 20.5 to 29.817.6 to 25.7
14 24.2 to 34.619.2 to 27.8
15 28.3 to 39.320.3 to 29.2
16 32.5 to 43.621.2 to 30.2
17 36.2 to 47.721.9 to 31.2
20-24 41.9 to 54.524.9 to 32.6
25-29 43.5 to 55.325.4 to 33.6
30-34 43.6 to 55.925.4 to 34.2
35-39 43.0 to 56.025.1 to 34.3
40-44 42.0 to 55.524.8 to 34.1
45-49 40.6 to 54.524.1 to 33.6
50-54 39.0 to 53.223.4 to 32.9
55-59 37.2 to 51.522.6 to 31.9
60-64 35.2 to 49.521.6 to 30.8
65-69 33.1 to 47.220.6 to 29.4
70-74 30.9 to 44.719.3 to 27.9
75-79 28.4 to 41.917.9 to 26.2
80-84 25.9 to 39.016.4 to 24.4
85-89 23.2 to 35.914.8 to 22.4
90-94 20.4 to 32.713.1 to 20.4
95-99 17.6 to 29.411.1 to 18.1
100+ 14.6 to 25.99.1 to 15.7

Detailed Breakdowns

Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.

Males
9101112131415161720-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-9495-99100+
Females
9101112131415161720-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-9495-99100+
Age trend (percentiles)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good grip strength for my age?

Grip strength varies by age and sex. Use the percentile table above to compare your score. The 50th percentile represents the median for your demographic. A score at P75 or above is considered above average, while P25 or below is below average.

Why does grip strength matter?

Research has linked grip strength to overall muscular strength, functional independence, and health outcomes in aging populations. It is used as a clinical screening tool for sarcopenia (muscle loss) and frailty in older adults.

How is grip strength measured?

Grip strength is measured using a hand dynamometer. You squeeze the device as hard as possible, and the result is recorded in kilograms. Most protocols use the dominant hand, and the best of two or three trials is recorded.

Why do norms for ages 9-17 come from a different source?

Youth norms use the Tomkinson 2018 Eurofit meta-analysis (n=203,295), which pooled data from 24 European countries using the Eurofit handgrip protocol. Adult norms use the iGRIPS international meta-analysis (n≈2.4M). These are different populations tested under slightly different conditions, so they should not be directly compared. The trend chart shows both series with a visible gap at the source boundary (ages 17 to 20).

Why are P25 and P75 approximate?

Both source studies (iGRIPS for adults, Tomkinson 2018 for youth) report percentiles at P20, P30, P70, and P80, but not P25 or P75. We interpolate: P25 = (P20 + P30) / 2 and P75 = (P70 + P80) / 2. These are estimates, not source-reported values.

Related Metrics

Eurofit Battery

This metric is part of the Eurofit, a standardised 9-test battery for children and adolescents aged 6-18.