Blog · 2026-09-29

Average Height for Men and Women: US, UK and Worldwide

PUBLISHED 2026-09-29 · Op. Dr. Serdar Karaman, Orthopedics & Traumatology · Live Taller Now

In short: the average adult man in the United States is about 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) and the average woman about 161 cm (5 ft 3.5 in), based on CDC national survey measurements. UK averages are almost identical. Worldwide, averages range by more than 20 cm between the tallest and shortest countries, and around 80% of the variation between individuals is inherited.

The averages, country by country

The most reliable figures come from surveys that physically measure people rather than asking them, because self-reported height runs consistently high. In the United States, the CDC's national health survey puts the average man aged 20 and over at about 175 cm, or just under 5 ft 9 in, and the average woman at about 161 cm, roughly 5 ft 3.5 in. In England, health survey measurements land in almost the same place: about 175 cm for men and about 162 cm for women.

Globally, the picture is far wider. Large pooled studies of measured height place Dutch men at the top, at around 182 to 183 cm, with women in Latvia and the Netherlands among the tallest at around 168 to 170 cm. At the other end, average adult men in some Southeast Asian and Central American countries measure around 160 cm, and women around 150 cm. A rough worldwide average sits near 171 cm for men and 159 cm for women, though any single global number hides enormous regional variation.

What actually sets your height

Genetics does most of the work. Twin and family studies attribute around 80% of the difference in height between people to inherited factors, spread across thousands of genes rather than one "tall gene". The remaining share comes from childhood conditions: nutrition, especially protein and overall calories in the first years of life, chronic illness, and sleep and general health during growth spurts. This is why average heights rose sharply across Europe and East Asia during the twentieth century as diets improved, while the genes of those populations barely changed.

• Parents' height is the strongest single predictor of where an adult ends up.
• Childhood nutrition shapes whether a person reaches their genetic potential.
• Growth plate closure, usually by the late teens, ends natural growth for good.
• Medical conditions such as growth hormone deficiency or skeletal dysplasias can limit height and are assessed by an endocrinologist.

Where do you sit on the curve?

Height follows a bell curve, so most people sit close to the average. For American men, the middle 90% runs from roughly 163 cm to 188 cm. A man of 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) is around the 25th percentile, meaning about one in four men are his height or shorter. For women, the middle 90% runs from roughly 150 cm to 173 cm. Percentiles shift a little between countries, which is why a height that feels ordinary in one place can feel short or tall in another.

Height changes with age, in both directions

Children grow fastest in infancy and again during puberty, and natural growth stops once the growth plates fuse, usually around 14 to 16 for girls and 16 to 18 for boys; we explain the timing in detail in what age you stop growing taller. From middle age onward, most people lose height gradually as the discs between the vertebrae thin and posture changes. A loss of a centimetre or two by the seventies is common; faster loss, or a visibly curving upper back, can signal osteoporosis and is worth raising with a doctor.

When height becomes a medical question

For most people, average height is simply trivia. For some, it becomes a question about options. After the growth plates close, no supplement, stretch or posture trick adds bone length, a point we cover honestly in how to get taller as an adult. The only way to add permanent height to an adult skeleton is surgical limb lengthening, where bone is gradually lengthened after a controlled cut. It is major surgery with a long recovery, and it suits a narrow group of carefully assessed adults rather than anyone who is simply below average. If you want to understand what it involves, our guide to limb lengthening in Turkey sets out candidacy, methods and realistic gains.

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