# Average Height for Men and Women? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828 "2003-09-15T22:42:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/1 "2003-09-15T22:42:59Z")
What is the current average height for men in the US? What about women? Also, what about the same height statistics when you factor in the entire world population? Thanks in advance for any information! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/2 "2003-09-16T09:34:37Z")
Last I heard average US male height was 5’10" and average woman height 5’4" - but that had to have been 20 or 25 years ago and may well have changed in either direction (Yes, US children have been increasing in height over the 20th Century, but we also have a considerable influx of foreigners, some of whom tend to be shorter than the US average). Anyone have any more recent information or even good statitistic type stuff? ---
**Author:** ![frookah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@frookah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frookah)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/3 "2003-09-16T09:45:50Z")
\*holds hand up to here, or so. \* Bout there, I reckon. Sorry, I dont belive in averages. Extremes are more interesting. 🙂 I’m perfectly “average” in every aspect, height, size, colouring, but no body ever looks (so to speak) anything like me. Seems like in England ladies only come in amazon or hobbit! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/4 "2003-09-16T09:51:58Z")
The average height for adult American men is 5’ 9.1". The average height for adult American women is 5’ 4". These are quite recent statistics, incidentally. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/5 "2003-09-16T10:56:26Z")
Would you happen to have a cite for that, **Wendell Wagner**? ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/6 "2003-09-16T11:25:08Z")
What I always wonder about with these stats is, are they based on self reporting? Or do they get the numbers from doctor’s records or something? Because, in my experience, men tend to overestimate their height a bit. I know my husband has always claimed a height of 5’9", but is actually closer to 5’8". A number of other guys I’ve known have claimed to be “about 5’8” or 9"" when they’re actually about 5’6" or 7". And, the women I’ve known tend to _under_estimate. I know one woman who insists she is 5’5" – but she’s actually eye-to-eye with my son who we know is almost exactly 5’7". I suppose this is because most of us don’t have our exact height in inches at our disposal at all times, and so we guesstimate. And, being human, our guesstimates tend to drift toward what we know is the average… but, still, it makes me doubt those statistics. ---
**Author:** ![Tamealien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tamealien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamealien)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/7 "2003-09-16T12:14:15Z")
For the EU, 1996 averages were 5’ 9" for men and 5’ 4 1/2" for women. But I don’t know if they were measured or self declared… ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/8 "2003-09-16T13:04:59Z")
OK, a mean is nice to know, but what’s the standard deviation for height (in the US or EU)? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/9 "2003-09-16T14:14:25Z")
Any data for average height of Americans of European ancestry, and of Americans of African ancestry, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/10 "2003-09-16T14:38:47Z")
According to [this site](http://www.halls.md/chart/men-height-w.htm) , “The average male American mens height is 177 cm, which is 69.7 inches, which is approximately 5 foot - 10 inches tall. (for white males\*). \*The data source for this chart is the NHANES III\_ survey, conducted in America during 1988 to 1994.” Nifty chart included free of charge. Also included, height charts for other races and for women. Weight charts, too. Did I mention there were charts? ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/11 "2003-09-16T15:37:33Z")
So, \*\* Redsland \*\* are there any charts on that site? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/12 "2003-09-17T09:46:24Z")
Read that chart that Redsland links to carefully. What it says is that _white_ American men average about 5’ 9.7" tall. If someone wants to figure out the averages for other racial/ethnic categories and then produce an overall average for all American males, go ahead and do so. It looks messy (and I’m presently posting from an Internet cafe three and a half thousand miles from home, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t have the time to do it). ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/13 "2003-09-17T10:43:58Z")
[tangent] You know, I can’t begin to count the number of books, generally crime, where someone is described as _a large and tall man of 6’_. OK, 6’ is a bit over average, but being 6’4" myself, it doesn’t strike me as very big. Sure, I’m tall, but not _that_ tall. I’m part of the beel curve, albeit in the upper quadrant, but lots of guys are my height or slightly less or more. So what’s upp with that description? Are all crime writers Frank Lloyd Wright-ish, or have standards changed? Would you guys perceive a guy of 6’ as big and tall? [/tangent] ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/14 "2003-09-17T12:25:24Z")
**The Gaspode** , try living in Asia for a while. I’m in Hong Kong and people who are six feet are considered tall (I’m 5’11" and I’m considered big, square and tall). You’d be considered utterly massive :D. I think the average height for men here is maybe around 5’7.5" or 5’8". Someone mentioned on this site that the average height in Vietnam and Cambodia is even lower. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/15 "2003-09-17T14:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > **Read that chart that Redsland links to carefully. What it says is that _white_ American men average about 5’ 9.7" tall. If someone wants to figure out the averages for other racial/ethnic categories and then produce an overall average for all American males, go ahead and do so.** You _could_ do that. Or you could look at the other charts I mentioned at that site. (Did I mention there were charts?). Like the ones for [blacks,](http://www.halls.md/on/men-height-b.htm) [hispanics,](http://www.halls.md/on/men-height-h.htm) and [other?](http://www.halls.md/on/men-height-o.htm) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-height-for-men-and-women/201828/16 "2003-09-17T18:47:41Z")
See, the problem is that the charts give the average heights at different ages, not for all men of that race/ethnic group. Also, to figure out the overall average, you would have to look up what proportion of the total population each race/ethnic group is. And you would have to have a pencil and paper to be able to do the calculations. And you would have to not be sitting at a computer at the Internet cafe where I’m being charged some whopping fee per minute. As I said, my apologies for sounding lazy, but I’m spending too much on fees for my Internet time as it is.