Average Height
Average Height in Afghanistan
Men: 165.3 cm·Women: 155.1 cm
Men · 1996
165.3 cm
Women · 1996
155.1 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
161.2 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
149.2 cm
Men world rank:#166Women world rank:#159
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Afghanistan rose from 161.2 cm to 165.3 cm — a gain of 4.1 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 161.2 | 149.2 | 12.0 |
| 1897 | 161.2 | 149.3 | 11.9 |
| 1898 | 161.2 | 149.5 | 11.7 |
| 1899 | 161.3 | 149.6 | 11.7 |
| 1900 | 161.3 | 149.7 | 11.6 |
| 1901 | 161.3 | 149.9 | 11.4 |
| 1902 | 161.4 | 150.0 | 11.4 |
| 1903 | 161.4 | 150.1 | 11.3 |
| 1904 | 161.4 | 150.3 | 11.1 |
| 1905 | 161.5 | 150.4 | 11.1 |
| 1906 | 161.5 | 150.5 | 11.0 |
| 1907 | 161.5 | 150.6 | 10.9 |
| 1908 | 161.6 | 150.8 | 10.8 |
| 1909 | 161.6 | 150.9 | 10.7 |
| 1910 | 161.6 | 151.0 | 10.6 |
| 1911 | 161.7 | 151.2 | 10.5 |
| 1912 | 161.7 | 151.3 | 10.4 |
| 1913 | 161.8 | 151.4 | 10.4 |
| 1914 | 161.8 | 151.5 | 10.3 |
| 1915 | 161.9 | 151.7 | 10.2 |
| 1916 | 161.9 | 151.8 | 10.1 |
| 1917 | 162.0 | 151.9 | 10.1 |
| 1918 | 162.0 | 152.1 | 9.9 |
| 1919 | 162.1 | 152.2 | 9.9 |
| 1920 | 162.1 | 152.3 | 9.8 |
| 1921 | 162.2 | 152.5 | 9.7 |
| 1922 | 162.2 | 152.6 | 9.6 |
| 1923 | 162.3 | 152.7 | 9.6 |
| 1924 | 162.3 | 152.9 | 9.4 |
| 1925 | 162.4 | 153.0 | 9.4 |
| 1926 | 162.5 | 153.1 | 9.4 |
| 1927 | 162.5 | 153.3 | 9.2 |
| 1928 | 162.6 | 153.4 | 9.2 |
| 1929 | 162.7 | 153.5 | 9.2 |
| 1930 | 162.7 | 153.6 | 9.1 |
| 1931 | 162.8 | 153.8 | 9.0 |
| 1932 | 162.9 | 153.9 | 9.0 |
| 1933 | 163.0 | 154.0 | 9.0 |
| 1934 | 163.0 | 154.2 | 8.8 |
| 1935 | 163.1 | 154.3 | 8.8 |
| 1936 | 163.2 | 154.4 | 8.8 |
| 1937 | 163.2 | 154.5 | 8.7 |
| 1938 | 163.3 | 154.7 | 8.6 |
| 1939 | 163.4 | 154.8 | 8.6 |
| 1940 | 163.4 | 154.9 | 8.5 |
| 1941 | 163.5 | 155.0 | 8.5 |
| 1942 | 163.6 | 155.1 | 8.5 |
| 1943 | 163.6 | 155.2 | 8.4 |
| 1944 | 163.7 | 155.3 | 8.4 |
| 1945 | 163.8 | 155.4 | 8.4 |
| 1946 | 163.9 | 155.5 | 8.4 |
| 1947 | 163.9 | 155.6 | 8.3 |
| 1948 | 164.0 | 155.7 | 8.3 |
| 1949 | 164.1 | 155.8 | 8.3 |
| 1950 | 164.2 | 155.8 | 8.4 |
| 1951 | 164.2 | 155.9 | 8.3 |
| 1952 | 164.3 | 156.0 | 8.3 |
| 1953 | 164.4 | 156.1 | 8.3 |
| 1954 | 164.4 | 156.1 | 8.3 |
| 1955 | 164.5 | 156.2 | 8.3 |
| 1956 | 164.5 | 156.2 | 8.3 |
| 1957 | 164.6 | 156.3 | 8.3 |
| 1958 | 164.6 | 156.3 | 8.3 |
| 1959 | 164.7 | 156.4 | 8.3 |
| 1960 | 164.7 | 156.4 | 8.3 |
| 1961 | 164.8 | 156.4 | 8.4 |
| 1962 | 164.8 | 156.5 | 8.3 |
| 1963 | 164.9 | 156.5 | 8.4 |
| 1964 | 164.9 | 156.5 | 8.4 |
| 1965 | 165.0 | 156.5 | 8.5 |
| 1966 | 165.0 | 156.5 | 8.5 |
| 1967 | 165.1 | 156.5 | 8.6 |
| 1968 | 165.1 | 156.5 | 8.6 |
| 1969 | 165.1 | 156.5 | 8.6 |
| 1970 | 165.1 | 156.4 | 8.7 |
| 1971 | 165.2 | 156.4 | 8.8 |
| 1972 | 165.2 | 156.3 | 8.9 |
| 1973 | 165.2 | 156.3 | 8.9 |
| 1974 | 165.3 | 156.3 | 9.0 |
| 1975 | 165.3 | 156.2 | 9.1 |
| 1976 | 165.3 | 156.1 | 9.2 |
| 1977 | 165.3 | 156.1 | 9.2 |
| 1978 | 165.4 | 156.0 | 9.4 |
| 1979 | 165.4 | 156.0 | 9.4 |
| 1980 | 165.4 | 155.9 | 9.5 |
| 1981 | 165.4 | 155.9 | 9.5 |
| 1982 | 165.4 | 155.8 | 9.6 |
| 1983 | 165.4 | 155.7 | 9.7 |
| 1984 | 165.4 | 155.7 | 9.7 |
| 1985 | 165.4 | 155.6 | 9.8 |
| 1986 | 165.4 | 155.6 | 9.8 |
| 1987 | 165.4 | 155.5 | 9.9 |
| 1988 | 165.4 | 155.5 | 9.9 |
| 1989 | 165.4 | 155.4 | 10.0 |
| 1990 | 165.3 | 155.4 | 9.9 |
| 1991 | 165.3 | 155.3 | 10.0 |
| 1992 | 165.3 | 155.3 | 10.0 |
| 1993 | 165.3 | 155.2 | 10.1 |
| 1994 | 165.3 | 155.2 | 10.1 |
| 1995 | 165.3 | 155.1 | 10.2 |
| 1996 | 165.3 | 155.1 | 10.2 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Afghanistan with known heights
Heights from Wikidata (property P2048). Shown for published persons sorted by priority score.
Sources & methodology
Mean adult height by birth cohort, ages 20+. Figures are modelled from pooled population-representative surveys and measurement studies compiled by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and published via Our World in Data.
Cohorts are labelled by birth year, not by survey year. Reported heights reflect the adult height those cohorts reached, typically measured in their 20s or 30s.
License: CC BY 4.0. Last updated: 2026-04-21.