Average Height
Average Height in Australia
Men: 179.2 cm·Women: 165.9 cm
Men · 1996
179.2 cm
Women · 1996
165.9 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
168.9 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
155.5 cm
Men world rank:#18Women world rank:#15
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Australia rose from 168.9 cm to 179.2 cm — a gain of 10.3 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 168.9 | 155.5 | 13.4 |
| 1897 | 169.0 | 155.6 | 13.4 |
| 1898 | 169.1 | 155.8 | 13.3 |
| 1899 | 169.2 | 155.9 | 13.3 |
| 1900 | 169.3 | 156.1 | 13.2 |
| 1901 | 169.4 | 156.2 | 13.2 |
| 1902 | 169.5 | 156.3 | 13.2 |
| 1903 | 169.6 | 156.5 | 13.1 |
| 1904 | 169.6 | 156.6 | 13.0 |
| 1905 | 169.7 | 156.8 | 12.9 |
| 1906 | 169.8 | 156.9 | 12.9 |
| 1907 | 169.9 | 157.1 | 12.8 |
| 1908 | 170.0 | 157.2 | 12.8 |
| 1909 | 170.1 | 157.3 | 12.8 |
| 1910 | 170.2 | 157.5 | 12.7 |
| 1911 | 170.3 | 157.6 | 12.7 |
| 1912 | 170.4 | 157.8 | 12.6 |
| 1913 | 170.5 | 158.0 | 12.5 |
| 1914 | 170.7 | 158.1 | 12.6 |
| 1915 | 170.8 | 158.3 | 12.5 |
| 1916 | 170.9 | 158.5 | 12.4 |
| 1917 | 171.1 | 158.6 | 12.5 |
| 1918 | 171.2 | 158.8 | 12.4 |
| 1919 | 171.4 | 159.0 | 12.4 |
| 1920 | 171.5 | 159.1 | 12.4 |
| 1921 | 171.6 | 159.3 | 12.3 |
| 1922 | 171.8 | 159.5 | 12.3 |
| 1923 | 171.9 | 159.6 | 12.3 |
| 1924 | 172.1 | 159.8 | 12.3 |
| 1925 | 172.2 | 159.9 | 12.3 |
| 1926 | 172.4 | 160.1 | 12.3 |
| 1927 | 172.5 | 160.3 | 12.2 |
| 1928 | 172.7 | 160.4 | 12.3 |
| 1929 | 172.9 | 160.6 | 12.3 |
| 1930 | 173.0 | 160.7 | 12.3 |
| 1931 | 173.2 | 160.9 | 12.3 |
| 1932 | 173.4 | 161.1 | 12.3 |
| 1933 | 173.5 | 161.2 | 12.3 |
| 1934 | 173.7 | 161.4 | 12.3 |
| 1935 | 173.9 | 161.5 | 12.4 |
| 1936 | 174.0 | 161.7 | 12.3 |
| 1937 | 174.2 | 161.8 | 12.4 |
| 1938 | 174.4 | 162.0 | 12.4 |
| 1939 | 174.5 | 162.1 | 12.4 |
| 1940 | 174.7 | 162.2 | 12.5 |
| 1941 | 174.8 | 162.3 | 12.5 |
| 1942 | 175.0 | 162.4 | 12.6 |
| 1943 | 175.1 | 162.5 | 12.6 |
| 1944 | 175.2 | 162.6 | 12.6 |
| 1945 | 175.4 | 162.6 | 12.8 |
| 1946 | 175.5 | 162.7 | 12.8 |
| 1947 | 175.6 | 162.8 | 12.8 |
| 1948 | 175.7 | 162.8 | 12.9 |
| 1949 | 175.9 | 162.9 | 13.0 |
| 1950 | 176.0 | 163.0 | 13.0 |
| 1951 | 176.1 | 163.0 | 13.1 |
| 1952 | 176.2 | 163.1 | 13.1 |
| 1953 | 176.3 | 163.2 | 13.1 |
| 1954 | 176.4 | 163.3 | 13.1 |
| 1955 | 176.5 | 163.3 | 13.2 |
| 1956 | 176.6 | 163.4 | 13.2 |
| 1957 | 176.7 | 163.5 | 13.2 |
| 1958 | 176.8 | 163.6 | 13.2 |
| 1959 | 176.9 | 163.7 | 13.2 |
| 1960 | 177.0 | 163.8 | 13.2 |
| 1961 | 177.1 | 163.9 | 13.2 |
| 1962 | 177.2 | 164.0 | 13.2 |
| 1963 | 177.3 | 164.1 | 13.2 |
| 1964 | 177.4 | 164.2 | 13.2 |
| 1965 | 177.5 | 164.3 | 13.2 |
| 1966 | 177.6 | 164.4 | 13.2 |
| 1967 | 177.7 | 164.4 | 13.3 |
| 1968 | 177.8 | 164.5 | 13.3 |
| 1969 | 178.0 | 164.6 | 13.4 |
| 1970 | 178.1 | 164.6 | 13.5 |
| 1971 | 178.2 | 164.7 | 13.5 |
| 1972 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1973 | 178.4 | 164.8 | 13.6 |
| 1974 | 178.5 | 164.9 | 13.6 |
| 1975 | 178.6 | 164.9 | 13.7 |
| 1976 | 178.6 | 164.9 | 13.7 |
| 1977 | 178.7 | 165.0 | 13.7 |
| 1978 | 178.8 | 165.0 | 13.8 |
| 1979 | 178.8 | 165.0 | 13.8 |
| 1980 | 178.9 | 165.1 | 13.8 |
| 1981 | 178.9 | 165.1 | 13.8 |
| 1982 | 179.0 | 165.1 | 13.9 |
| 1983 | 179.0 | 165.2 | 13.8 |
| 1984 | 179.1 | 165.2 | 13.9 |
| 1985 | 179.1 | 165.3 | 13.8 |
| 1986 | 179.1 | 165.3 | 13.8 |
| 1987 | 179.1 | 165.4 | 13.7 |
| 1988 | 179.1 | 165.4 | 13.7 |
| 1989 | 179.1 | 165.5 | 13.6 |
| 1990 | 179.1 | 165.5 | 13.6 |
| 1991 | 179.2 | 165.6 | 13.6 |
| 1992 | 179.2 | 165.7 | 13.5 |
| 1993 | 179.2 | 165.7 | 13.5 |
| 1994 | 179.2 | 165.8 | 13.4 |
| 1995 | 179.2 | 165.8 | 13.4 |
| 1996 | 179.2 | 165.9 | 13.3 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Australia with known heights
Gough Whitlam
194 cm · 6'4"
b. 1916
Tim Cahill
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1979
Don Bradman
173 cm · 5'8"
b. 1908
Ashleigh Barty
166 cm · 5'5"
b. 1996
Ian Thorpe
195 cm · 6'5"
b. 1982
Oscar Piastri
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 2001
Chris Hemsworth
191 cm · 6'3"
b. 1983
Dannii Minogue
157 cm · 5'2"
b. 1971
Margot Robbie
168 cm · 5'6"
b. 1990
Nicole Kidman
180 cm · 5'11"
b. 1967
Rose Byrne
168 cm · 5'6"
b. 1979
Lleyton Hewitt
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1981
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.