Average Height
Average Height in Bulgaria
Men: 178.2 cm·Women: 164.8 cm
Men · 1996
178.2 cm
Women · 1996
164.8 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
166.5 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
152.2 cm
Men world rank:#26Women world rank:#29
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Bulgaria rose from 166.5 cm to 178.2 cm — a gain of 11.7 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 166.5 | 152.2 | 14.3 |
| 1897 | 166.6 | 152.4 | 14.2 |
| 1898 | 166.7 | 152.6 | 14.1 |
| 1899 | 166.9 | 152.8 | 14.1 |
| 1900 | 167.0 | 153.1 | 13.9 |
| 1901 | 167.1 | 153.3 | 13.8 |
| 1902 | 167.3 | 153.5 | 13.8 |
| 1903 | 167.4 | 153.7 | 13.7 |
| 1904 | 167.5 | 153.9 | 13.6 |
| 1905 | 167.7 | 154.1 | 13.6 |
| 1906 | 167.8 | 154.3 | 13.5 |
| 1907 | 168.0 | 154.5 | 13.5 |
| 1908 | 168.1 | 154.8 | 13.3 |
| 1909 | 168.2 | 155.0 | 13.2 |
| 1910 | 168.4 | 155.2 | 13.2 |
| 1911 | 168.5 | 155.4 | 13.1 |
| 1912 | 168.6 | 155.6 | 13.0 |
| 1913 | 168.8 | 155.8 | 13.0 |
| 1914 | 168.9 | 156.0 | 12.9 |
| 1915 | 169.1 | 156.2 | 12.9 |
| 1916 | 169.2 | 156.4 | 12.8 |
| 1917 | 169.4 | 156.7 | 12.7 |
| 1918 | 169.5 | 156.9 | 12.6 |
| 1919 | 169.7 | 157.1 | 12.6 |
| 1920 | 169.8 | 157.3 | 12.5 |
| 1921 | 169.9 | 157.5 | 12.4 |
| 1922 | 170.1 | 157.7 | 12.4 |
| 1923 | 170.2 | 157.9 | 12.3 |
| 1924 | 170.3 | 158.1 | 12.2 |
| 1925 | 170.5 | 158.3 | 12.2 |
| 1926 | 170.6 | 158.5 | 12.1 |
| 1927 | 170.7 | 158.7 | 12.0 |
| 1928 | 170.9 | 158.9 | 12.0 |
| 1929 | 171.0 | 159.1 | 11.9 |
| 1930 | 171.1 | 159.2 | 11.9 |
| 1931 | 171.3 | 159.4 | 11.9 |
| 1932 | 171.4 | 159.6 | 11.8 |
| 1933 | 171.6 | 159.7 | 11.9 |
| 1934 | 171.7 | 159.9 | 11.8 |
| 1935 | 171.9 | 160.1 | 11.8 |
| 1936 | 172.1 | 160.2 | 11.9 |
| 1937 | 172.2 | 160.4 | 11.8 |
| 1938 | 172.4 | 160.6 | 11.8 |
| 1939 | 172.5 | 160.7 | 11.8 |
| 1940 | 172.7 | 160.9 | 11.8 |
| 1941 | 172.8 | 161.0 | 11.8 |
| 1942 | 173.0 | 161.1 | 11.9 |
| 1943 | 173.2 | 161.3 | 11.9 |
| 1944 | 173.3 | 161.4 | 11.9 |
| 1945 | 173.5 | 161.5 | 12.0 |
| 1946 | 173.7 | 161.7 | 12.0 |
| 1947 | 173.9 | 161.8 | 12.1 |
| 1948 | 174.1 | 161.9 | 12.2 |
| 1949 | 174.2 | 162.0 | 12.2 |
| 1950 | 174.4 | 162.1 | 12.3 |
| 1951 | 174.6 | 162.3 | 12.3 |
| 1952 | 174.8 | 162.4 | 12.4 |
| 1953 | 175.0 | 162.5 | 12.5 |
| 1954 | 175.2 | 162.6 | 12.6 |
| 1955 | 175.3 | 162.7 | 12.6 |
| 1956 | 175.5 | 162.8 | 12.7 |
| 1957 | 175.7 | 162.9 | 12.8 |
| 1958 | 175.8 | 163.0 | 12.8 |
| 1959 | 176.0 | 163.2 | 12.8 |
| 1960 | 176.2 | 163.3 | 12.9 |
| 1961 | 176.3 | 163.4 | 12.9 |
| 1962 | 176.5 | 163.5 | 13.0 |
| 1963 | 176.7 | 163.6 | 13.1 |
| 1964 | 176.8 | 163.7 | 13.1 |
| 1965 | 176.9 | 163.8 | 13.1 |
| 1966 | 177.1 | 163.9 | 13.2 |
| 1967 | 177.2 | 164.0 | 13.2 |
| 1968 | 177.3 | 164.1 | 13.2 |
| 1969 | 177.4 | 164.2 | 13.2 |
| 1970 | 177.5 | 164.3 | 13.2 |
| 1971 | 177.6 | 164.3 | 13.3 |
| 1972 | 177.7 | 164.4 | 13.3 |
| 1973 | 177.8 | 164.5 | 13.3 |
| 1974 | 177.9 | 164.5 | 13.4 |
| 1975 | 177.9 | 164.6 | 13.3 |
| 1976 | 178.0 | 164.6 | 13.4 |
| 1977 | 178.0 | 164.6 | 13.4 |
| 1978 | 178.1 | 164.7 | 13.4 |
| 1979 | 178.1 | 164.7 | 13.4 |
| 1980 | 178.1 | 164.7 | 13.4 |
| 1981 | 178.2 | 164.7 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 178.2 | 164.7 | 13.5 |
| 1983 | 178.2 | 164.7 | 13.5 |
| 1984 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1985 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1986 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1987 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1988 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1989 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1990 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1991 | 178.3 | 164.8 | 13.5 |
| 1992 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1993 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1994 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1995 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
| 1996 | 178.2 | 164.8 | 13.4 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Bulgaria with known heights
Hristo Stoichkov
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1966
Boyko Borissov
183 cm · 6'0"
b. 1959
Dimitar Berbatov
189 cm · 6'2"
b. 1981
Stefka Kostadinova
180 cm · 5'11"
b. 1965
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.