Average Height
Average Height in Costa Rica
Men: 168.9 cm·Women: 156.4 cm
Men · 1996
168.9 cm
Women · 1996
156.4 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
157.7 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
142.7 cm
Men world rank:#117Women world rank:#141
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Costa Rica rose from 157.7 cm to 168.9 cm — a gain of 11.2 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 157.7 | 142.7 | 15.0 |
| 1897 | 157.9 | 143.0 | 14.9 |
| 1898 | 158.1 | 143.2 | 14.9 |
| 1899 | 158.3 | 143.5 | 14.8 |
| 1900 | 158.5 | 143.7 | 14.8 |
| 1901 | 158.7 | 144.0 | 14.7 |
| 1902 | 158.9 | 144.2 | 14.7 |
| 1903 | 159.1 | 144.5 | 14.6 |
| 1904 | 159.3 | 144.7 | 14.6 |
| 1905 | 159.5 | 145.0 | 14.5 |
| 1906 | 159.7 | 145.2 | 14.5 |
| 1907 | 159.9 | 145.5 | 14.4 |
| 1908 | 160.1 | 145.7 | 14.4 |
| 1909 | 160.3 | 146.0 | 14.3 |
| 1910 | 160.5 | 146.2 | 14.3 |
| 1911 | 160.8 | 146.5 | 14.3 |
| 1912 | 161.0 | 146.7 | 14.3 |
| 1913 | 161.2 | 147.0 | 14.2 |
| 1914 | 161.4 | 147.2 | 14.2 |
| 1915 | 161.6 | 147.5 | 14.1 |
| 1916 | 161.8 | 147.7 | 14.1 |
| 1917 | 162.1 | 148.0 | 14.1 |
| 1918 | 162.3 | 148.3 | 14.0 |
| 1919 | 162.5 | 148.5 | 14.0 |
| 1920 | 162.7 | 148.8 | 13.9 |
| 1921 | 162.9 | 149.1 | 13.8 |
| 1922 | 163.2 | 149.3 | 13.9 |
| 1923 | 163.4 | 149.6 | 13.8 |
| 1924 | 163.6 | 149.8 | 13.8 |
| 1925 | 163.8 | 150.1 | 13.7 |
| 1926 | 164.0 | 150.3 | 13.7 |
| 1927 | 164.2 | 150.6 | 13.6 |
| 1928 | 164.4 | 150.8 | 13.6 |
| 1929 | 164.6 | 151.1 | 13.5 |
| 1930 | 164.8 | 151.3 | 13.5 |
| 1931 | 165.0 | 151.6 | 13.4 |
| 1932 | 165.2 | 151.8 | 13.4 |
| 1933 | 165.4 | 152.0 | 13.4 |
| 1934 | 165.5 | 152.3 | 13.2 |
| 1935 | 165.7 | 152.5 | 13.2 |
| 1936 | 165.8 | 152.7 | 13.1 |
| 1937 | 166.0 | 152.9 | 13.1 |
| 1938 | 166.1 | 153.1 | 13.0 |
| 1939 | 166.3 | 153.3 | 13.0 |
| 1940 | 166.4 | 153.5 | 12.9 |
| 1941 | 166.5 | 153.6 | 12.9 |
| 1942 | 166.7 | 153.8 | 12.9 |
| 1943 | 166.8 | 154.0 | 12.8 |
| 1944 | 166.9 | 154.1 | 12.8 |
| 1945 | 167.0 | 154.3 | 12.7 |
| 1946 | 167.1 | 154.4 | 12.7 |
| 1947 | 167.2 | 154.5 | 12.7 |
| 1948 | 167.4 | 154.7 | 12.7 |
| 1949 | 167.5 | 154.8 | 12.7 |
| 1950 | 167.6 | 154.9 | 12.7 |
| 1951 | 167.7 | 155.0 | 12.7 |
| 1952 | 167.8 | 155.1 | 12.7 |
| 1953 | 167.8 | 155.2 | 12.6 |
| 1954 | 167.9 | 155.3 | 12.6 |
| 1955 | 168.0 | 155.4 | 12.6 |
| 1956 | 168.1 | 155.5 | 12.6 |
| 1957 | 168.1 | 155.6 | 12.5 |
| 1958 | 168.2 | 155.6 | 12.6 |
| 1959 | 168.3 | 155.7 | 12.6 |
| 1960 | 168.4 | 155.8 | 12.6 |
| 1961 | 168.4 | 155.8 | 12.6 |
| 1962 | 168.5 | 155.9 | 12.6 |
| 1963 | 168.6 | 155.9 | 12.7 |
| 1964 | 168.6 | 155.9 | 12.7 |
| 1965 | 168.7 | 156.0 | 12.7 |
| 1966 | 168.7 | 156.0 | 12.7 |
| 1967 | 168.8 | 156.0 | 12.8 |
| 1968 | 168.8 | 156.0 | 12.8 |
| 1969 | 168.8 | 156.0 | 12.8 |
| 1970 | 168.9 | 156.0 | 12.9 |
| 1971 | 168.9 | 156.0 | 12.9 |
| 1972 | 169.0 | 156.0 | 13.0 |
| 1973 | 169.0 | 156.0 | 13.0 |
| 1974 | 169.0 | 156.0 | 13.0 |
| 1975 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1977 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1978 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1979 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1981 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1982 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1983 | 169.1 | 156.0 | 13.1 |
| 1984 | 169.1 | 156.1 | 13.0 |
| 1985 | 169.1 | 156.1 | 13.0 |
| 1986 | 169.0 | 156.1 | 12.9 |
| 1987 | 169.0 | 156.2 | 12.8 |
| 1988 | 169.0 | 156.2 | 12.8 |
| 1989 | 169.0 | 156.2 | 12.8 |
| 1990 | 169.0 | 156.2 | 12.8 |
| 1991 | 169.0 | 156.2 | 12.8 |
| 1992 | 169.0 | 156.3 | 12.7 |
| 1993 | 169.0 | 156.3 | 12.7 |
| 1994 | 168.9 | 156.3 | 12.6 |
| 1995 | 168.9 | 156.3 | 12.6 |
| 1996 | 168.9 | 156.4 | 12.5 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Costa Rica with known heights
Joel Campbell
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1992
Paulo Wanchope
191 cm · 6'3"
b. 1976
Bryan Ruiz
188 cm · 6'2"
b. 1985
Rodrigo Chaves
185 cm · 6'1"
b. 1961
Rolando Fonseca
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1974
Michael Barrantes
177 cm · 5'10"
b. 1983
Hernán Medford
177 cm · 5'10"
b. 1968
Esteban Alvarado
187 cm · 6'2"
b. 1989
Álvaro Saborío
183 cm · 6'0"
b. 1982
Celso Borges
186 cm · 6'1"
b. 1988
Rónald Gómez
187 cm · 6'2"
b. 1975
Cristian Gamboa
175 cm · 5'9"
b. 1989
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.