Average Height
Average Height in Kenya
Men: 169.6 cm·Women: 158.2 cm
Men · 1996
169.6 cm
Women · 1996
158.2 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
165.7 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
155.9 cm
Men world rank:#107Women world rank:#112
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Kenya rose from 165.7 cm to 169.6 cm — a gain of 3.9 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
- Mean height has declined in recent birth cohorts.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 165.7 | 155.9 | 9.8 |
| 1897 | 165.8 | 156.0 | 9.8 |
| 1898 | 165.9 | 156.1 | 9.8 |
| 1899 | 166.0 | 156.2 | 9.8 |
| 1900 | 166.1 | 156.3 | 9.8 |
| 1901 | 166.2 | 156.4 | 9.8 |
| 1902 | 166.3 | 156.5 | 9.8 |
| 1903 | 166.4 | 156.6 | 9.8 |
| 1904 | 166.5 | 156.6 | 9.9 |
| 1905 | 166.6 | 156.7 | 9.9 |
| 1906 | 166.8 | 156.8 | 10.0 |
| 1907 | 166.9 | 156.9 | 10.0 |
| 1908 | 167.0 | 157.0 | 10.0 |
| 1909 | 167.1 | 157.1 | 10.0 |
| 1910 | 167.2 | 157.2 | 10.0 |
| 1911 | 167.3 | 157.2 | 10.1 |
| 1912 | 167.4 | 157.3 | 10.1 |
| 1913 | 167.5 | 157.4 | 10.1 |
| 1914 | 167.6 | 157.5 | 10.1 |
| 1915 | 167.7 | 157.6 | 10.1 |
| 1916 | 167.8 | 157.7 | 10.1 |
| 1917 | 168.0 | 157.8 | 10.2 |
| 1918 | 168.1 | 157.8 | 10.3 |
| 1919 | 168.2 | 157.9 | 10.3 |
| 1920 | 168.3 | 158.0 | 10.3 |
| 1921 | 168.4 | 158.1 | 10.3 |
| 1922 | 168.5 | 158.2 | 10.3 |
| 1923 | 168.6 | 158.3 | 10.3 |
| 1924 | 168.7 | 158.4 | 10.3 |
| 1925 | 168.8 | 158.4 | 10.4 |
| 1926 | 169.0 | 158.5 | 10.5 |
| 1927 | 169.1 | 158.6 | 10.5 |
| 1928 | 169.2 | 158.7 | 10.5 |
| 1929 | 169.3 | 158.7 | 10.6 |
| 1930 | 169.4 | 158.8 | 10.6 |
| 1931 | 169.5 | 158.9 | 10.6 |
| 1932 | 169.7 | 159.0 | 10.7 |
| 1933 | 169.8 | 159.0 | 10.8 |
| 1934 | 169.9 | 159.1 | 10.8 |
| 1935 | 170.0 | 159.2 | 10.8 |
| 1936 | 170.1 | 159.3 | 10.8 |
| 1937 | 170.2 | 159.3 | 10.9 |
| 1938 | 170.4 | 159.4 | 11.0 |
| 1939 | 170.5 | 159.5 | 11.0 |
| 1940 | 170.6 | 159.6 | 11.0 |
| 1941 | 170.7 | 159.6 | 11.1 |
| 1942 | 170.8 | 159.7 | 11.1 |
| 1943 | 170.9 | 159.8 | 11.1 |
| 1944 | 171.0 | 159.8 | 11.2 |
| 1945 | 171.1 | 159.9 | 11.2 |
| 1946 | 171.1 | 159.9 | 11.2 |
| 1947 | 171.2 | 160.0 | 11.2 |
| 1948 | 171.3 | 160.1 | 11.2 |
| 1949 | 171.4 | 160.1 | 11.3 |
| 1950 | 171.5 | 160.2 | 11.3 |
| 1951 | 171.6 | 160.2 | 11.4 |
| 1952 | 171.7 | 160.3 | 11.4 |
| 1953 | 171.7 | 160.3 | 11.4 |
| 1954 | 171.8 | 160.4 | 11.4 |
| 1955 | 171.8 | 160.4 | 11.4 |
| 1956 | 171.9 | 160.5 | 11.4 |
| 1957 | 172.0 | 160.5 | 11.5 |
| 1958 | 172.0 | 160.5 | 11.5 |
| 1959 | 172.1 | 160.5 | 11.6 |
| 1960 | 172.1 | 160.6 | 11.5 |
| 1961 | 172.1 | 160.6 | 11.5 |
| 1962 | 172.2 | 160.6 | 11.6 |
| 1963 | 172.2 | 160.6 | 11.6 |
| 1964 | 172.2 | 160.6 | 11.6 |
| 1965 | 172.2 | 160.5 | 11.7 |
| 1966 | 172.2 | 160.5 | 11.7 |
| 1967 | 172.2 | 160.5 | 11.7 |
| 1968 | 172.2 | 160.4 | 11.8 |
| 1969 | 172.2 | 160.4 | 11.8 |
| 1970 | 172.2 | 160.3 | 11.9 |
| 1971 | 172.1 | 160.3 | 11.8 |
| 1972 | 172.1 | 160.2 | 11.9 |
| 1973 | 172.1 | 160.1 | 12.0 |
| 1974 | 172.1 | 160.1 | 12.0 |
| 1975 | 172.1 | 160.0 | 12.1 |
| 1976 | 172.0 | 159.9 | 12.1 |
| 1977 | 172.0 | 159.8 | 12.2 |
| 1978 | 172.0 | 159.7 | 12.3 |
| 1979 | 171.9 | 159.6 | 12.3 |
| 1980 | 171.9 | 159.5 | 12.4 |
| 1981 | 171.8 | 159.5 | 12.3 |
| 1982 | 171.7 | 159.4 | 12.3 |
| 1983 | 171.6 | 159.3 | 12.3 |
| 1984 | 171.5 | 159.2 | 12.3 |
| 1985 | 171.4 | 159.1 | 12.3 |
| 1986 | 171.3 | 159.0 | 12.3 |
| 1987 | 171.1 | 158.9 | 12.2 |
| 1988 | 171.0 | 158.9 | 12.1 |
| 1989 | 170.8 | 158.8 | 12.0 |
| 1990 | 170.7 | 158.7 | 12.0 |
| 1991 | 170.5 | 158.6 | 11.9 |
| 1992 | 170.3 | 158.5 | 11.8 |
| 1993 | 170.2 | 158.4 | 11.8 |
| 1994 | 170.0 | 158.3 | 11.7 |
| 1995 | 169.8 | 158.3 | 11.5 |
| 1996 | 169.6 | 158.2 | 11.4 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Kenya with known heights
Victor Wanyama
188 cm · 6'2"
b. 1991
David Rudisha
190 cm · 6'3"
b. 1988
Eliud Kipchoge
167 cm · 5'6"
b. 1984
Kelvin Kiptum
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1999
Samuel Wanjiru
163 cm · 5'4"
b. 1986
Vivian Cheruiyot
154 cm · 5'1"
b. 1983
Barack Obama
187 cm · 6'2"
b. 1961
Edna Kiplagat
170 cm · 5'7"
b. 1979
Ezekiel Kemboi
167 cm · 5'6"
b. 1982
Kip Keino
173 cm · 5'8"
b. 1940
Asbel Kiprop
188 cm · 6'2"
b. 1989
Catherine Ndereba
160 cm · 5'3"
b. 1972
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.