Average Height
Average Height in Malaysia
Men: 167.9 cm·Women: 156.3 cm
Men · 1996
167.9 cm
Women · 1996
156.3 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
157.6 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
147.5 cm
Men world rank:#129Women world rank:#143
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Malaysia rose from 157.6 cm to 167.9 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 | 157.6 | 147.5 | 10.1 |
| 1897 | 157.7 | 147.6 | 10.1 |
| 1898 | 157.8 | 147.7 | 10.1 |
| 1899 | 158.0 | 147.8 | 10.2 |
| 1900 | 158.1 | 147.9 | 10.2 |
| 1901 | 158.3 | 148.0 | 10.3 |
| 1902 | 158.4 | 148.1 | 10.3 |
| 1903 | 158.5 | 148.2 | 10.3 |
| 1904 | 158.7 | 148.2 | 10.5 |
| 1905 | 158.8 | 148.3 | 10.5 |
| 1906 | 159.0 | 148.4 | 10.6 |
| 1907 | 159.1 | 148.5 | 10.6 |
| 1908 | 159.2 | 148.6 | 10.6 |
| 1909 | 159.4 | 148.6 | 10.8 |
| 1910 | 159.5 | 148.7 | 10.8 |
| 1911 | 159.6 | 148.8 | 10.8 |
| 1912 | 159.8 | 148.9 | 10.9 |
| 1913 | 159.9 | 149.0 | 10.9 |
| 1914 | 160.1 | 149.0 | 11.1 |
| 1915 | 160.2 | 149.1 | 11.1 |
| 1916 | 160.3 | 149.2 | 11.1 |
| 1917 | 160.5 | 149.3 | 11.2 |
| 1918 | 160.6 | 149.4 | 11.2 |
| 1919 | 160.7 | 149.5 | 11.2 |
| 1920 | 160.9 | 149.6 | 11.3 |
| 1921 | 161.0 | 149.7 | 11.3 |
| 1922 | 161.1 | 149.8 | 11.3 |
| 1923 | 161.2 | 149.9 | 11.3 |
| 1924 | 161.4 | 150.0 | 11.4 |
| 1925 | 161.5 | 150.1 | 11.4 |
| 1926 | 161.6 | 150.2 | 11.4 |
| 1927 | 161.7 | 150.4 | 11.3 |
| 1928 | 161.8 | 150.5 | 11.3 |
| 1929 | 161.9 | 150.6 | 11.3 |
| 1930 | 162.1 | 150.8 | 11.3 |
| 1931 | 162.2 | 150.9 | 11.3 |
| 1932 | 162.3 | 151.1 | 11.2 |
| 1933 | 162.4 | 151.2 | 11.2 |
| 1934 | 162.6 | 151.4 | 11.2 |
| 1935 | 162.7 | 151.6 | 11.1 |
| 1936 | 162.8 | 151.7 | 11.1 |
| 1937 | 163.0 | 151.9 | 11.1 |
| 1938 | 163.1 | 152.1 | 11.0 |
| 1939 | 163.2 | 152.2 | 11.0 |
| 1940 | 163.4 | 152.4 | 11.0 |
| 1941 | 163.5 | 152.6 | 10.9 |
| 1942 | 163.6 | 152.7 | 10.9 |
| 1943 | 163.8 | 152.9 | 10.9 |
| 1944 | 163.9 | 153.0 | 10.9 |
| 1945 | 164.0 | 153.2 | 10.8 |
| 1946 | 164.2 | 153.3 | 10.9 |
| 1947 | 164.3 | 153.5 | 10.8 |
| 1948 | 164.5 | 153.6 | 10.9 |
| 1949 | 164.6 | 153.8 | 10.8 |
| 1950 | 164.8 | 153.9 | 10.9 |
| 1951 | 164.9 | 154.0 | 10.9 |
| 1952 | 165.1 | 154.2 | 10.9 |
| 1953 | 165.2 | 154.3 | 10.9 |
| 1954 | 165.3 | 154.4 | 10.9 |
| 1955 | 165.4 | 154.5 | 10.9 |
| 1956 | 165.6 | 154.6 | 11.0 |
| 1957 | 165.7 | 154.6 | 11.1 |
| 1958 | 165.8 | 154.7 | 11.1 |
| 1959 | 165.9 | 154.8 | 11.1 |
| 1960 | 166.0 | 154.8 | 11.2 |
| 1961 | 166.1 | 154.9 | 11.2 |
| 1962 | 166.2 | 154.9 | 11.3 |
| 1963 | 166.2 | 155.0 | 11.2 |
| 1964 | 166.3 | 155.0 | 11.3 |
| 1965 | 166.4 | 155.1 | 11.3 |
| 1966 | 166.4 | 155.1 | 11.3 |
| 1967 | 166.5 | 155.1 | 11.4 |
| 1968 | 166.5 | 155.2 | 11.3 |
| 1969 | 166.6 | 155.2 | 11.4 |
| 1970 | 166.6 | 155.2 | 11.4 |
| 1971 | 166.7 | 155.3 | 11.4 |
| 1972 | 166.7 | 155.3 | 11.4 |
| 1973 | 166.8 | 155.3 | 11.5 |
| 1974 | 166.9 | 155.4 | 11.5 |
| 1975 | 166.9 | 155.4 | 11.5 |
| 1976 | 167.0 | 155.4 | 11.6 |
| 1977 | 167.1 | 155.5 | 11.6 |
| 1978 | 167.1 | 155.5 | 11.6 |
| 1979 | 167.2 | 155.5 | 11.7 |
| 1980 | 167.3 | 155.5 | 11.8 |
| 1981 | 167.3 | 155.6 | 11.7 |
| 1982 | 167.4 | 155.6 | 11.8 |
| 1983 | 167.4 | 155.7 | 11.7 |
| 1984 | 167.5 | 155.7 | 11.8 |
| 1985 | 167.5 | 155.8 | 11.7 |
| 1986 | 167.6 | 155.8 | 11.8 |
| 1987 | 167.6 | 155.8 | 11.8 |
| 1988 | 167.6 | 155.9 | 11.7 |
| 1989 | 167.7 | 155.9 | 11.8 |
| 1990 | 167.7 | 156.0 | 11.7 |
| 1991 | 167.7 | 156.0 | 11.7 |
| 1992 | 167.8 | 156.1 | 11.7 |
| 1993 | 167.8 | 156.1 | 11.7 |
| 1994 | 167.8 | 156.2 | 11.6 |
| 1995 | 167.9 | 156.2 | 11.7 |
| 1996 | 167.9 | 156.3 | 11.6 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Malaysia with known heights
Mahathir Mohamad
170 cm · 5'7"
b. 1925
Lee Chong Wei
172 cm · 5'8"
b. 1982
Pandelela Rinong
161 cm · 5'3"
b. 1993
Azizulhasni Awang
166 cm · 5'5"
b. 1988
Wan Zack Haikal
170 cm · 5'7"
b. 1991
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.