Average Height
Average Height in New Zealand
Men: 177.7 cm·Women: 164.9 cm
Men · 1996
177.7 cm
Women · 1996
164.9 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
167.5 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
156.0 cm
Men world rank:#30Women world rank:#25
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in New Zealand rose from 167.5 cm to 177.7 cm — a gain of 10.2 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 167.5 | 156.0 | 11.5 |
| 1897 | 167.6 | 156.0 | 11.6 |
| 1898 | 167.7 | 156.1 | 11.6 |
| 1899 | 167.8 | 156.2 | 11.6 |
| 1900 | 168.0 | 156.3 | 11.7 |
| 1901 | 168.1 | 156.4 | 11.7 |
| 1902 | 168.2 | 156.5 | 11.7 |
| 1903 | 168.3 | 156.6 | 11.7 |
| 1904 | 168.4 | 156.7 | 11.7 |
| 1905 | 168.5 | 156.7 | 11.8 |
| 1906 | 168.7 | 156.8 | 11.9 |
| 1907 | 168.8 | 156.9 | 11.9 |
| 1908 | 168.9 | 157.0 | 11.9 |
| 1909 | 169.0 | 157.1 | 11.9 |
| 1910 | 169.2 | 157.2 | 12.0 |
| 1911 | 169.3 | 157.3 | 12.0 |
| 1912 | 169.4 | 157.4 | 12.0 |
| 1913 | 169.6 | 157.5 | 12.1 |
| 1914 | 169.7 | 157.6 | 12.1 |
| 1915 | 169.9 | 157.7 | 12.2 |
| 1916 | 170.1 | 157.9 | 12.2 |
| 1917 | 170.2 | 158.0 | 12.2 |
| 1918 | 170.4 | 158.2 | 12.2 |
| 1919 | 170.6 | 158.3 | 12.3 |
| 1920 | 170.8 | 158.4 | 12.4 |
| 1921 | 170.9 | 158.6 | 12.3 |
| 1922 | 171.1 | 158.7 | 12.4 |
| 1923 | 171.3 | 158.9 | 12.4 |
| 1924 | 171.5 | 159.1 | 12.4 |
| 1925 | 171.6 | 159.2 | 12.4 |
| 1926 | 171.8 | 159.4 | 12.4 |
| 1927 | 172.0 | 159.6 | 12.4 |
| 1928 | 172.2 | 159.7 | 12.5 |
| 1929 | 172.4 | 159.9 | 12.5 |
| 1930 | 172.6 | 160.1 | 12.5 |
| 1931 | 172.8 | 160.3 | 12.5 |
| 1932 | 172.9 | 160.5 | 12.4 |
| 1933 | 173.1 | 160.6 | 12.5 |
| 1934 | 173.3 | 160.8 | 12.5 |
| 1935 | 173.4 | 161.0 | 12.4 |
| 1936 | 173.6 | 161.2 | 12.4 |
| 1937 | 173.8 | 161.4 | 12.4 |
| 1938 | 173.9 | 161.5 | 12.4 |
| 1939 | 174.1 | 161.7 | 12.4 |
| 1940 | 174.2 | 161.8 | 12.4 |
| 1941 | 174.4 | 162.0 | 12.4 |
| 1942 | 174.5 | 162.1 | 12.4 |
| 1943 | 174.7 | 162.2 | 12.5 |
| 1944 | 174.8 | 162.3 | 12.5 |
| 1945 | 174.9 | 162.4 | 12.5 |
| 1946 | 175.1 | 162.5 | 12.6 |
| 1947 | 175.2 | 162.6 | 12.6 |
| 1948 | 175.3 | 162.7 | 12.6 |
| 1949 | 175.4 | 162.8 | 12.6 |
| 1950 | 175.6 | 162.9 | 12.7 |
| 1951 | 175.7 | 163.0 | 12.7 |
| 1952 | 175.8 | 163.1 | 12.7 |
| 1953 | 175.9 | 163.2 | 12.7 |
| 1954 | 176.0 | 163.3 | 12.7 |
| 1955 | 176.1 | 163.4 | 12.7 |
| 1956 | 176.2 | 163.5 | 12.7 |
| 1957 | 176.3 | 163.6 | 12.7 |
| 1958 | 176.4 | 163.7 | 12.7 |
| 1959 | 176.5 | 163.8 | 12.7 |
| 1960 | 176.6 | 164.0 | 12.6 |
| 1961 | 176.7 | 164.1 | 12.6 |
| 1962 | 176.8 | 164.2 | 12.6 |
| 1963 | 176.8 | 164.3 | 12.5 |
| 1964 | 176.9 | 164.3 | 12.6 |
| 1965 | 177.0 | 164.4 | 12.6 |
| 1966 | 177.1 | 164.5 | 12.6 |
| 1967 | 177.2 | 164.5 | 12.7 |
| 1968 | 177.2 | 164.6 | 12.6 |
| 1969 | 177.3 | 164.6 | 12.7 |
| 1970 | 177.4 | 164.7 | 12.7 |
| 1971 | 177.5 | 164.7 | 12.8 |
| 1972 | 177.5 | 164.7 | 12.8 |
| 1973 | 177.6 | 164.7 | 12.9 |
| 1974 | 177.7 | 164.8 | 12.9 |
| 1975 | 177.7 | 164.8 | 12.9 |
| 1976 | 177.8 | 164.8 | 13.0 |
| 1977 | 177.8 | 164.8 | 13.0 |
| 1978 | 177.8 | 164.8 | 13.0 |
| 1979 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1981 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1982 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1983 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1984 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1985 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1986 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1987 | 177.9 | 164.8 | 13.1 |
| 1988 | 177.9 | 164.9 | 13.0 |
| 1989 | 177.9 | 164.9 | 13.0 |
| 1990 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1991 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1992 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1993 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1994 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1995 | 177.8 | 164.9 | 12.9 |
| 1996 | 177.7 | 164.9 | 12.8 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from New Zealand with known heights
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.