Average Height
Average Height in Sri Lanka
Men: 165.7 cm·Women: 154.6 cm
Men · 1996
165.7 cm
Women · 1996
154.6 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
156.9 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
145.3 cm
Men world rank:#161Women world rank:#163
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Sri Lanka rose from 156.9 cm to 165.7 cm — a gain of 8.8 cm over 100 years.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 156.9 | 145.3 | 11.6 |
| 1897 | 157.1 | 145.4 | 11.7 |
| 1898 | 157.2 | 145.5 | 11.7 |
| 1899 | 157.3 | 145.6 | 11.7 |
| 1900 | 157.4 | 145.7 | 11.7 |
| 1901 | 157.6 | 145.8 | 11.8 |
| 1902 | 157.7 | 145.9 | 11.8 |
| 1903 | 157.8 | 146.0 | 11.8 |
| 1904 | 157.9 | 146.1 | 11.8 |
| 1905 | 158.1 | 146.2 | 11.9 |
| 1906 | 158.2 | 146.3 | 11.9 |
| 1907 | 158.3 | 146.4 | 11.9 |
| 1908 | 158.4 | 146.5 | 11.9 |
| 1909 | 158.6 | 146.6 | 12.0 |
| 1910 | 158.7 | 146.7 | 12.0 |
| 1911 | 158.8 | 146.7 | 12.1 |
| 1912 | 159.0 | 146.8 | 12.2 |
| 1913 | 159.1 | 146.9 | 12.2 |
| 1914 | 159.2 | 147.0 | 12.2 |
| 1915 | 159.3 | 147.1 | 12.2 |
| 1916 | 159.5 | 147.2 | 12.3 |
| 1917 | 159.6 | 147.3 | 12.3 |
| 1918 | 159.7 | 147.4 | 12.3 |
| 1919 | 159.8 | 147.5 | 12.3 |
| 1920 | 159.9 | 147.6 | 12.3 |
| 1921 | 160.1 | 147.8 | 12.3 |
| 1922 | 160.2 | 147.9 | 12.3 |
| 1923 | 160.3 | 148.0 | 12.3 |
| 1924 | 160.4 | 148.1 | 12.3 |
| 1925 | 160.5 | 148.3 | 12.2 |
| 1926 | 160.6 | 148.4 | 12.2 |
| 1927 | 160.7 | 148.6 | 12.1 |
| 1928 | 160.8 | 148.7 | 12.1 |
| 1929 | 160.9 | 148.9 | 12.0 |
| 1930 | 161.0 | 149.0 | 12.0 |
| 1931 | 161.1 | 149.2 | 11.9 |
| 1932 | 161.2 | 149.3 | 11.9 |
| 1933 | 161.3 | 149.5 | 11.8 |
| 1934 | 161.4 | 149.6 | 11.8 |
| 1935 | 161.5 | 149.8 | 11.7 |
| 1936 | 161.6 | 150.0 | 11.6 |
| 1937 | 161.7 | 150.1 | 11.6 |
| 1938 | 161.8 | 150.3 | 11.5 |
| 1939 | 162.0 | 150.4 | 11.6 |
| 1940 | 162.1 | 150.6 | 11.5 |
| 1941 | 162.2 | 150.7 | 11.5 |
| 1942 | 162.3 | 150.9 | 11.4 |
| 1943 | 162.4 | 151.0 | 11.4 |
| 1944 | 162.5 | 151.2 | 11.3 |
| 1945 | 162.6 | 151.3 | 11.3 |
| 1946 | 162.7 | 151.5 | 11.2 |
| 1947 | 162.8 | 151.6 | 11.2 |
| 1948 | 162.9 | 151.7 | 11.2 |
| 1949 | 163.1 | 151.9 | 11.2 |
| 1950 | 163.2 | 152.0 | 11.2 |
| 1951 | 163.3 | 152.1 | 11.2 |
| 1952 | 163.4 | 152.2 | 11.2 |
| 1953 | 163.5 | 152.3 | 11.2 |
| 1954 | 163.6 | 152.4 | 11.2 |
| 1955 | 163.7 | 152.5 | 11.2 |
| 1956 | 163.7 | 152.6 | 11.1 |
| 1957 | 163.8 | 152.7 | 11.1 |
| 1958 | 163.9 | 152.7 | 11.2 |
| 1959 | 163.9 | 152.8 | 11.1 |
| 1960 | 164.0 | 152.8 | 11.2 |
| 1961 | 164.1 | 152.9 | 11.2 |
| 1962 | 164.1 | 152.9 | 11.2 |
| 1963 | 164.2 | 153.0 | 11.2 |
| 1964 | 164.2 | 153.0 | 11.2 |
| 1965 | 164.2 | 153.1 | 11.1 |
| 1966 | 164.3 | 153.1 | 11.2 |
| 1967 | 164.3 | 153.1 | 11.2 |
| 1968 | 164.3 | 153.2 | 11.1 |
| 1969 | 164.3 | 153.2 | 11.1 |
| 1970 | 164.4 | 153.3 | 11.1 |
| 1971 | 164.4 | 153.3 | 11.1 |
| 1972 | 164.4 | 153.3 | 11.1 |
| 1973 | 164.5 | 153.4 | 11.1 |
| 1974 | 164.5 | 153.4 | 11.1 |
| 1975 | 164.6 | 153.4 | 11.2 |
| 1976 | 164.6 | 153.5 | 11.1 |
| 1977 | 164.7 | 153.5 | 11.2 |
| 1978 | 164.8 | 153.5 | 11.3 |
| 1979 | 164.8 | 153.6 | 11.2 |
| 1980 | 164.9 | 153.6 | 11.3 |
| 1981 | 164.9 | 153.7 | 11.2 |
| 1982 | 165.0 | 153.7 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 165.1 | 153.8 | 11.3 |
| 1984 | 165.1 | 153.8 | 11.3 |
| 1985 | 165.2 | 153.9 | 11.3 |
| 1986 | 165.2 | 153.9 | 11.3 |
| 1987 | 165.3 | 154.0 | 11.3 |
| 1988 | 165.3 | 154.1 | 11.2 |
| 1989 | 165.4 | 154.1 | 11.3 |
| 1990 | 165.4 | 154.2 | 11.2 |
| 1991 | 165.5 | 154.2 | 11.3 |
| 1992 | 165.5 | 154.3 | 11.2 |
| 1993 | 165.6 | 154.4 | 11.2 |
| 1994 | 165.6 | 154.4 | 11.2 |
| 1995 | 165.6 | 154.5 | 11.1 |
| 1996 | 165.7 | 154.6 | 11.1 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Sri Lanka with known heights
Jacqueline Fernandez
177 cm · 5'10"
b. 1985
Kumar Sangakkara
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1977
Susanthika Jayasinghe
168 cm · 5'6"
b. 1975
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.