Average Height
Average Height in The United Kingdom
Men: 177.5 cm·Women: 164.4 cm
Men · 1996
177.5 cm
Women · 1996
164.4 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
166.9 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
153.4 cm
Men world rank:#31Women world rank:#37
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in United Kingdom rose from 166.9 cm to 177.5 cm — a gain of 10.6 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 166.9 | 153.4 | 13.5 |
| 1897 | 167.0 | 153.5 | 13.5 |
| 1898 | 167.1 | 153.7 | 13.4 |
| 1899 | 167.2 | 153.9 | 13.3 |
| 1900 | 167.4 | 154.0 | 13.4 |
| 1901 | 167.5 | 154.2 | 13.3 |
| 1902 | 167.6 | 154.3 | 13.3 |
| 1903 | 167.7 | 154.5 | 13.2 |
| 1904 | 167.9 | 154.6 | 13.3 |
| 1905 | 168.0 | 154.8 | 13.2 |
| 1906 | 168.1 | 154.9 | 13.2 |
| 1907 | 168.3 | 155.1 | 13.2 |
| 1908 | 168.4 | 155.3 | 13.1 |
| 1909 | 168.5 | 155.4 | 13.1 |
| 1910 | 168.7 | 155.6 | 13.1 |
| 1911 | 168.8 | 155.8 | 13.0 |
| 1912 | 168.9 | 155.9 | 13.0 |
| 1913 | 169.1 | 156.1 | 13.0 |
| 1914 | 169.3 | 156.3 | 13.0 |
| 1915 | 169.5 | 156.5 | 13.0 |
| 1916 | 169.6 | 156.7 | 12.9 |
| 1917 | 169.8 | 156.9 | 12.9 |
| 1918 | 170.0 | 157.1 | 12.9 |
| 1919 | 170.2 | 157.4 | 12.8 |
| 1920 | 170.4 | 157.6 | 12.8 |
| 1921 | 170.6 | 157.8 | 12.8 |
| 1922 | 170.8 | 158.0 | 12.8 |
| 1923 | 171.0 | 158.2 | 12.8 |
| 1924 | 171.2 | 158.4 | 12.8 |
| 1925 | 171.4 | 158.6 | 12.8 |
| 1926 | 171.6 | 158.8 | 12.8 |
| 1927 | 171.8 | 159.0 | 12.8 |
| 1928 | 172.0 | 159.3 | 12.7 |
| 1929 | 172.2 | 159.5 | 12.7 |
| 1930 | 172.4 | 159.7 | 12.7 |
| 1931 | 172.6 | 159.9 | 12.7 |
| 1932 | 172.8 | 160.1 | 12.7 |
| 1933 | 173.0 | 160.3 | 12.7 |
| 1934 | 173.2 | 160.5 | 12.7 |
| 1935 | 173.3 | 160.7 | 12.6 |
| 1936 | 173.5 | 160.8 | 12.7 |
| 1937 | 173.7 | 161.0 | 12.7 |
| 1938 | 173.8 | 161.2 | 12.6 |
| 1939 | 174.0 | 161.3 | 12.7 |
| 1940 | 174.1 | 161.5 | 12.6 |
| 1941 | 174.2 | 161.6 | 12.6 |
| 1942 | 174.4 | 161.7 | 12.7 |
| 1943 | 174.5 | 161.8 | 12.7 |
| 1944 | 174.6 | 161.9 | 12.7 |
| 1945 | 174.7 | 162.0 | 12.7 |
| 1946 | 174.9 | 162.1 | 12.8 |
| 1947 | 175.0 | 162.2 | 12.8 |
| 1948 | 175.1 | 162.2 | 12.9 |
| 1949 | 175.2 | 162.3 | 12.9 |
| 1950 | 175.3 | 162.4 | 12.9 |
| 1951 | 175.4 | 162.4 | 13.0 |
| 1952 | 175.5 | 162.5 | 13.0 |
| 1953 | 175.6 | 162.6 | 13.0 |
| 1954 | 175.7 | 162.7 | 13.0 |
| 1955 | 175.8 | 162.7 | 13.1 |
| 1956 | 175.9 | 162.8 | 13.1 |
| 1957 | 176.0 | 162.9 | 13.1 |
| 1958 | 176.1 | 163.0 | 13.1 |
| 1959 | 176.1 | 163.0 | 13.1 |
| 1960 | 176.2 | 163.1 | 13.1 |
| 1961 | 176.3 | 163.2 | 13.1 |
| 1962 | 176.4 | 163.3 | 13.1 |
| 1963 | 176.5 | 163.4 | 13.1 |
| 1964 | 176.6 | 163.4 | 13.2 |
| 1965 | 176.7 | 163.5 | 13.2 |
| 1966 | 176.7 | 163.5 | 13.2 |
| 1967 | 176.8 | 163.6 | 13.2 |
| 1968 | 176.9 | 163.6 | 13.3 |
| 1969 | 177.0 | 163.6 | 13.4 |
| 1970 | 177.0 | 163.6 | 13.4 |
| 1971 | 177.1 | 163.7 | 13.4 |
| 1972 | 177.2 | 163.7 | 13.5 |
| 1973 | 177.3 | 163.7 | 13.6 |
| 1974 | 177.3 | 163.7 | 13.6 |
| 1975 | 177.4 | 163.7 | 13.7 |
| 1976 | 177.5 | 163.8 | 13.7 |
| 1977 | 177.5 | 163.8 | 13.7 |
| 1978 | 177.5 | 163.8 | 13.7 |
| 1979 | 177.6 | 163.8 | 13.8 |
| 1980 | 177.6 | 163.8 | 13.8 |
| 1981 | 177.6 | 163.8 | 13.8 |
| 1982 | 177.6 | 163.9 | 13.7 |
| 1983 | 177.7 | 163.9 | 13.8 |
| 1984 | 177.7 | 163.9 | 13.8 |
| 1985 | 177.7 | 164.0 | 13.7 |
| 1986 | 177.7 | 164.0 | 13.7 |
| 1987 | 177.6 | 164.0 | 13.6 |
| 1988 | 177.6 | 164.1 | 13.5 |
| 1989 | 177.6 | 164.1 | 13.5 |
| 1990 | 177.6 | 164.2 | 13.4 |
| 1991 | 177.6 | 164.2 | 13.4 |
| 1992 | 177.6 | 164.2 | 13.4 |
| 1993 | 177.5 | 164.3 | 13.2 |
| 1994 | 177.5 | 164.3 | 13.2 |
| 1995 | 177.5 | 164.4 | 13.1 |
| 1996 | 177.5 | 164.4 | 13.1 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from United Kingdom with known heights
James Joyce
180 cm · 5'11"
b. 1882
Kylie Minogue
152 cm · 5'0"
b. 1968
Natalie Imbruglia
160 cm · 5'3"
b. 1975
Casemiro
188 cm · 6'2"
b. 1992
John Barnes
181 cm · 5'11"
b. 1963
Margaret Thatcher
166 cm · 5'5"
b. 1925
Charlie Chaplin
163 cm · 5'4"
b. 1889
Elizabeth II
163 cm · 5'4"
b. 1926
Amy Winehouse
160 cm · 5'3"
b. 1983
Douglas Adams
196 cm · 6'5"
b. 1952
Sean Connery
189 cm · 6'2"
b. 1930
Stanley Kubrick
169 cm · 5'7"
b. 1928
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.