Average Height
Average Height in World
Men: 171.3 cm·Women: 159.5 cm
Men · 1996
171.3 cm
Women · 1996
159.5 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
162.5 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
151.1 cm
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in World rose from 162.5 cm to 171.3 cm — a gain of 8.8 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 162.5 | 151.1 | 11.4 |
| 1897 | 162.6 | 151.3 | 11.3 |
| 1898 | 162.7 | 151.4 | 11.3 |
| 1899 | 162.8 | 151.6 | 11.2 |
| 1900 | 163.0 | 151.7 | 11.3 |
| 1901 | 163.1 | 151.9 | 11.2 |
| 1902 | 163.2 | 152.0 | 11.2 |
| 1903 | 163.3 | 152.2 | 11.1 |
| 1904 | 163.4 | 152.3 | 11.1 |
| 1905 | 163.5 | 152.4 | 11.1 |
| 1906 | 163.7 | 152.6 | 11.1 |
| 1907 | 163.8 | 152.7 | 11.1 |
| 1908 | 163.9 | 152.8 | 11.1 |
| 1909 | 164.0 | 153.0 | 11.0 |
| 1910 | 164.2 | 153.1 | 11.1 |
| 1911 | 164.3 | 153.3 | 11.0 |
| 1912 | 164.4 | 153.4 | 11.0 |
| 1913 | 164.5 | 153.5 | 11.0 |
| 1914 | 164.7 | 153.7 | 11.0 |
| 1915 | 164.8 | 153.8 | 11.0 |
| 1916 | 164.9 | 154.0 | 10.9 |
| 1917 | 165.1 | 154.1 | 11.0 |
| 1918 | 165.2 | 154.3 | 10.9 |
| 1919 | 165.4 | 154.4 | 11.0 |
| 1920 | 165.5 | 154.6 | 10.9 |
| 1921 | 165.6 | 154.7 | 10.9 |
| 1922 | 165.8 | 154.9 | 10.9 |
| 1923 | 165.9 | 155.0 | 10.9 |
| 1924 | 166.0 | 155.1 | 10.9 |
| 1925 | 166.2 | 155.3 | 10.9 |
| 1926 | 166.3 | 155.4 | 10.9 |
| 1927 | 166.4 | 155.6 | 10.8 |
| 1928 | 166.6 | 155.7 | 10.9 |
| 1929 | 166.7 | 155.9 | 10.8 |
| 1930 | 166.8 | 156.0 | 10.8 |
| 1931 | 167.0 | 156.1 | 10.9 |
| 1932 | 167.1 | 156.3 | 10.8 |
| 1933 | 167.2 | 156.4 | 10.8 |
| 1934 | 167.4 | 156.6 | 10.8 |
| 1935 | 167.5 | 156.7 | 10.8 |
| 1936 | 167.7 | 156.8 | 10.9 |
| 1937 | 167.8 | 157.0 | 10.8 |
| 1938 | 167.9 | 157.1 | 10.8 |
| 1939 | 168.1 | 157.2 | 10.9 |
| 1940 | 168.2 | 157.4 | 10.8 |
| 1941 | 168.3 | 157.5 | 10.8 |
| 1942 | 168.5 | 157.6 | 10.9 |
| 1943 | 168.6 | 157.7 | 10.9 |
| 1944 | 168.7 | 157.8 | 10.9 |
| 1945 | 168.9 | 158.0 | 10.9 |
| 1946 | 169.0 | 158.1 | 10.9 |
| 1947 | 169.1 | 158.2 | 10.9 |
| 1948 | 169.3 | 158.3 | 11.0 |
| 1949 | 169.4 | 158.4 | 11.0 |
| 1950 | 169.5 | 158.5 | 11.0 |
| 1951 | 169.7 | 158.6 | 11.1 |
| 1952 | 169.8 | 158.7 | 11.1 |
| 1953 | 169.9 | 158.8 | 11.1 |
| 1954 | 170.0 | 158.9 | 11.1 |
| 1955 | 170.2 | 159.0 | 11.2 |
| 1956 | 170.3 | 159.1 | 11.2 |
| 1957 | 170.4 | 159.2 | 11.2 |
| 1958 | 170.5 | 159.2 | 11.3 |
| 1959 | 170.6 | 159.3 | 11.3 |
| 1960 | 170.7 | 159.4 | 11.3 |
| 1961 | 170.8 | 159.5 | 11.3 |
| 1962 | 170.9 | 159.5 | 11.4 |
| 1963 | 171.0 | 159.6 | 11.4 |
| 1964 | 171.1 | 159.6 | 11.5 |
| 1965 | 171.2 | 159.7 | 11.5 |
| 1966 | 171.2 | 159.7 | 11.5 |
| 1967 | 171.3 | 159.7 | 11.6 |
| 1968 | 171.3 | 159.8 | 11.5 |
| 1969 | 171.4 | 159.8 | 11.6 |
| 1970 | 171.5 | 159.8 | 11.7 |
| 1971 | 171.5 | 159.8 | 11.7 |
| 1972 | 171.6 | 159.8 | 11.8 |
| 1973 | 171.6 | 159.8 | 11.8 |
| 1974 | 171.7 | 159.8 | 11.9 |
| 1975 | 171.7 | 159.8 | 11.9 |
| 1976 | 171.7 | 159.8 | 11.9 |
| 1977 | 171.8 | 159.8 | 12.0 |
| 1978 | 171.8 | 159.8 | 12.0 |
| 1979 | 171.8 | 159.8 | 12.0 |
| 1980 | 171.8 | 159.8 | 12.0 |
| 1981 | 171.8 | 159.7 | 12.1 |
| 1982 | 171.8 | 159.7 | 12.1 |
| 1983 | 171.8 | 159.7 | 12.1 |
| 1984 | 171.8 | 159.7 | 12.1 |
| 1985 | 171.7 | 159.7 | 12.0 |
| 1986 | 171.7 | 159.7 | 12.0 |
| 1987 | 171.7 | 159.7 | 12.0 |
| 1988 | 171.6 | 159.6 | 12.0 |
| 1989 | 171.6 | 159.6 | 12.0 |
| 1990 | 171.5 | 159.6 | 11.9 |
| 1991 | 171.5 | 159.6 | 11.9 |
| 1992 | 171.5 | 159.6 | 11.9 |
| 1993 | 171.4 | 159.6 | 11.8 |
| 1994 | 171.4 | 159.5 | 11.9 |
| 1995 | 171.3 | 159.5 | 11.8 |
| 1996 | 171.3 | 159.5 | 11.8 |
Explore by sex and age
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.