Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 156 cm counts as very short, and a woman as short.
Very short
Men · 0.3% are shorter
Short
Women · 20% are shorter
156 cm (5′1″)
61.4 in
0.3% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
20% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.2 women is this tall or taller. The average woman is 161.6 cm (5′4″).
| Group | Average | Difference | Shorter in country | Shorter worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 175.4 cm (5′9″) | −19.4 cm | 0.3% | 6% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | −5.6 cm | 20% | 46% |
Calculate your rank as a man → Calculate your rank as a woman →
Values are cohort-weighted averages for adults aged 18+, derived from NCD-RisC 2020 and UN population estimates; they do not reflect regional differences within a country. Details: methodology and sources.
What share of adults of the same sex is shorter than this?
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 0.1% | 4% |
| Brazil | 1% | 34% |
| Nigeria | 2% | 40% |
| China | 4% | 40% |
| Pakistan | 6% | 62% |
| India | 14% | 70% |
| Indonesia | 16% | 75% |
| Timor-Leste | 36% | 78% |
151 cm 152 cm 153 cm 154 cm 155 cm 157 cm 158 cm 159 cm 160 cm 161 cm 5′1″
Average height in the United States →