Short answer: in the United Kingdom, a man who is 160 cm counts as very short, and a woman as slightly below average.
Very short
Men · 1% are shorter
Slightly below average
Women · 40% are shorter
160 cm (5′3″)
63 in
1% of adult men in the United Kingdom are shorter than this; 1 in 1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 176.1 cm (5′9″).
40% of adult women in the United Kingdom are shorter than this; 1 in 1.7 women is this tall or taller. The average woman is 161.8 cm (5′4″).
| Group | Average | Difference | Shorter in country | Shorter worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 176.1 cm (5′9″) | −16.1 cm | 1% | 15% |
| Women | 161.8 cm (5′4″) | −1.8 cm | 40% | 66% |
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 | 0.2% | 13% |
| United States | 2% | 40% |
| Brazil | 5% | 56% |
| China | 12% | 62% |
| Pakistan | 17% | 82% |
| India | 29% | 86% |
| Indonesia | 33% | 90% |
| Timor-Leste | 58% | 91% |
155 cm 156 cm 157 cm 158 cm 159 cm 161 cm 162 cm 163 cm 164 cm 165 cm 5′3″
Average height in the United Kingdom →