Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 166 cm counts as short, and a woman as slightly above average.
Short
Men · 10% are shorter
Slightly above average
Women · 74% are shorter
166 cm (5′5″)
65.4 in
10% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
74% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 3.9 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″) | −9.4 cm | 10% | 37% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | +4.4 cm | 74% | 88% |
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 | 2% | 39% |
| Brazil | 20% | 84% |
| Nigeria | 26% | 90% |
| China | 33% | 87% |
| Pakistan | 46% | 96% |
| India | 60% | 98% |
| Indonesia | 65% | 98% |
| Timor-Leste | 85% | 99% |
161 cm 162 cm 163 cm 164 cm 165 cm 167 cm 168 cm 169 cm 170 cm 171 cm 5′5″
Average height in the United States →