Short answer: in South Africa, a man who is 168 cm counts as average height, and a woman as tall.
Average height
Men · 46% are shorter
Tall
Women · 93% are shorter
168 cm (5′6″)
66.1 in
46% of adult men in South Africa are shorter than this; 1 in 1.8 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 168.8 cm (5′6″).
93% of adult women in South Africa are shorter than this; 1 in 14.8 women is this tall or taller. The average woman is 158.1 cm (5′2″).
| Group | Average | Difference | Shorter in country | Shorter worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 168.8 cm (5′6″) | −0.8 cm | 46% | 46% |
| Women | 158.1 cm (5′2″) | +9.9 cm | 93% | 92% |
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 | 4% | 51% |
| United States | 15% | 83% |
| Brazil | 28% | 90% |
| China | 42% | 92% |
| Pakistan | 57% | 98% |
| India | 70% | 99% |
| Indonesia | 74% | 99.2% |
| Timor-Leste | 90% | 99.4% |
163 cm 164 cm 165 cm 166 cm 167 cm 169 cm 170 cm 171 cm 172 cm 173 cm 5′6″
Average height in South Africa →