Short answer: in South Africa, a man who is 172 cm counts as slightly above average, and a woman as very tall.
Slightly above average
Men · 67% are shorter
Very tall
Women · 98% are shorter
172 cm (5′8″)
67.7 in
67% of adult men in South Africa are shorter than this; 1 in 3.1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 168.8 cm (5′6″).
98% of adult women in South Africa are shorter than this; 1 in 55.5 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″) | +3.2 cm | 67% | 64% |
| Women | 158.1 cm (5′2″) | +13.9 cm | 98% | 97% |
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 | 11% | 72% |
| United States | 32% | 94% |
| Brazil | 48% | 97% |
| China | 62% | 97% |
| Pakistan | 77% | 99.7% |
| India | 86% | 99.8% |
| Indonesia | 88% | 99.9% |
| Timor-Leste | 97% | 99.9% |
167 cm 168 cm 169 cm 170 cm 171 cm 173 cm 174 cm 175 cm 176 cm 177 cm 5′8″
Average height in South Africa →