Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 173 cm counts as slightly below average, and a woman as tall.
Slightly below average
Men · 37% are shorter
Tall
Women · 96% are shorter
173 cm (5′8″)
68.1 in
37% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.6 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
96% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 22.7 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″) | −2.4 cm | 37% | 68% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | +11.4 cm | 96% | 98% |
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 | 13% | 77% |
| Brazil | 54% | 98% |
| Nigeria | 64% | 99.1% |
| China | 67% | 98% |
| Pakistan | 81% | 99.8% |
| India | 89% | 99.9% |
| Indonesia | 91% | 99.9% |
| Timor-Leste | 98% | 99.9% |
168 cm 169 cm 170 cm 171 cm 172 cm 174 cm 175 cm 176 cm 177 cm 178 cm 5′8″
Average height in the United States →