Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 181 cm counts as slightly above average, and a woman as very tall.
Slightly above average
Men · 78% are shorter
Very tall
Women · 99.8% are shorter
181 cm (5′11″)
71.3 in
78% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 4.6 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
99.8% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 543 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″) | +5.6 cm | 78% | 92% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | +19.4 cm | 99.8% | 99.9% |
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 | 49% | 97% |
| Brazil | 88% | 99.9% |
| Nigeria | 93% | 99.9% |
| China | 92% | 99.9% |
| Pakistan | 98% | 99.9% |
| India | 99% | 99.9% |
| Indonesia | 99.2% | 99.9% |
| Timor-Leste | 99.9% | 99.9% |
176 cm 177 cm 178 cm 179 cm 180 cm 182 cm 183 cm 184 cm 185 cm 186 cm 5′11″
Average height in the United States →