Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 4′11″ counts as very short, and a woman as short.
Very short
Men · 0.1% are shorter
Short
Women · 4% are shorter
149.9 cm (4′11″)
59 in
0.1% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
4% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1 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″) | −25.5 cm | 0.1% | 1% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | −11.7 cm | 4% | 19% |
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 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Brazil | 0.1% | 10% |
| Nigeria | 0.2% | 12% |
| China | 0.7% | 14% |
| Pakistan | 0.8% | 27% |
| India | 3% | 36% |
| Indonesia | 3% | 43% |
| Timor-Leste | 12% | 45% |
4′8″ 4′9″ 4′10″ 5′0″ 5′1″ 5′2″ 150 cm