Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 5′0″ counts as very short, and a woman as short.
Very short
Men · 0.1% are shorter
Short
Women · 8% are shorter
152.4 cm (5′0″)
60 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″).
8% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.1 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″) | −23 cm | 0.1% | 2% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | −9.2 cm | 8% | 29% |
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% | 1% |
| Brazil | 0.4% | 18% |
| Nigeria | 0.5% | 21% |
| China | 2% | 23% |
| Pakistan | 2% | 40% |
| India | 6% | 50% |
| Indonesia | 7% | 57% |
| Timor-Leste | 20% | 59% |
4′9″ 4′10″ 4′11″ 5′1″ 5′2″ 5′3″ 152 cm