Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 5′5″ counts as short, and a woman as slightly above average.
Short
Men · 8% are shorter
Slightly above average
Women · 70% are shorter
165.1 cm (5′5″)
65 in
8% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.1 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
70% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 3.3 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″) | −10.3 cm | 8% | 33% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | +3.5 cm | 70% | 86% |
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 | 1% | 35% |
| Brazil | 17% | 80% |
| Nigeria | 22% | 87% |
| China | 29% | 84% |
| Pakistan | 41% | 95% |
| India | 55% | 97% |
| Indonesia | 60% | 98% |
| Timor-Leste | 81% | 98% |
5′2″ 5′3″ 5′4″ 5′6″ 5′7″ 5′8″ 165 cm