Short answer: in the United States, a man who is 5′6″ counts as short, and a woman as tall.
Short
Men · 14% are shorter
Tall
Women · 81% are shorter
167.6 cm (5′6″)
66 in
14% of adult men in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 1.2 men is this tall or taller. The average man is 175.4 cm (5′9″).
81% of adult women in the United States are shorter than this; 1 in 5.4 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″) | −7.8 cm | 14% | 44% |
| Women | 161.6 cm (5′4″) | +6 cm | 81% | 92% |
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 | 3% | 49% |
| Brazil | 26% | 89% |
| Nigeria | 34% | 94% |
| China | 40% | 91% |
| Pakistan | 55% | 98% |
| India | 68% | 99% |
| Indonesia | 72% | 99.1% |
| Timor-Leste | 89% | 99.3% |
5′3″ 5′4″ 5′5″ 5′7″ 5′8″ 5′9″ 168 cm