Short answer: in Laos, a man counts as tall from 166.7 cm (5′6″) (tallest 20%) and very tall from 174.2 cm (5′9″) (tallest 3%). For women the thresholds are 156.9 cm (5′2″) and 163.9 cm (5′5″). Averages: men 160.6 cm (5′3″), women 151.2 cm (5′0″).
≥ 166.7 cm
Tall for a man (tallest 20%)
≥ 156.9 cm
Tall for a woman (tallest 20%)
| Men | Women | Percentile band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very short | < 146.9 cm (4′10″) | < 138.5 cm (4′7″) | P0–P3 |
| Short | 146.9–154.5 cm (5′1″) | 138.5–145.5 cm (4′9″) | P3–P20 |
| Slightly below average | 154.5–158.7 cm (5′2″) | 145.5–149.5 cm (4′11″) | P20–P40 |
| Average height | 158.7–162.4 cm (5′4″) | 149.5–152.9 cm (5′0″) | P40–P60 |
| Slightly above average | 162.4–166.7 cm (5′6″) | 152.9–156.9 cm (5′2″) | P60–P80 |
| Tall | 166.7–174.2 cm (5′9″) | 156.9–163.9 cm (5′5″) | P80–P97 |
| Very tall | ≥ 174.2 cm (5′9″) | ≥ 163.9 cm (5′5″) | P97–P100 |
Bands are percentiles among adults of the same sex: shortest 3% "very short", tallest 20% "tall", tallest 3% "very tall" — the same scale as every "Is it tall?" page on this site. Not a medical definition.
In Laos, men under 154.5 cm (5′1″) are short (shortest 20%) and under 146.9 cm (4′10″) very short (shortest 3%). For women the limits are 145.5 cm (4′9″) and 138.5 cm (4′7″). Short or tall is just a statistical position.
| Percentile | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 143.7 cm (4′9″) | 135.5 cm (4′5″) |
| P5 | 148.6 cm (4′11″) | 140.1 cm (4′7″) |
| P10 | 151.3 cm (5′0″) | 142.6 cm (4′8″) |
| P25 | 155.7 cm (5′1″) | 146.6 cm (4′10″) |
| P50 | 160.6 cm (5′3″) | 151.2 cm (5′0″) |
| P75 | 165.5 cm (5′5″) | 155.7 cm (5′1″) |
| P90 | 169.9 cm (5′7″) | 159.8 cm (5′3″) |
| P95 | 172.5 cm (5′8″) | 162.3 cm (5′4″) |
| P99 | 177.4 cm (5′10″) | 166.9 cm (5′6″) |
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.