Short answer: in Panama, a man counts as tall from 174 cm (5′9″) (tallest 20%) and very tall from 181.5 cm (5′11″) (tallest 3%). For women the thresholds are 161.4 cm (5′4″) and 168.6 cm (5′6″). Averages: men 167.9 cm (5′6″), women 155.5 cm (5′1″).
≥ 174 cm
Tall for a man (tallest 20%)
≥ 161.4 cm
Tall for a woman (tallest 20%)
| Men | Women | Percentile band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very short | < 154.4 cm (5′1″) | < 142.5 cm (4′8″) | P0–P3 |
| Short | 154.4–161.9 cm (5′4″) | 142.5–149.7 cm (4′11″) | P3–P20 |
| Slightly below average | 161.9–166.1 cm (5′5″) | 149.7–153.8 cm (5′1″) | P20–P40 |
| Average height | 166.1–169.8 cm (5′7″) | 153.8–157.3 cm (5′2″) | P40–P60 |
| Slightly above average | 169.8–174 cm (5′9″) | 157.3–161.4 cm (5′4″) | P60–P80 |
| Tall | 174–181.5 cm (5′11″) | 161.4–168.6 cm (5′6″) | P80–P97 |
| Very tall | ≥ 181.5 cm (5′11″) | ≥ 168.6 cm (5′6″) | 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 Panama, men under 161.9 cm (5′4″) are short (shortest 20%) and under 154.4 cm (5′1″) very short (shortest 3%). For women the limits are 149.7 cm (4′11″) and 142.5 cm (4′8″). Short or tall is just a statistical position.
| Percentile | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 151.1 cm (5′0″) | 139.4 cm (4′7″) |
| P5 | 156.1 cm (5′1″) | 144.1 cm (4′9″) |
| P10 | 158.7 cm (5′2″) | 146.6 cm (4′10″) |
| P25 | 163.1 cm (5′4″) | 150.9 cm (4′11″) |
| P50 | 167.9 cm (5′6″) | 155.5 cm (5′1″) |
| P75 | 172.8 cm (5′8″) | 160.2 cm (5′3″) |
| P90 | 177.2 cm (5′10″) | 164.4 cm (5′5″) |
| P95 | 179.8 cm (5′11″) | 166.9 cm (5′6″) |
| P99 | 184.7 cm (6′1″) | 171.7 cm (5′8″) |
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.