Human vs Hippopotamus
Average US adult man is 15 cm (5.9 in) taller than Hippopotamus.
Size comparison: Human vs Hippopotamus
15 cm difference (5.9 in). Average US adult man is taller than Hippopotamus.
- Average US adult manPerson
- 175 cm (5'9")
- Mean height, men aged 20+, NHANES August 2021–August 2023: 68.9 in.
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats: Body Measurements
- HippopotamusAnimal
- 160 cm (5'3")
- Up to 5.2 ft (1.6 m) tall at shoulder; 10.8 to 16.5 ft (3.3 to 5 m) long.
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Animals & Plants: Hippo
The numbers
Average US adult man is 175 cm (5'9") (Mean height, men aged 20+, NHANES August 2021–August 2023: 68.9 in), according to CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats: Body Measurements.
Hippopotamus is 160 cm (5'3") (Up to 5.2 ft (1.6 m) tall at shoulder; 10.8 to 16.5 ft (3.3 to 5 m) long), according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Animals & Plants: Hippo.
That makes Average US adult man 15 cm (5.9 in) taller than Hippopotamus, or 1.09 times its height.
Both are drawn to scale from the same ground line, so the difference on the board is exactly the difference in the numbers.
Related comparisons
- Human vs Giraffe175 cm (5'9") vs 550 cm (18'1")
- Human vs Elephant175 cm (5'9") vs 320 cm (10'6")
- Human vs T. rex175 cm (5'9") vs 396.2 cm (13'0")
- Human vs Lion175 cm (5'9") vs 120 cm (3'11")
- Human vs Gorilla175 cm (5'9") vs 175 cm (5'9")
- Human vs Polar Bear175 cm (5'9") vs 170 cm (5'7")
See every comparison on the comparisons index.
Frequently asked questions
Who is taller, Average US adult man or Hippopotamus?
Average US adult man is taller: 175 cm (5'9") against 160 cm (5'3") for Hippopotamus.
How much taller is Average US adult man than Hippopotamus?
15 cm (5.9 in), or 1.09 times Hippopotamus's height. Figures come from CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats: Body Measurements and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Animals & Plants: Hippo.
Sources
- Average US adult man: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats: Body Measurements (checked 19 September 2026)
- Hippopotamus: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Animals & Plants: Hippo (checked 20 September 2026)
More height and size tools
- Height ComparisonCompare the heights of up to 10 people side by side on one accurate scale.
- Height Comparison ChartBuild a shareable height chart for friends, family or a team.
- Body VisualizerSee how height, weight and body type change a body's proportions.
- Size ComparisonCompare people with animals, objects, vehicles and buildings.
- Height Difference CalculatorTwo heights in any unit, the difference in every unit, drawn to scale.
- Height ConverterConvert between cm, metres, feet and inches, with a reference table.
- BMI CalculatorBody mass index from height and weight, with the published ranges.
- Height–Weight ChartThe weight range for each height that falls in the healthy BMI band.
- Average Height by CountryMen's and women's averages in 200 countries, from NCD-RisC, with a page each.
- Height PredictorEstimate a child's adult height from both parents' heights with the published mid-parental method.
- Planet Size ComparisonThe planets, the Moon and Pluto as discs on one scale, from NASA's diameters.
- Height Percentile CalculatorA child's height percentile and z-score for their age on the WHO or CDC reference.
- Growth ChartHeight-for-age percentile curves for boys and girls, WHO and CDC, with a plotted point.