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HeightViz

Average Height in China

Men 175.7 cm (5'9") · Women 163.5 cm (5'4"), at age 19 in 2019.

Men, age 19, 2019
175.7 cm (5'9")
Women, age 19, 2019
163.5 cm (5'4")
Difference
12.2 cm
Rank of 200, men / women
65 / 55
Change since 1985, men / women
+8.1 cm / +6.1 cm
Source
NCD-RisC, Lancet 2020 · CC BY 4.0

Compare with yourself

Both averages drawn to scale. Set the "You" figure to your own height in cm, metres or feet and inches.

Average height in China

Average height in ChinaHeight comparison of 3 subjects in centimetres: Men, China, 175.7 cm; Women, China, 163.5 cm; You, 170 cm.175.7 cm5'9"Men, China163.5 cm5'4"Women, China170 cm5'7"You
vs

12.2 cm difference (4.8 in). Men, China is taller than Women, China.

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About the figures for China

In 2019, the average height of 19-year-old men in China was 175.7 cm (5'9"), and of 19-year-old women 163.5 cm (5'4"), according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's pooled analysis of population studies.

That places China 65 of 200 countries and territories for men and 55 of 200 for women. Men in China are on average 12.2 cm taller than women.

Since 1985, the average for men has changed by +8.1 cm and for women by +6.1 cm. The 2019 estimates carry 95% uncertainty intervals of 174.7 cm to 176.6 cm for men and 162.6 cm to 164.3 cm for women.

These are modelled means for 19-year-olds, not for every adult: people who grew up in earlier decades were on average shorter at the same age, so the mean across all adults can differ. Half of any population is shorter than its mean and half taller. To see where one height falls, set the "You" figure above or use the height difference calculator.

Countries of similar height

The countries just above and below China in the men's ranking.

  • Trinidad and Tobago176 cm (5'9") men · 163.4 cm (5'4") women
  • Seychelles175.9 cm (5'9") men · 162.5 cm (5'4") women
  • Brazil175.7 cm (5'9") men · 162.4 cm (5'4") women
  • Iran175.6 cm (5'9") men · 161.2 cm (5'3") women
  • Moldova175.6 cm (5'9") men · 163 cm (5'4") women
  • Kazakhstan175.5 cm (5'9") men · 161.7 cm (5'4") women

See every country on the average height by country table.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is the average man in China?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old men in China in 2019 is 175.7 cm (5'9"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 174.7 cm to 176.6 cm.

How tall is the average woman in China?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old women in China in 2019 is 163.5 cm (5'4"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 162.6 cm to 164.3 cm.

Has average height in China changed since 1985?

Between 1985 and 2019 the estimated average for 19-year-old men changed by +8.1 cm and for women by +6.1 cm.

Where does China rank for average height?

Among the 200 countries and territories in the dataset, China ranks 65 for men and 55 for women, tallest first.

Source

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), Lancet 2020: "Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories", The Lancet 2020; 396: 1511–24, open access under CC BY 4.0. Data file NCD_RisC_Lancet_2020_height_child_adolescent_country.csv (dated 2026-03-30) from ncdrisc.org, imported 2026-09-20. Figures are the study's mean height at age 19 for 2019 and 1985, rounded to one decimal; the uncertainty intervals are the study's 95% intervals. Read how HeightViz handles sources on the methodology page.