Skip to content
HeightViz

Average Height in Somalia

Men 171.2 cm (5'7") · Women 159.9 cm (5'3"), at age 19 in 2019.

Men, age 19, 2019
171.2 cm (5'7")
Women, age 19, 2019
159.9 cm (5'3")
Difference
11.3 cm
Rank of 200, men / women
125 / 119
Change since 1985, men / women
+1.2 cm / +0.3 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 Somalia

Average height in SomaliaHeight comparison of 3 subjects in centimetres: Men, Somalia, 171.2 cm; Women, Somalia, 159.9 cm; You, 170 cm.171.2 cm5'7"Men, Somalia159.9 cm5'3"Women, Somalia170 cm5'7"You
vs

11.3 cm difference (4.4 in). Men, Somalia is taller than Women, Somalia.

On the board (3)
Unit

Add to board

You

Stays in your browser
Your figure

Save this board

Saved in this browser only. Uploaded images are not saved.

About the figures for Somalia

In 2019, the average height of 19-year-old men in Somalia was 171.2 cm (5'7"), and of 19-year-old women 159.9 cm (5'3"), according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's pooled analysis of population studies.

That places Somalia 125 of 200 countries and territories for men and 119 of 200 for women. Men in Somalia are on average 11.3 cm taller than women.

Since 1985, the average for men has changed by +1.2 cm and for women by +0.3 cm. The 2019 estimates carry 95% uncertainty intervals of 166.3 cm to 176 cm for men and 156.2 cm to 163.5 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 Somalia in the men's ranking.

  • Thailand171.6 cm (5'8") men · 159.4 cm (5'3") women
  • Tuvalu171.3 cm (5'7") men · 163.6 cm (5'4") women
  • Congo171.2 cm (5'7") men · 158.8 cm (5'3") women
  • Uzbekistan170.9 cm (5'7") men · 160.3 cm (5'3") women
  • Djibouti170.8 cm (5'7") men · 159.8 cm (5'3") women
  • El Salvador170.7 cm (5'7") men · 156.4 cm (5'2") women

See every country on the average height by country table.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is the average man in Somalia?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old men in Somalia in 2019 is 171.2 cm (5'7"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 166.3 cm to 176 cm.

How tall is the average woman in Somalia?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old women in Somalia in 2019 is 159.9 cm (5'3"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 156.2 cm to 163.5 cm.

Has average height in Somalia changed since 1985?

Between 1985 and 2019 the estimated average for 19-year-old men changed by +1.2 cm and for women by +0.3 cm.

Where does Somalia rank for average height?

Among the 200 countries and territories in the dataset, Somalia ranks 125 for men and 119 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.

More height and size tools