Average Height in United Kingdom
Men 178.2 cm (5'10") · Women 163.9 cm (5'5"), at age 19 in 2019.
- Men, age 19, 2019
- 178.2 cm (5'10")
- Women, age 19, 2019
- 163.9 cm (5'5")
- Difference
- 14.3 cm
- Rank of 200, men / women
- 39 / 50
- Change since 1985, men / women
- +1.8 cm / +1.2 cm
- Source
- NCD-RisC, Lancet 2020 · CC BY 4.0
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Both averages drawn to scale. Set the "You" figure to your own height in cm, metres or feet and inches.
Average height in United Kingdom
14.3 cm difference (5.6 in). Men, United Kingdom is taller than Women, United Kingdom.
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Stays in your browserAbout the figures for United Kingdom
In 2019, the average height of 19-year-old men in United Kingdom was 178.2 cm (5'10"), and of 19-year-old women 163.9 cm (5'5"), according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's pooled analysis of population studies.
That places United Kingdom 39 of 200 countries and territories for men and 50 of 200 for women. Men in United Kingdom are on average 14.3 cm taller than women.
Since 1985, the average for men has changed by +1.8 cm and for women by +1.2 cm. The 2019 estimates carry 95% uncertainty intervals of 177.6 cm to 178.8 cm for men and 163.5 cm to 164.4 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 United Kingdom in the men's ranking.
- Luxembourg178.5 cm (5'10") men · 165.1 cm (5'5") women
- Cook Islands178.3 cm (5'10") men · 167.3 cm (5'6") women
- French Polynesia178.3 cm (5'10") men · 166.5 cm (5'6") women
- Romania177.8 cm (5'10") men · 164.7 cm (5'5") women
- New Zealand177.7 cm (5'10") men · 164.7 cm (5'5") women
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines177.5 cm (5'10") men · 165.3 cm (5'5") women
See every country on the average height by country table.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is the average man in United Kingdom?
The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old men in United Kingdom in 2019 is 178.2 cm (5'10"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 177.6 cm to 178.8 cm.
How tall is the average woman in United Kingdom?
The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old women in United Kingdom in 2019 is 163.9 cm (5'5"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 163.5 cm to 164.4 cm.
Has average height in United Kingdom changed since 1985?
Between 1985 and 2019 the estimated average for 19-year-old men changed by +1.8 cm and for women by +1.2 cm.
Where does United Kingdom rank for average height?
Among the 200 countries and territories in the dataset, United Kingdom ranks 39 for men and 50 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.
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