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HeightViz

Average Height in United States of America

Men 176.9 cm (5'10") · Women 163.3 cm (5'4"), at age 19 in 2019.

Men, age 19, 2019
176.9 cm (5'10")
Women, age 19, 2019
163.3 cm (5'4")
Difference
13.6 cm
Rank of 200, men / women
48 / 58
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 United States of America

Average height in United States of AmericaHeight comparison of 3 subjects in centimetres: Men, United States of America, 176.9 cm; Women, United States of America, 163.3 cm; You, 170 cm.176.9 cm5'10"Men, United States of AmericaMen, United States of Am…163.3 cm5'4"Women, United States of AmericaWomen, United States…170 cm5'7"You
vs

13.6 cm difference (5.4 in). Men, United States of America is taller than Women, United States of America.

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About the figures for United States of America

In 2019, the average height of 19-year-old men in United States of America was 176.9 cm (5'10"), and of 19-year-old women 163.3 cm (5'4"), according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's pooled analysis of population studies.

That places United States of America 48 of 200 countries and territories for men and 58 of 200 for women. Men in United States of America are on average 13.6 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 176.1 cm to 177.8 cm for men and 162.5 cm to 164.1 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 States of America in the men's ranking.

  • Barbados177 cm (5'10") men · 165.7 cm (5'5") women
  • Jamaica177 cm (5'10") men · 164.3 cm (5'5") women
  • Tunisia176.9 cm (5'10") men · 161.7 cm (5'4") women
  • Hungary176.6 cm (5'10") men · 162.5 cm (5'4") women
  • Russian Federation176.6 cm (5'10") men · 164.5 cm (5'5") women
  • Libya176.4 cm (5'9") men · 162.6 cm (5'4") women

See every country on the average height by country table.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is the average man in United States of America?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old men in United States of America in 2019 is 176.9 cm (5'10"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 176.1 cm to 177.8 cm.

How tall is the average woman in United States of America?

The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old women in United States of America in 2019 is 163.3 cm (5'4"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 162.5 cm to 164.1 cm.

Has average height in United States of America 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 United States of America rank for average height?

Among the 200 countries and territories in the dataset, United States of America ranks 48 for men and 58 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.