The average height for adult women varies around the world. In the United States, the average woman is a little under 5 feet 4 inches tall at 63.5 inches. This data is reported by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted from 2015 to 2018 and reported in January 2021.
The NHANES records various data on U.S. women in addition to height, such as mean weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. It even reports measurements on certain body parts, including the length of the upper arm and upper leg.
Can You Predict How Tall Will a Female Become?
How tall a woman becomes is determined both by genetics and environmental factors like nutrition and physical health. Even mental health can have an impact on a woman's growth potential. Other factors can include ethnicity and age.
Average Height For Women in the U.S.
The average height of women in the U.S. has some variations by ethnicity. The 2015—2018 NHANES reports the mean heights for women in five different ethnic categories.
| Women's Height by Ethnicity in the U.S. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Mean Height in Inches | Mean Height in Centimeters |
| Non-Hispanic White | 63.9 in (5 ft 3.9 in) | 162.4 cm |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 64 in (5 ft 4 in) | 162.5 cm |
| Non-Hispanic Asian | 61.5 in (5 ft 1.5 in) | 156.3 cm |
| Hispanic | 62 in (5 ft 2 in) | 157.5 cm |
| Mexican American | 61.7 in (5 ft 1.7 in) | 156.8 cm |
Height Changes Over Time
Getting an idea of how the height of women has changed over the years requires looking at earlier surveys. For instance, in the early 1900s, it was reported that women between the ages of 20 and 29 had an average height of 62.4 inches.
There have been substantial changes since then, mainly that women are getting taller. For example, by 1955, the average height for women was 64.3 inches, almost two full inches taller than 50 years before.
There is some question about the accuracy of historical surveys as they were done while the subjects wore shoes. Since the 1960s, measurements have been taken without shoes, seemingly making them more accurate.
Will women continue to grow taller over time? It's not likely. Better health and nutrition, credited with a big part of the past increase in average height, can only go so far. Many experts think the average height potential may have maxed out.
Immigration also influences changes in height over time in a specific region as people from areas with lower height averages enter the population.
Average Height for Women Worldwide
Our World Data offers a list of mean heights for women from various countries and reports that the average height for women globally is 63 inches (5 feet 3 inches).
This table shares a few of the mean heights for women reported in several countries. As you will notice, there is a wide variance in mean female height depending on which country she is from.
| Mean Female Height by Country | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Mean Height in Inches | Mean Height in Centimeters |
| Argentina | 62.7 in (5 ft 2.7 in) | 159.2 cm |
| Australia | 65.3 in (5 ft 5.3 in) | 165.9 cm |
| Bermuda | 63.3 in (5 ft 3.3 in) | 160.7 cm |
| China | 62.9 in (5 ft 2.9 in) | 159.7 cm |
| Ethiopia | 61.3 in (5 ft 1.3 in) | 155.7 cm |
| India | 60.1 in (5 ft 0.1 in) | 152.6 cm |
| Mexico | 61.8 in (5 ft 1.8 in) | 156.9 cm |
| Nigeria | 61.5 in (5 ft 1.5 in) | 156.3 cm |
| North Korea | 62.6 in (5 ft 2.6 in) | 159.0 cm |
| Russia | 65.1 in (5 ft 5.1 in) | 165.3 cm |
| South Asia | 60.4 in (5 ft 0.4 in) | 153.3 cm |
| United Kingdom | 64.7 in (5 ft 4.7 in) | 164.4 cm |
Our World Data further reports that, like in the U.S., women's heights have increased worldwide over the past 100 years. Some countries show gains in women's heights of more than 12 cm during this time, which is roughly 4.7 inches.
How to Accurately Measure Height
When you visit a healthcare provider, your height is usually taken with a stadiometer, an instrument often attached to a scale and measures your height based on where its metal flap rests on top of your head. This is the gold standard for measuring height.
However, you can accurately measure your height at home with a few simple tools. Assistance can be helpful but is not necessary. You will need a pencil with an eraser and a metal measuring tape.
- Stand on a hard, uncarpeted surface with your heels against the wall. Make sure your shoes are off.
- Ensure your entire backside is making contact with the wall, including heels, calves, buttocks, shoulders, and head.
- Place the pencil on top of your head and make a light mark to note where along the wall the top of your head reaches. You can use painter's tape if you do not want to mark the wall.
- Using the metal measuring tape, measure the distance from the floor to the mark you made on the wall. This is your height.
Height can be measured using English or metric measurements. Make sure to erase the pencil mark when you are finished!
Average Height of Female Children and Teens
If you have a female child or teen, you may wonder how their height compares with national averages. NHANES data separates mean height by age, providing information for children as young as two up to 19 years old.
For example, the mean height of 2-year-old females is 35.4 inches. At 10 years old, the mean height rises to 56.3 inches. Female teens who are 14 years old have a mean height of 63.7 inches.
Your pediatrician can assess how your child's height compares to averages with growth charts. If you have any concerns, they can address those issues and provide guidance regarding your child's health.
A Word From Verywell
The average height for women is a way to monitor general health and living conditions for a population, but it is not the only factor to consider. The biggest factor in how tall a woman will be is a combination of genetics and environmental factors like nutrition, and physical and mental health.
