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Average adult height
Typical adult-height bands by sex, and why a global "average" is only a rough guide.
Illustrative reference range, rounded for general guidance — not a precise statistic or medical advice.
The numbers
| Group | Typical average height | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult men (many European populations) | 174–182 cm | National averages cluster here |
| Adult women (many European populations) | 161–169 cm | Roughly 12–13 cm below men |
| Global adult men (rough) | 167–178 cm | Wide variation by country |
| Global adult women (rough) | 153–166 cm | Wide variation by country |
What it means
Average height varies a lot between countries and has risen over the last century as nutrition improved. The bands above show where national averages tend to fall rather than a single precise figure, because that figure differs by country, generation and survey.
Within any population the spread is large: being 10 cm above or below the average is entirely ordinary. Adult height is set mostly by genetics, with childhood nutrition and health as the main modifiable influences. By the early twenties height is essentially fixed.
For health, height matters mainly as the denominator for other measures — BMI, healthy weight and some medicine doses all scale with it — rather than as a number to compare on its own.
More open data
How much sleep people need by age
Consensus sleep-duration ranges from newborns to older adults — most adults land at 7–9 hours.
Average daily step counts
What counts as sedentary, active and highly active — and why 10,000 steps is a target, not a medical threshold.
Healthy weight range by height
The weight band for a healthy BMI (18.5–24.9) at each height — more useful than a single "average" weight.
Resting heart rate by fitness
The normal adult range is 60–100 beats per minute; fitter hearts tend to beat slower at rest.
Typical bedtimes and wake times
When people actually go to bed and wake — and why teenagers run naturally later.
Source: Illustrative national-average height bands; real averages vary by country and year. Rounded for general guidance. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
What is the average height for a man?
It depends heavily on country. Across many European populations adult men average roughly 174–182 cm, but the global figure is lower and varies widely.
Does height affect health?
Mostly indirectly. Height is the basis for BMI and healthy-weight ranges and affects some medicine doses, but on its own it is not a health measure to optimise.
Track your own numbers
TempoLife logs your sleep, steps, weight and heart rate and shows your trend against these ranges.