What Is the Average Height for Men in the U.S.?

At Dr Rogers Centers, we highlight that the average height of adult men (age 20 and above) in the United States is approximately 5 feet 9 inches. This figure is based on data collected between 2015 and 2016 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s important to understand that this is simply an average and not a standard that defines how tall a man should be.

How Does Male Height Differ Around the World?

Male heights vary across the globe. Socioeconomic factors, like access to quality foods and genetics, play a major role in height differences. The 5-foot-9 average is in the middle of global height averages.

The tallest average male height is found in the Netherlands, with an average of 72.4 inches, or slightly over 6 feet tall.

Southeast Asian countries and Guatemala are among the shortest. Men average about 5 feet 4 inches or slightly shorter.

Here's how male height compares in other countries:

• South Korea: 5 ft 9 inches
• Germany: 5 feet 11 inches
• Bermuda: 5 feet 10 inches
• Philippines: 5 feet 4 inches
• Greece: 5 feet 10 inches
• Puerto Rico: 5 feet 10 inches
• Australia: 5 feet 10 inches
• Canada: 5 feet 10 inches
• United Kingdom: 5 feet 10 inches
• Brazil: 5 ft 9 inches
• Iran: 5 ft 9 inches
• China: 5 ft 9 inches
• Mexico: 5 feet 7 inches
• Kenya: 5 feet 7 inches
• India: 5 feet 5 inches

These measurements are estimates based on the data available. There are no standard instructions for measuring or reporting height across countries. Slight differences in measurements between countries may exist.

How Has Height Evolved?

Men, and humans in general, are taller than their ancestors. Ten thousand-year-old male skeletons from Europe measured 5 feet 6 inches, which is about a 3-inch difference from today's U.S. average.

The average male was an inch shorter in the 1960s than in the 2010s.

Other countries have seen similar or even more drastic trends. Men in Iran have grown about 6.7 inches over the last 100 years. Researchers noted that this is the largest height gain in the world.

Nutrition and Height

Increased height tends to be associated with higher socioeconomic status. One theory about why male height has increased is that our lifestyles and technologies have led to better nutrition and healthcare. Similarly, nutrient deficiencies can stunt growth. 

This doesn't mean humans will keep getting taller. Researchers indicate that better nutrition itself isn't necessarily adding height.

Access to optimal nutrition and healthcare allows people to reach their full potential and pass on "tall" genes.

What Influences How Tall You Grow?

A person’s height develops through a combination of genetics, hormones during puberty, and environmental factors.

Genetics

Genes strongly influence height, making it an inherited trait shaped by hundreds of gene variations. Research has identified more than 700 gene variants linked to height. If your parents are shorter, you are more likely to have a shorter height as well, unless a medical condition affects your growth. Doctors often estimate a person’s potential adult height using the mid-parental height, which averages the heights of both parents to provide a general prediction.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a critical role in growth, especially during childhood and adolescence. The body needs essential nutrients from food to reach its full height potential. Children who face malnutrition may experience stunted growth. Protein, in particular, has a strong connection to increased height. For example, men in northern and central Europe, where average heights are among the highest, consume more animal-based proteins like dairy. In contrast, men in regions such as East Asia, where average height is lower, tend to consume diets with less protein, often relying more on foods like rice.

Medical or Emotional Conditions

Having certain chronic disorders, especially as a child, may affect your growth. Conditions that make it hard to absorb nutrients from your food can stunt your growth as a child.

Some conditions often associated with decreased nutrient absorption and shorter heights include:

• Anemia: Causes low levels of red blood cells
• Chronic renal insufficiency: Can result in lower nutrient levels and loss of appetite
• Cystic fibrosis: May impact digestion
• Inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD): Includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which cause inflammation in the digestive tract and can impact digestion
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Causes inflamed joints that may cause slow, fast, or uneven bone growth.16

Stunted growth in childhood might affect your height in adulthood. Adverse events in childhood, such as the death of a parent, may impact puberty timing and ultimate height.

Gigantism, or extremely tall height, can be caused by a few different conditions. They cause the body to create too much growth hormone.

These conditions include:

• Carney complex: Characterized by tumor formation and pigmented areas of the skin.
• McCune-Albright syndrome: Affects the bones, skin, and hormone-producing tissues.
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or type 4: Causes abnormal cell growth.
• Neurofibromatosis: Involves the development of tumors that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
• Pituitary tumors: Cause abnormal growths in the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain

Extremely short height is considered dwarfism, which can affect height in two ways: proportionate short stature (PSS) and disproportionate short stature (DSS).

PSS means the arms, legs, and trunk are proportionately small. DSS means the limbs or trunk are significantly smaller and disproportionate to the body.

An underlying genetic condition usually causes dwarfism, including:

• Bone diseases (e.g., achondroplasia)
• Endocrine disorders 
• Growth hormone deficiencies

Why Do You Get Shorter With Age?

Many people start to lose height as they get older, as bones and tissues weaken. You can start getting shorter after age 40. However, height loss typically becomes more rapid after age 70.

Aging typically leads to declines in muscle mass and bone density, which can cause you to become shorter over time.

Regularly seeing a doctor can also help monitor your bone health to prevent and treat bone loss.

Steps for Accurately Measuring Your Height

Find a flat wall with a mirror directly across from it. You could also place a standing mirror in front of your wall. 

Follow these steps to measure your height accurately:

• Stand tall against the wall, with the back of your heels touching the wall and your shoulders flat against the surface. Your head should not touch the wall.
• Place a stiff, flat object, such as a hardcover book, piece of cardboard, or cutting board, on top of your head and slide it back until it touches the wall and the top of your head.
• Look into a mirror to ensure the object is parallel to the floor and your posture isn’t slumped or leaning.
• Mark a short horizontal line with tape where your flat object hits the wall and touches your head. This will be the bottom side of your object.
• Put the object down, grab a tape measure, and measure from the floor to the mark to record your height.

Your height may not fall on an exact measurement. You can measure your height to the nearest one-eighth inch.

Final Thoughts

At Dr Rogers Centers, we emphasize that height is influenced by a mix of genetics, nutrition, and overall health rather than a single factor. While averages like 5 feet 9 inches in the United States provide a general reference point, they should not be treated as a benchmark for what is considered “normal” or “ideal.” Every individual grows differently based on their unique biological and environmental conditions.

Understanding how height varies across countries and over time can help put things into perspective. Instead of focusing on numbers alone, it’s more important to prioritize a healthy lifestyle, balanced nutrition, and regular medical checkups, especially during the growing years, to support optimal development.

FAQs

1. What is the average male height in the United States?
The average height for adult men in the U.S. is approximately 5 feet 9 inches, based on national health data.

2. Which country has the tallest men?
 The Netherlands has the tallest average male height, with men typically standing just over 6 feet tall.

3. Can nutrition really affect height?
Yes, proper nutrition, especially during childhood and adolescence, plays a key role in helping individuals reach their full height potential.

4. Is height completely determined by genetics?
No, genetics play a major role, but factors like diet, health conditions, and overall environment also influence height.

5. Do people lose height as they age?
Yes, many people begin to lose height after age 40 due to changes in bone density and muscle mass.

6. Can you increase your height after puberty?
In most cases, height growth stops after puberty. However, maintaining good posture and overall health can help you appear taller and prevent height loss.