The average height for an adult male globally is 171 centimeters, or about 5 feet 7.5 inches. That number comes from men born in 1996, and it varies significantly depending on where you live. In the United States, the average adult man stands 5 feet 8.9 inches (about 175 cm), while in the United Kingdom the figure is 175.9 cm, or just under 5 feet 9.5 inches.
Average Male Height by Region
Height differences across the world are substantial. Men in Europe and Central Asia tend to be the tallest on average, while men in South Asia tend to be shorter. The Dutch, for example, are often cited among the tallest populations, with averages well above 180 cm (5’11”), whereas several countries in South and Southeast Asia average closer to 165 cm (5’5″).
These gaps aren’t primarily genetic. Nutrition, childhood health, and economic development explain most of the variation between populations. Countries that experienced rapid improvements in living standards over the past century saw dramatic increases in average height. Iranian men, for instance, grew an average of 16.5 cm (about 6.5 inches) taller over the last hundred years. In contrast, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia saw little change, largely due to persistent challenges with nutrition and infectious disease during childhood.
What Determines Your Height
About 80 percent of your height is determined by genetics. Hundreds of gene variants each contribute a small amount, and together they set a rough range for how tall you’ll be. The remaining 20 percent comes from environmental factors, particularly nutrition during childhood and adolescence, but also conditions during pregnancy. A mother’s diet, smoking status, and exposure to hazardous substances all influence fetal growth, which in turn affects adult stature.
A well-nourished, healthy, and physically active child will generally reach the upper end of their genetic potential. A child dealing with chronic malnutrition or repeated infections may not. This is why average heights have risen so dramatically in countries that improved public health and food access over the 20th century, even though the underlying genetics of those populations didn’t change.
When Men Stop Growing
Most men reach their full adult height by age 18, which is when the growth plates at the ends of long bones typically fuse and stop adding new length. In rare cases, men continue to grow slightly into their early 20s, usually because their growth plates close later than average. These “late bloomers” may add a small amount of height after high school, but significant growth past 18 is uncommon.
Height Loss With Age
Starting around age 40, most people begin losing height gradually. The primary cause is compression of the discs between your vertebrae and, in some cases, small fractures in the vertebrae themselves. These compression fractures often happen without any injury or noticeable event. The vertebrae don’t crack cleanly but get slowly crushed, like a cardboard box under too much weight. This process accelerates in later decades, and maintaining bone density through adequate calcium intake and weight-bearing exercise can slow it down.
Your height also fluctuates within a single day. Spinal compression from gravity and daily activity means you’re measurably shorter in the evening than in the morning. If you’ve ever been measured at a doctor’s office and the number seemed off from what you expected, the time of day could be part of the reason.
How Height Relates to Health
A large study from the VA Million Veteran Program, which analyzed genetic and medical data from more than 280,000 veterans, found that height is linked to the risk of over 100 different medical conditions. The connections held across both Black and white participants for the most significant findings.
Taller men had a lower risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. But being tall came with trade-offs: taller participants had a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm), peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet), and circulatory disorders involving the veins. For most non-cardiovascular conditions examined in the study, greater height was associated with increased risk.
These correlations don’t mean height directly causes these conditions. Researchers used genetic variants associated with height to isolate the relationship, which strengthens the evidence beyond simple observation, but height is just one factor among many that shape your overall health risk.