What Is the Average Height for Women?

Soniya
Average height for U.S. females is 5
Average height for U.S. females is 5'3". (Image via Unsplash / Adam Winger)

The average height for women differs greatly around the globe. For example, some countries in Africa have a large population of women who are shorter than five feet, whereas women in Scandinavian countries are typically tall.

The average height of women in the US. (Image via Unsplash/ Omar Lopez)
The average height of women in the US. (Image via Unsplash/ Omar Lopez)

If you want to understand where you fall on the height spectrum, keep reading to learn more about the average height for women in the U.S., how it varies by region, and how medical assessments take into account when evaluating your health and overall risk for certain conditions.


Average Height for Women in the U.S. and the World

The average height for an American woman is 5'4", one inch shorter than the worldwide average. It's also worth noting that this figure has been rising over time; about a century ago, the average height for women was only about 5'2". What does this tell us? Perhaps not as much as we may think—overall body size (i.e., weight) has been increasing steadily since then as well, so it's possible that our perception of "tall" has changed since then.

Additionally, studies suggest that taller people tend to live longer than shorter ones; perhaps this explains why so many women want to grow taller!


The average height for women in America and the world. (Image via Unsplash/ Courtney Cook)
The average height for women in America and the world. (Image via Unsplash/ Courtney Cook)

The average height for women in the world is roughly 5'5" (165 cm), and the average height for women in the US is a little over 5'3" (160 cm). While these numbers seem fairly small, they're quite large when you consider that there's a wide range of variations within those numbers. For example, the shortest woman on record was 2'6" (77 cm) tall, while the tallest woman ever to have lived stood at 8'1" (244 cm).


Reasons why height matters

Height is an important measure of health, as it's a good indicator of how healthy you are. A person's height is also a good predictor of how long they are likely to live.

Height is correlated with health status in old age. (Image via Unsplash / Roxxie Blackham)
Height is correlated with health status in old age. (Image via Unsplash / Roxxie Blackham)

In addition, height is correlated with health status in old age. For example, studies have shown that taller individuals have a lower risk of death at all ages compared to their shorter counterparts.


What makes you grow tall?

Diet and exercises play a huge role in average height for women. (Image via Unsplash / Pascal Bernardon)
Diet and exercises play a huge role in average height for women. (Image via Unsplash / Pascal Bernardon)

1) Genetics: The quality of your genes and their ability to produce enzymes that break down proteins are responsible for the majority of your height. It is important to note, however, that genetics alone do not determine whether or not you will grow tall. If you have less-than-ideal genetics, a healthy diet, and exercise will help compensate for what nature didn't give you.

2) Nutrition: Your diet plays a huge role in how tall you become—and even if it doesn't seem like it has any effect on your stature at first glance, there are plenty of studies that show otherwise! So make sure you're getting enough protein, calcium, essential fatty acids (which aid brain development), vitamins C and D (essential for strong bones), folic acid (helps prevent cardiovascular disease), and potassium (good for heart health).

 Diet plays a huge role in determining the average height for women. (Image via Unsplash/ Courtney Cook)
Diet plays a huge role in determining the average height for women. (Image via Unsplash/ Courtney Cook)

3) It's also important not to skip meals; don't eat too much junk food; limit sodium intake; avoid eating refined sugars or processed foods; drink plenty of water every day; Include good fats like olive oil in your meals, as well as lean proteins such as fish or poultry without skin, along with whole grains like brown rice instead of white flour pastries like croissants!

4) Exercise: Physical activity has many benefits besides helping us stay fit—it encourages stronger muscles which support our body weight better throughout life, which means we won't lose muscle mass as quickly after age 30 onwards when hormones start working against us.


How to increase your height

The average height for women is 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm). This may seem like a lot, but it's the same as the average for men. So why is there such a big difference in height between genders?

The reasons why the average height of women is shorter than men are basically the same ones that determine how tall anyone is: diet and exercise, genetics, hormones, and other health conditions—and medication use (including some prescribed to pregnant women).

Genetics and diet/exercise habits lead directly to the average height for women. (Image via Unsplash / Nathan Dumlao)
Genetics and diet/exercise habits lead directly to the average height for women. (Image via Unsplash / Nathan Dumlao)

If you're concerned about your child's growth or development due to her gender, remember that these factors explain most of what determines the average height for women. Since boys tend to be taller than girls until puberty begins around the age of 11 or 12 (though not always), it makes sense to continue growing into their late teens while girls stop at this point in time.

In addition to genetics and diet/exercise habits leading directly to the average height for women.


Average height and BMI

Whether or not you're within average height for women, it's important to remember that it is only a base from which to start. The BMI will give you an indication of how much body fat you have and an idea of whether or not your weight is healthy, but it won't tell you anything about where exactly you should be focusing your efforts. If your BMI suggests a weight that's less healthy for you, then consider altering your diet and increasing your activity level before focusing on losing weight.

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