Height percentile calculator
Enter a height and see roughly what share of a reference population is shorter. You get the percentile and the z-score, with the method stated in full.
How to read it: the 50th percentile is the middle of the reference group. The 16th and 84th percentiles are one standard deviation either side, and they bracket about two thirds of everyone. Anything between them is entirely ordinary.
The reference values used here
Stated plainly, because a percentile result is only as good as the curve behind it:
| Reference group | Mean | Standard deviation | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult men | 171 cm | 7.1 cm | Normal (Gaussian) |
| Adult women | 159 cm | 6.9 cm | Normal (Gaussian) |
The means are rounded global adult averages; published national and global means cluster around those values and vary by several centimetres between sources. The standard deviations are rounded typical values for adult stature. Height genuinely does follow a near-normal distribution within a population, which is why this model is a reasonable approximation — but it is still an approximation, and the parameters are rounded, so percentiles near the extremes (below 3 or above 97) should be treated as rough rather than exact.
Reading a z-score
A z-score expresses the same information as the percentile, but linearly:
| Z-score | Approx. percentile | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| −2.0 | 2nd | Two standard deviations below the mean |
| −1.0 | 16th | One standard deviation below the mean |
| 0.0 | 50th | Exactly at the mean |
| +1.0 | 84th | One standard deviation above the mean |
| +2.0 | 98th | Two standard deviations above the mean |
Roughly 68% of a normal population falls between −1 and +1, and about 95% between −2 and +2. So a percentile between the 16th and 84th is the middle of the pack, not a deviation.
Where this calculator stops being useful
- Children and teenagers. A child's expected height depends on age and on pubertal stage. Use an age-specific growth reference instead.
- Specific populations. If you want a percentile within one country, use that country's distribution rather than a global mean — see average height by country.
- Anything clinical. Percentile is a statistical position. Diagnosis requires examination, history and often imaging or bloodwork.
Frequently asked questions
What does a height percentile mean?
It says what share of a reference group is shorter than you. Being at the 75th percentile means about 75% of that reference group is shorter and 25% is taller. It is a relative position, not a judgement about your height in isolation.
What is the 50th percentile height?
The 50th percentile is the median by definition, so it equals the reference mean in a symmetric distribution. On the reference used here that is about 171 cm for adult men and 159 cm for adult women.
Is 6 feet tall?
6 ft is 182.88 cm. That is roughly the 95th percentile on a reference with a mean of 171 cm and a standard deviation of 7.1 cm — taller than about 95 in every 100 men in that reference group.
Is a high percentile always better?
No. Two thirds of any reference group sit between the 16th and 84th percentiles, which is completely ordinary. Percentile is a description of position, not a health verdict.
How is the percentile calculated?
The height is converted to a z-score — the number of standard deviations it sits from the reference mean — and then mapped through the standard normal cumulative distribution. The calculator shows the z-score alongside the percentile so you can see the working.
Why is this different from a child growth percentile?
A child growth percentile is plotted against age-specific reference data because a child's expected height changes month by month. The calculator on this page models adults, so it is a single curve rather than a set of age-banded charts. For a child, use a clinical growth chart.
Can this tell me if my height is medically normal?
No, and it is not meant to. This is a statistical model for curiosity. Very short or very tall stature can have medical causes that no population average can identify, and only a clinician can assess that.