The average heights of women around the world vary widely, based on factors like ethnicity, national origin, and environment. The average height of a woman in the United States is approximately 5 feet 3.5 inches tall.
In this article, we’ll provide information about the average height of women in the U.S. and worldwide. We will also go over the factors that can influence a woman’s growth, the average height of American girls, and common misconceptions about tall women.
Average Height of Women in America vs. Worldwide
In the United States, the average height of female adults over the age of 20 is about 5 feet 3.5 inches. This estimate is based on population data gathered through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2015 and 2018, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021.
Average heights in the U.S. vary by race and ethnicity. According to the same CDC report, non-Hispanic Black women are typically around 5 feet 4 inches tall on average, while an “average” non-Hispanic White woman is slightly over 5 feet 3 inches tall. The average heights of Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian women in the U.S. are 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 1 inch, respectively.1
Worldwide, the average height for women ranges from approximately 4 feet 11 inches tall in Guatemala to about 5 feet 7 inches tall in the Netherlands.