What is the average height for women? Actually, the average height of women varies because it is influenced by various factors. It also relates to where a person lives. For a woman who was raised in the United States the average height was 5 feet and 4 inches.
This information is reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and for women over 20 years of age. While men have a different height from women. American men are on average 5 feet and 9 inches tall. So, slightly taller than women. This also applies to those aged 20 years and over.
There are many factors that affect a person having this average height. Nutrition and other factors play a role in this. Here is a quick look at women’s height in general.
Fast facts on average height for women:
Every country has its own reporting results, so there are no reports of the average height of women globally.
- Height depends on various factors
- Worldwide, the average number of men is higher than that of women
- Evolution of height in women
The size and shape of people around the world changes over time. For example, a woman in the 1960s was 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. While women today, the average weight is 180 pounds. This indicates an increase in body weight of 28 pounds.
Also see: Average Weight and Height for a 13-Year-Old Boy and Girl
Meanwhile, the average height of American women over the same period has only increased by 1 inch. The results of this study indicate that body weight increases significantly compared to height.
Decline in rate of height in America
In general, height in America is increasing at a very slow rate compared to that of the rest of the world. This sluggish growth was not always a problem because in 1914, men in America were recognized as the third tallest person in the world and women were the 4th tallest globally.
A century later, American women were the 42nd tallest woman in the world and men the 37th tallest in the world.
Globally, among the tallest men in the world are Dutch. In 2014, the average height of Dutch men was 6 feet and women the average height was 5 feet 7 inches. Thus mentioned by Latvia.
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The survey’s authors cite slower growth in height among Americans as a result of poor nutrition. In addition, they also said there was immigration of people from other places to America who were shorter in height. In addition, the quality of midwifery and child care is still low as a potential factor.
Worldwide Average Height for Women
Many unofficial sources report that the average woman is 5 feet 3 inches or an inch taller.
Below we look at trends in female height around the world for women aged 18-40 years, as stated medicalnewstoday.com
- European women have an average height of 5 feet 6 inches
- In Asian countries, including China, the average height of women is 5 feet.
- Women in North America are slightly below the height of American women. The average height for women in the United States and Canada is the same. Meanwhile in Mexico the average is 5 feet 2 inches.
- Based on information from the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), women with the shortest height are those who inhabit South Asia and Guatemala, they have an average height of under 5 feet.
What Factors Influence Height?
Some of them are natural factors and the rest are factors related to life.
1. Genetics
Genetics is the main factor affecting a person’s height. About 60 to 80% of body height is influenced by genetics. This means that if both parents are short, it is likely that the child will also be short.
A person’s genetic condition affects a person’s height or shortness. An example is Turner syndrome which causes a person to be above average height.
2. Location
The factor of place of residence also affects a person’s height. The main things that affect this are like:
- Cleanliness
- Clean water
- Daily nutrition
- Access to vaccinations
- Access to good health care, especially during childhood during pregnancy
- Climate of residence, and
3. Hormones
Furthermore, the factors that affect height are hormones. HGH or body growth hormone determines a person’s height. If a person is deficient in this hormone, the development of his height will be hampered, wherever he lives.
A study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology states that HGH hormone supplements help stabilize height in children who are on average short.
4. Nutrition
Apart from the above factors, a healthy diet is also very helpful in the development of a higher child. The food eaten must include several important nutrients such as calcium, protein and vitamin D.
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5. Quality sleep
Sleep is very important because it helps increase one’s growth rate. For normal growth, a person should sleep 8 to 10 hours each night.
6. Family environment
Negative trauma can damage a child’s ability to develop. When a child lives in a place that is not maintained or protected from various germs, he tends to get sick often and stunt his growth.
So, parents are very important to provide a good environment for children, especially in pre-adolescence and especially in girls.
7. Gender
Men are taller than women in general, at puberty, boys usually experience a period of rapid growth and longer. Girls usually stop growing at 19 years of age and boys stop growing at 22 years of age. The average height for men versus women is 6 inches.
This difference in height is related to the chromosomes. Experts found that genetic variants of the X chromosome are responsible for some of the differences between males and females, including the difference in height won by males.
