Standing 5 feet 9 inches can be normal for American men, but it could be either tall or short for guys in other nations. So, let’s check out if 5’9 short for a guy right away.
According to popular belief, the medium man’s height in the United States is anywhere between 5 feet 9 inches (or around 1.75 m). So, if you stand either taller or shorter than the average, you might notice a few benefits and drawbacks to your tallness. That is also applicable when it comes to how your weight directly impacts your well-being.

This brought up the issue of whether 5 feet 9 inches is extremely tall for one to pose any health effects. And is 5’9 too short for a guy? Basically, based on variables, for instance, country, racial background, and so on, this size could be short or tall for a male. So, let’s dive into this blog post to answer all of these queries.
Height of Men in Different Countries

Folks from different parts of the globe grow to different sizes. This may be due to genetics, but still, almost all differences in height between locations are prompted by other variables. Children and adolescents who are malnourished or suffer from serious diseases, for example, develop to be shorter than adults.
Adult height, on the other hand, clearly varies across cultural minorities, and the normal tallness for each sex within a country’s population differs widely, with adult males being (on median) taller than adult females.
As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (commonly known as CDC), the average age-altered tallness for American males with age from 20 years old and up is anywhere between 5 feet 9 inches, which is equivalent to 1.75 m or 69.1 inches. On the flip side, the average size for American females with age from 20 years old and up is anywhere between 5 feet 3.5 inches, which is comparable to 63.5 inches or 1.61 m.
New advances in human beings on earth’s histologic examination have led to the identification of 697 genomic modifications that affect an individual’s tallness.
And while genetic variants are important in understanding change within an individual, poor childhood nutrition and illness can severely limit human evolution. So far, HMGA2 represents the only nucleotide sequence that has been connected to normal size variation.
What’s more, the heights of daughter and father and son and mother appear to be biochemically linked, seriously suggesting that taller fathers are much more probably to have taller daughters and short mothers are also far more likely to have short sons.
Average height of women and men in different nations all over the world.
Nations | Medium male height (in feet and inches) | Medium male height (in centimeters) | Sampled age spectrum (years old) |
Albania | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 174 cm | Between 20 and 29 years old |
Argentina | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 174.46 cm | 18 years old |
Australia | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.8 cm | Between 18 and 24 years old |
Austria | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 179 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
Azerbaijan | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171.8 cm | 16 years old |
Bahrain | 5 feet 5 inches | 165.1 cm | Over 19 years old |
Belgium | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 178.7 cm | Between 30 and 34 years old |
Bolivia | 5 feet 3 inches | 160 cm | Between 20 and 29 years old |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 feet 0.5 inch | 183.9 cm | Between 19 and 32 years old |
Brazil | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.7 cm | Over 18 years old |
Bulgaria | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.2 cm | – |
Cameroon (in urban areas) | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.6 cm | Over 15 years old |
Canada | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.1 cm | Between 18 and 79 years old |
Chile | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171.2 cm | Between 25 and 44 years old |
China, People’s Republic of | 5 feet 6 inches | 167.1 cm | 18 years old |
Colombia | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.6 cm | Between 18 and 22 years old |
Croatia | 5 feet 11 inches | 180.4 cm | 18 years old |
Cuba (in urban areas) | 5 feet 6 inches | 168 cm | 15 years old |
Czech Republic | 5 feet 11 inches | 180.3 cm | 17 years old |
Denmark | 5 feet 11 inches | 180.4 cm | Between 18 and 20 years old |
Dinaric Alps | 6 feet 1 inch | 185.6 cm | 17 years old |
Egypt | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.3 cm | Between 20 and 24 years old |
Estonia | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 179.1 cm | 17 years old |
Europe | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.6 cm | Between 17 and 29 years old |
Finland | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 178.9 cm | Between 25 and 34 years old |
France | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.6 cm | Between 18 and 70 years old |
Gambia-Rural | 5 feet 6 inches | 168 cm | Between 21 and 49 years old |
Germany | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.4 cm | Between 18 and 79 years old |
Ghana | 5 feet 6.5 inches | 169.5 cm | Between 25 and 29 years old |
Greece | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 177 cm | Between 18 and 49 years old |
Hong Kong | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 173.4 cm | Between 19 and 20 years old |
Hungary | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 176 cm | Adults |
India | 5 feet 5 inches | 165.7 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
Indonesia | 5 feet 2 inches | 158 cm | Over 50 years old |
Iran | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.3 cm | Over 21 years old |
Iraq-Baghdad | 5 feet 5 inches | 165.4 cm | Between 18 and 44 years old |
Ireland | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 177 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
Israel | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 177 cm | Between 18 and 21 years old |
Italy | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 174.5 cm | 30 years old |
Ivory Coast | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.1 cm | Between 25 and 29 years old |
Jamaica | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171.8 cm | Between 25 and 74 years old |
Japan | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 172 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
North Korea | 5 feet 5 inches | 165.6 cm | Between 20 and 39 years old |
South Korea | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.7 cm | Over 20 years old |
Lithuania | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.2 cm | Between 19 and 25 years old |
Malawi (urban areas) | 5 feet 5.5 inches | 166 cm | Between 16 and 60 years old |
Malaysia | 5 feet 5.5 inches | 166.3 cm | Between 20 and 24 years old |
Mali-Southern Mali | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171.3 cm | Adults |
Malta | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.2 cm | Between 25 and 34 years old |
Mexico | 5 feet 5.5 inches | 167 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
Mongolia | 5 feet 6.5 inches | 168.4 cm | Between 25 and 34 years old |
Montenegro | 6 feet | 183.2 cm | Students |
Netherlands | 6 feet | 182.7 cm | Between 30 and 34 years old |
New Zealand | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 177 cm | Between 20 and 49 years old |
Nigeria | 5 feet 4.5 inches | 163.8 cm | Between 18 and 74 years old |
Norway | 5 feet 11 inches | 180.3 cm | Between 20 and 85 years old |
Peru | 5 feet 4.5 inches | 164 cm | 20 years old |
Philippines | 5 feet 4.5 inches | 163.4 cm | Between 20 and 39 years old |
Poland | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 178.7 cm | 18 years old |
Portugal | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171 cm | Between 20 and 50 years old |
Qatar | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.8 cm | 18 years old |
Romania | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 172 cm | – |
Russia | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.2 cm | 24 years old |
Saudi Arabia | 5 feet 6.5 inches | 168.9 cm | 18 years old |
Serbia | 5 feet 11.5 inches | 182 cm | Between 18 and 30 years old |
Singapore | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171 cm | Students |
Slovakia | 5 feet 10.5 inches | 179.4 cm | 18 years old |
Slovenia-Ljubljana | 5 feet 11 inches | 180.3 cm | 19 years old |
South Africa | 5 feet 6 inches | 168 cm | 19 years old |
Sri Lanka | 5 feet 5 inches | 165.6 cm | Between 18 and 29 years old |
Spain | 5 feet 8 inches | 173.1 cm | Between 18 and 70 years old |
Sweden | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.9 cm | Between 20 and 74 years old |
Switzerland | 5 feet 9 inches | 175.4 cm | Between 20 and 74 years old |
Taiwan | 5 feet 7.5 inches | 171.4 cm | 17 years old |
Thailand | 5 feet 7 inches | 170.3 cm | Between 15 and 19 years old |
Tonga | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 176.1 cm | 40 years old |
Turkey | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 1736 cm | Between 20 and 22 years old |
United Arab Emirates | 5 feet 8.5 inches | 173.4 cm | – |
England (The United Kingdom) | 5 feet 10 inches | 177.8 cm | Between 25 and 34 years old |
Scotland (The United Kingdom) | 5 feet 10 inches | 178.2 cm | Between 25 and 34 years old |
Wales (The United Kingdom) | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 177 cm | 16 years old |
The United States | 5 feet 9.5 inches | 175.9 cm | All Americans over 20 years old |
Uruguay | 5 feet 7 inches | 170 cm | Adults |
Vietnam | 5 feet 1 inch | 162.1 cm | Between 25 and 29 years old |
So, Is 5’9 Short for A Guy?

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (widely known as CDC), as well as previously mentioned, the average age-modified height for American males being at 20 years old and over in 2015 and 2016 was about 5 feet 9 inches, or approximately 69.1 cm.
This statue is derived from information from December of 2018. Between 1999 and 2016, the data was collected as a portion of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The appropriate statistical sample contains 47,233 men and women whose ages were all from 20 years old at minimum. Accordingly, participants released information such as their ages, ethnic backgrounds, and whether or not they were of Hispanic origin. The standard height of 5 feet 9 inches is used to depict all classifications.
But how does that score compare to other countries? Let us look into it.
As many of you could anticipate, the range of average heights all over the world appears to be fairly broad.
Based on a 2016 study, then Iranian men have grown the greatest in tallness over the last two centuries, gaining about 6.7 inches (nearly 17 cm).
The research teams are part of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a global group of health and wellbeing researchers. Accordingly, they stated that genetic factors (such as genetic causes), in addition to socioeconomic factors (such as access to nutritious foods could really impact height variation.
In fact, there are currently no worldwide tallness reporting and measurement prerequisites.
Some disparities might be attributed to self-reporting vs. controlled measurements, along with the age group of those recorded. Contradictions may also be exacerbated by the following factors: the percentage of the population assessed, the year that the information was gathered, and the figures being recorded as a median in accordance with the terms.
Major Factors That Influence Height

If each of your family is large, chances are you are too. And anyway, genetic inheritance is the most important factor in determining a person’s size. External circumstances, on the flip side, are crucial in the circumstances.
Nutrients and access to nutrient-dense whole types of food, for example, fresh vegetables, fruits, essential minerals, dairy products, as well as whole grains, can have a significant impact on overall development and health. Based on the data from the World Health Organization (also known as WHO), poor nutrition affects every country on earth, and a kid’s ability to receive adequate nutrition can directly influence both their height and weight.
Besides, the length of sleep a person gets throughout teenage years and adolescence may also influence the amount of human growth hormone (popularly called HGH) forcefully removed, affecting overall growth as well as body weight.
Even a person’s posture might also have an effect on their peak, especially if they start to sag and generate a nagging suspicion.
Healthcare Conditions That Lead to Tallness Outliers
The medical world refers to extremely towering tallness as gynecomastia. There are several medical illnesses that can also result in overgrowth.
Acromegaly, generally speaking, is an endocrine (hormonal) condition in which the body generates excessive amounts of growth hormone, resulting in towering tallness. Basically, acromegaly can be caused by pituitary tumors (commonly known as adenoma). Tumors shape on the anterior pituitary, causing an excess of growth hormone to be distributed.
In addition, overgrowth is widely linked to the following circumstances:
- Neurofibromatosis;
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 (commonly known as MEN – 1);
- Carney’s complex; and
- McCune-Albright syndrome (widely known as MAS)
Dwarfism, on the flip side, is generally the medical name for excessive short height. Basically, dwarfism is exacerbated by over 300 varying conditions. The majority of these settings are inherited.
Achondroplasia, for instance, is a basic genetic disorder that impairs bone formation. Individuals suffering from this condition might have a normal-sized body, shorter legs, and arms, as well as a shorter size in general.
A few other symptoms that are associated with dwarfism involve:
- Retardation of intrauterine growth;
- Turner disease (commonly known as Monosomy X);
- Hypothyroidism;
- A lack of growth hormone
So, Is It Possible for Adults to Grow Taller?
So, once an individual has completed puberty, bone growth tends to cease producing new bones. Those who meld around each other, and the individual ceases to develop. This signifies that when a person reaches a certain age, they are unable to grow in tallness.
Standing, being both taller and straighter, might be achieved by adopting the correct body position and maintaining the back as well as abdominal muscles powerful and involved.
Does Testosterone Really Make You Grow Taller?

As kids reach a certain age (also known as adulthood), they often undergo an increase in the generation of sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. This accelerates puberty.
Generally speaking, puberty induces an overall growth spurt that produces an increase in tallness, in as well as the formation of the sexual organs. If teenage undergoes delayed puberty, they might not even grow appropriately for their age.
There are numerous reasons for growth pauses. This contains hypogonadism or chronically low testosterone. This may lead to puberty and the corresponding increased growth spurt being delayed.
The Food and Drug Administration (widely known as FDA), as of now, just authorizes testosterone supplementation for young boys who suffer from a given diagnosed medical condition that results in low testosterone, for instance, hypogonadism, or those who have postponed puberty for other causes.
In addition, testosterone pellets and testosterone enanthate are widely recognized as the two major endorsed definitions for this intent.
The Bottom Lines
So, now, you can be completely assured that 5 feet 9 inches is a general height for an adult male in the United States of America. In other words, 5’9 is not considered short for an American guy. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that other guys with the height of 5 feet 9 inches in other countries are also considered normal, short, or tall. This all depends on various factors, such as location, genetics, etc.