How to use
- Choose the reference (US CDC, WHO or China) and your child’s sex.
- Find your child’s age in the table and compare their height with the five values in that row.
- For an exact percentile, use the child growth percentile calculator with your child’s height.
Options explained
- 3rd to 97th percentile
- About 94% of healthy children are within this range. Below the 3rd percentile is short for age and worth checking with a doctor.
- 50th percentile (median)
- Half of children of the same age and sex are shorter and half are taller.
- Under 2 years
- Values are length measured lying down, which is about 0.7 cm longer than standing height.
Average height by age (CDC)
The 50th percentile is the average; the range shows the 3rd to 97th percentile, where about 94% of healthy children fall.
| Age | Boys, average | Boys, 3rd–97th | Girls, average | Girls, 3rd–97th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 86.5 cm (34.0 in) | 79.9–93.0 cm | 85.0 cm (33.5 in) | 78.4–91.5 cm |
| 3 | 95.0 cm (37.4 in) | 88.1–102.6 cm | 93.9 cm (37.0 in) | 86.6–101.5 cm |
| 4 | 102.2 cm (40.2 in) | 94.3–110.2 cm | 100.8 cm (39.7 in) | 92.8–109.2 cm |
| 5 | 108.9 cm (42.9 in) | 100.1–117.5 cm | 107.7 cm (42.4 in) | 99.1–117.0 cm |
| 6 | 115.4 cm (45.4 in) | 105.9–124.8 cm | 114.7 cm (45.2 in) | 105.5–124.9 cm |
| 8 | 127.9 cm (50.3 in) | 117.3–139.0 cm | 127.6 cm (50.2 in) | 117.1–139.1 cm |
| 10 | 138.6 cm (54.6 in) | 126.5–151.3 cm | 138.0 cm (54.3 in) | 125.8–151.0 cm |
| 12 | 149.1 cm (58.7 in) | 135.4–163.4 cm | 151.2 cm (59.5 in) | 137.1–164.9 cm |
| 14 | 163.8 cm (64.5 in) | 148.2–178.5 cm | 160.4 cm (63.1 in) | 148.0–172.8 cm |
| 16 | 173.5 cm (68.3 in) | 158.7–187.0 cm | 162.5 cm (64.0 in) | 150.4–174.8 cm |
| 18 | 176.2 cm (69.4 in) | 162.5–189.4 cm | 163.1 cm (64.2 in) | 150.9–175.3 cm |
Girls are briefly taller than boys around ages 11–13 because their growth spurt starts earlier; boys catch up and pass them by about 14. Girls reach close to adult height around 15–16, boys around 17–18.
Measuring at home
Stand your child barefoot against a wall, heels, bottom and shoulders touching it, looking straight ahead. Lay a hardback book flat on their head, mark the wall under it and measure from the floor. Measure at the same time of day — children are slightly taller in the morning.
Frequently asked questions
Is my child too short if they are below the median?
No. Half of all children are below the median. Between the 25th and 75th percentile is average, and anything above the 3rd percentile is usually within the normal range.
What matters more than one measurement?
The trend. Measure regularly and check that your child keeps following roughly the same percentile line; a steady drop across lines is a reason to see a paediatrician.
Where do the numbers come from?
The CDC 2000 growth charts (public domain) and the WHO Child Growth Standards and Growth Reference 2007, calculated from the official LMS tables. The Chinese option uses the National Health Commission standards WS/T 423—2022 and WS/T 612—2018.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers.