Height Converter
Convert height between centimeters, meters, and feet and inches instantly. See where your height stands relative to national and global averages with reference data by country and sex.
Enter your values above to see the results.
Tips & Notes
- ✓The conversion factor 1 inch = 2.54 cm is an exact defined value, not an approximation — all metric-imperial height conversions derive from this single defined relationship.
- ✓For BMI calculations, always use height in the same unit system as the weight input — mixing imperial weight with metric height (or vice versa) is the most common source of wildly incorrect BMI results.
- ✓Height measured barefoot on a flat, hard surface in the morning (when spine is most extended after sleep) is approximately 1 cm taller than afternoon measurements when vertebral discs have compressed from standing.
- ✓Clinical heights are measured with a stadiometer (wall-mounted measuring device) in bare feet, standing straight with heels, buttocks, and back of head against the wall. Self-measured heights using a door frame are reliable when done correctly.
- ✓Adults lose approximately 1–3 cm of height over their lifetime due to vertebral disc compression and postural changes — this is normal and does not affect BMI calculations significantly.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Entering height in the wrong units for a calculator — entering 175 in an imperial field (reading it as 175 inches = 14.6 feet = 445 cm) vs a metric field (175 cm = 5 ft 9 in) produces wildly different BMI results.
- ✗Rounding feet aggressively — 5 ft 8.9 in rounds to 5 ft 9 in (common), not to 5 ft 8 in. Using 5 ft 8 in for someone who is 175 cm underestimates height by 2.5 cm.
- ✗Measuring height with shoes on and not correcting — typical shoes add 2–4 cm, which affects BMI calculations and medical assessments.
- ✗Converting height once and forgetting to update if different measurement conventions are used — US medical records use feet/inches; UK records increasingly use centimeters; some calculators require meters.
- ✗Comparing personal height to population averages from different decades — average heights have increased significantly over the past century, so historical reference data underestimates current population heights.
Height Converter Overview
Height conversion is straightforward arithmetic — but having the reference data to contextualize your height against population averages, and understanding the conventions used in different countries, makes the numbers more meaningful.
Height conversion formulas:
Height conversion formulas: Centimeters to feet/inches: Total inches = cm ÷ 2.54 Feet = floor(total inches ÷ 12) Remaining inches = total inches − (feet × 12) Feet/inches to centimeters: cm = (feet × 12 + inches) × 2.54 Meters to feet: feet = meters × 3.28084 Feet to meters: meters = feet × 0.3048
EX: Convert 175 cm to feet and inches Total inches = 175 ÷ 2.54 = 68.898 inches Feet = floor(68.898 ÷ 12) = floor(5.741) = 5 feet Remaining inches = 68.898 − (5 × 12) = 68.898 − 60 = 8.898 inches ≈ 8.9 inches Result: 175 cm = 5 feet 8.9 inches → typically written as 5 ft 9 in (rounding to nearest inch) EX: Convert 5 ft 11 in to centimeters Total inches = (5 × 12) + 11 = 60 + 11 = 71 inches cm = 71 × 2.54 = 180.34 cm Result: 5 ft 11 in ≈ 180 cm
Common height conversions — quick reference:
Key height reference points: Average male height globally: approximately 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) Average female height globally: approximately 159 cm (5 ft 3 in) Average male height US: approximately 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) Average female height US: approximately 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) Tallest average populations: Netherlands (male 183 cm), Latvia (female 170 cm) Shortest average populations: Timor-Leste, Guatemala, Philippines (~160 cm male) Height percentile at 180 cm (male): approximately 80th percentile in the US
EX: BMI calculation with common height entry errors Person reports height as "6 feet" — correctly entered as 183 cm Person accidentally enters 6.0 as feet+inches without converting → calculator reads as 6 feet 0 inches = 183 cm ✓ Person enters 160 meaning 160 cm, but in imperial mode → calculator reads as 160 inches = 406 cm ✗ Always verify which measurement system the calculator is set to before entering height. A BMI calculated with height in inches instead of feet will produce a wildly incorrect result.
Average adult heights by country:
| Country | Average male height | Average female height |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Germany / Sweden / Denmark | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) |
| United States | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) |
| United Kingdom | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) |
| Australia | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Japan | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) |
| India | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) | 153 cm (5 ft 0 in) |
| World average | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 159 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
Height percentiles for US adults:
| Height (cm) | Height (ft/in) | US male percentile (approx) | US female percentile (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 152 cm | 5 ft 0 in | 1st percentile | 15th percentile |
| 160 cm | 5 ft 3 in | 5th percentile | 50th percentile |
| 168 cm | 5 ft 6 in | 25th percentile | 85th percentile |
| 175 cm | 5 ft 9 in | 50th percentile | 97th percentile |
| 183 cm | 6 ft 0 in | 80th percentile | Above 99th percentile |
| 190 cm | 6 ft 3 in | 96th percentile | — |
Height is largely determined by genetics (estimated 60–80% heritable) with significant environmental contribution from nutrition, health, and sleep during childhood and adolescence. Adult height is essentially fixed once growth plates close (typically 16–18 for girls, 18–21 for boys). Average heights have increased significantly over the past century in most countries due to improved nutrition and reduced childhood disease burden — the Netherlands, for example, has seen a 20 cm increase in average male height since the 1800s. Height continues to decrease slightly with age after 40–50 as vertebral discs compress, typically 1–3 cm over the lifetime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Divide your height in centimeters by 2.54 to get total inches. Then divide total inches by 12 to find feet (taking the whole number), and the remainder is the additional inches. For example, 175 cm divided by 2.54 equals 68.9 inches. Divide 68.9 by 12 to get 5 remainder 8.9 — so 175 cm = 5 feet 8.9 inches, typically written as 5 ft 9 in when rounding to the nearest inch. Quick reference: 150 cm ≈ 4 ft 11 in, 160 cm ≈ 5 ft 3 in, 170 cm ≈ 5 ft 7 in, 180 cm ≈ 5 ft 11 in, 190 cm ≈ 6 ft 3 in.
Average heights vary significantly by country and have increased over the past century with improved nutrition. In the United States, the average adult male height is approximately 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) and average female height is approximately 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) based on CDC NHANES data. Globally, the Netherlands has the tallest average male population (approximately 183 cm / 6 ft 0 in) and Latvia has the tallest average female population (approximately 170 cm / 5 ft 7 in). The global average is approximately 171 cm for males and 159 cm for females. These averages have increased by 10–20 cm since the 1800s in most developed countries due to better childhood nutrition.
Height is used in nearly every health calculation as a normalizing factor for body size. BMI uses height squared to account for the expected increase in weight with height. Ideal weight formulas add a fixed amount per inch over a base height to account for increasing bone and muscle mass in taller frames. Calorie needs (TDEE) incorporate height because taller people have more body surface area and total tissue mass to maintain. Drug dosing sometimes uses body surface area (which depends on height) to adjust doses for patient size. In clinical contexts, inaccurate height measurements propagate errors into every derived calculation — which is why medical measurements always use a stadiometer in bare feet.
Yes — most people are approximately 1–2 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. During sleep, the spine is horizontal and there is no gravitational compression on the intervertebral discs. Over the course of the day, standing and sitting compress the discs slightly, reducing height. For consistency in tracking height over time, measure at the same time of day under the same conditions. Clinical height measurements are typically taken at any time of day, making them slightly variable. When comparing height measurements taken at different times, a 1 cm difference may simply reflect this natural diurnal variation rather than a true change.
Research comparing self-reported height to clinically measured height finds a consistent systematic overestimation: men report themselves as approximately 1.2 cm taller than measured; women as approximately 0.8 cm taller. Older adults show larger discrepancies because they may be reporting their peak adult height from decades earlier rather than current height. These systematic biases are clinically relevant because self-reported height is used to calculate BMI in large population surveys — the slight overestimation of height results in a slight underestimation of BMI at the population level. For personal health calculations, measuring against a wall stadiometer or door frame with correct technique gives more accurate results than self-estimation.
Height is approximately 60–80% determined by genetics — the height of both parents is the strongest predictor of a child's adult height. A simple estimate of genetic height potential: average the parents' heights, then add 6.5 cm for males or subtract 6.5 cm for females (in metric terms). The remaining 20–40% of height variation is environmental, primarily determined by childhood nutrition, illness burden, stress, and sleep quality during the growth years. Significant malnutrition or chronic illness during childhood stunts growth permanently. Height growth continues until growth plates (epiphyseal plates) close — typically ages 16–18 for girls and 18–21 for boys. After this, height is essentially fixed, with gradual decline of 1–3 cm beginning around age 40–50 from vertebral compression.