The Average Height of Humans Over Time

The average height of human beings, both men and women, has fluctuated throughout history. In some countries, heights have yet to reach the same level as thousands of years ago.

Ancient History

Human remains from ancient Greece and Turkey have revealed that the average height of hunter-gatherers was 5 feet, 9 inches for men and 5 feet, 5 inches for women. However, the switch to an agricultural economy led to a fall in average height by 3000 B.C.--to 5 feet, 3 inches and 5 feet exactly, respectively, for men and women. Although average heights have risen again, they are still below ancient levels.

17th and 18th Centuries

At the start of the 17th century, English men and women had average heights of 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 0.5 inches, respectively, and their heights remained more or less constant throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. American colonists grew taller, however; men’s average height was 5 feet, 7.5 inches and women were 5 feet, 3 inches.

Modern Day

The average height of modern Americans is just over 5 feet, 9 inches for men and nearly 5 feet, 4 inches for women. Improved nutrition and the use of antibiotics contributed to an increase in the last 200 years, according to the "Journal of Nutrition."

References

• CERES-ERTI: The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
• Plimoth Plantation: Were They All Shorter Back Then?
• Disabled World: Height Chart of Men and Women in Different Countries