Average height in South Africa

The average man in South Africa is 5 ft 7 in (169.6 cm) and the average woman 5 ft 2.5 in (158.6 cm), according to NCD-RisC estimates for 19-year-olds in 2019.

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South Africa ranks 147th of 200 countries and territories for men and 144th for women on the NCD-RisC estimates for 19-year-olds in 2019. Men in the Netherlands, the tallest, are 5.5 in (14.2 cm) taller on that basis. See every country, tallest first.

Near South Africa in the ranking

Rank	Country	Men	Women
147	Micronesia	5 ft 7 in (169.6 cm)	5 ft 3 in (159.7 cm)
147	Nauru	5 ft 7 in (169.6 cm)	5 ft 2 in (157.8 cm)
147	South Africa	5 ft 7 in (169.6 cm)	5 ft 2.5 in (158.6 cm)
151	Eswatini	5 ft 6.5 in (169.4 cm)	5 ft 2.5 in (158.9 cm)
152	Malaysia	5 ft 6.5 in (169.2 cm)	5 ft 2 in (157.1 cm)

Ranked by the average man, on NCD-RisC’s estimates for 19-year-olds in 2019.

South Africa on the map

under 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
5 ft 5 in (165 cm) to 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
5 ft 6 in (168 cm) to 5 ft 7.5 in (171 cm)
5 ft 7.5 in (171 cm) to 5 ft 8.5 in (174 cm)
5 ft 8.5 in (174 cm) to 5 ft 9.5 in (177 cm)
5 ft 9.5 in (177 cm) to 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
5 ft 11 in (180 cm) and over
no NCD-RisC figure

The average man or woman in each country nearby, on NCD-RisC’s estimates for 19-year-olds in 2019; South Africa is outlined. Tap a country for its page, or see the whole world. Map shapes: Natural Earth.

See who is listed at these heights: 5 ft 7 in, closest to the average man, and 5 ft 2 in, closest to the average woman. South Africa also appears in the Southern Africa comparison.

What the study measured

Sample	Population	Year	Method	Source
South Africa	19-year-olds	2019	modelled from measured survey heights	NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, 2020 study

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