Whether you're a parent curious about your child's growth, a paediatrician looking for a quick reference, or someone who has just measured their child and wants to know where that number sits — this article has what you need.
The charts below show height percentiles for boys and girls at every age from 4 to 16, based on the CDC 2000 growth charts. For each age you'll find the 5th, 25th, 50th (average), 75th, and 95th percentiles, in both centimetres and feet/inches. A child whose height falls anywhere between the 5th and 95th percentile is considered within the normal range.
How to read these charts: The 50th percentile is the average — half of children are taller, half are shorter. The 5th to 95th percentile range is considered normal. What matters most is consistent growth over time, not a single measurement.
Average height for a 4 year old
At age 4, boys and girls are almost identical in height. The average 4 year old stands around 103 cm (3'4"). Growth is steady at this age — roughly 6–7 cm per year.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 97 cm (3'2") | 96 cm (3'2") |
| 25th | 101 cm (3'4") | 100 cm (3'3") |
| 50th (avg) | 103 cm (3'4") | 103 cm (3'4") |
| 75th | 107 cm (3'6") | 105 cm (3'5") |
| 95th | 112 cm (3'8") | 110 cm (3'7") |
Average height for a 5 year old
Age 5 is the typical start of school, and most children are close to 110 cm tall. Boys and girls remain nearly the same height throughout early childhood.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 103 cm (3'4") | 103 cm (3'4") |
| 25th | 108 cm (3'6") | 107 cm (3'6") |
| 50th (avg) | 110 cm (3'7") | 109 cm (3'7") |
| 75th | 114 cm (3'9") | 112 cm (3'8") |
| 95th | 118 cm (3'10") | 117 cm (3'10") |
Average height for a 6 year old
Six year olds average around 116 cm. At this age, height is an excellent proxy for overall health and nutrition — children growing in a consistent percentile channel are developing well.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 109 cm (3'7") | 108 cm (3'6") |
| 25th | 113 cm (3'8") | 113 cm (3'8") |
| 50th (avg) | 116 cm (3'10") | 116 cm (3'10") |
| 75th | 120 cm (3'11") | 119 cm (3'11") |
| 95th | 124 cm (4'1") | 123 cm (4'0") |
Average height for a 7 year old
At 7, the average child is around 122 cm (4'0") — just crossing the four foot mark. Growth velocity stays relatively constant through the pre-pubertal years, adding roughly 5–6 cm per year.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 115 cm (3'9") | 114 cm (3'9") |
| 25th | 119 cm (3'11") | 119 cm (3'11") |
| 50th (avg) | 122 cm (4'0") | 122 cm (4'0") |
| 75th | 126 cm (4'2") | 125 cm (4'1") |
| 95th | 130 cm (4'3") | 130 cm (4'3") |
Average height for an 8 year old
Eight year olds average approximately 128 cm (4'2"). Boys and girls continue to track very closely in height through age 8.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 120 cm (3'11") | 119 cm (3'11") |
| 25th | 125 cm (4'1") | 124 cm (4'1") |
| 50th (avg) | 128 cm (4'2") | 128 cm (4'2") |
| 75th | 132 cm (4'4") | 132 cm (4'4") |
| 95th | 136 cm (4'5") | 137 cm (4'6") |
Want to know how tall your child will be as an adult?
Our free height predictor uses the science-based Khamis-Roche method to give you an evidence-based estimate.
Try the Height PredictorAverage height for a 9 year old
At 9, the average height is around 133–134 cm. Some girls begin the early stages of puberty around this age, though it rarely affects height noticeably until 10–11.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 125 cm (4'1") | 124 cm (4'1") |
| 25th | 130 cm (4'3") | 130 cm (4'3") |
| 50th (avg) | 133 cm (4'4") | 134 cm (4'5") |
| 75th | 138 cm (4'6") | 138 cm (4'6") |
| 95th | 143 cm (4'8") | 143 cm (4'8") |
Average height for a 10 year old
At 10, girls start to pull slightly ahead of boys on average, as the female growth spurt typically begins 1–2 years earlier. The average 10 year old boy stands around 138 cm; the average girl is around 139 cm.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 130 cm (4'3") | 130 cm (4'3") |
| 25th | 135 cm (4'5") | 136 cm (4'5") |
| 50th (avg) | 138 cm (4'6") | 139 cm (4'7") |
| 75th | 144 cm (4'9") | 144 cm (4'9") |
| 95th | 149 cm (4'11") | 150 cm (4'11") |
Average height for an 11 year old
By age 11, girls are typically 2–4 cm taller than boys on average. The spread within each sex begins to widen significantly as children enter and progress through puberty at different rates.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 134 cm (4'5") | 135 cm (4'5") |
| 25th | 140 cm (4'7") | 142 cm (4'8") |
| 50th (avg) | 144 cm (4'9") | 146 cm (4'9") |
| 75th | 150 cm (4'11") | 151 cm (4'11") |
| 95th | 157 cm (5'2") | 158 cm (5'2") |
Average height for a 12 year old
Age 12 is where the charts begin to diverge most noticeably. Many girls are in the middle of their growth spurt; most boys haven't yet begun theirs. The average 12 year old girl (152 cm / 5'0") is typically taller than the average 12 year old boy (151 cm / 4'11"), and the spread in heights within each sex is wider than at any earlier age.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 140 cm (4'7") | 142 cm (4'8") |
| 25th | 147 cm (4'10") | 148 cm (4'10") |
| 50th (avg) | 151 cm (4'11") | 152 cm (5'0") |
| 75th | 158 cm (5'2") | 157 cm (5'2") |
| 95th | 165 cm (5'5") | 164 cm (5'5") |
Average height for a 13 year old
By 13, most girls are past peak height velocity and approaching their final adult height. Boys, by contrast, are typically entering or in the early stages of their growth spurt. The result is a wide spread of heights in both sexes, with percentile ranges overlapping considerably.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 146 cm (4'9") | 147 cm (4'10") |
| 25th | 154 cm (5'1") | 154 cm (5'1") |
| 50th (avg) | 160 cm (5'3") | 157 cm (5'2") |
| 75th | 167 cm (5'6") | 161 cm (5'3") |
| 95th | 174 cm (5'9") | 167 cm (5'6") |
Average height for a 14 year old
At 14, boys are now growing rapidly and begin to surpass girls in average height. Most girls are within 2–3 cm of their final adult height by 14. Boys still have significant growth ahead — often 8–12 cm after age 14.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 154 cm (5'1") | 150 cm (4'11") |
| 25th | 163 cm (5'4") | 156 cm (5'1") |
| 50th (avg) | 168 cm (5'6") | 160 cm (5'3") |
| 75th | 174 cm (5'9") | 164 cm (5'5") |
| 95th | 181 cm (5'11") | 169 cm (5'7") |
Average height for a 15 year old
By 15, most girls have reached their final adult height or are within 1 cm of it. Boys are still growing, with the average 15 year old boy standing around 174 cm (5'9"). Boys who entered puberty late may still be in the middle of a rapid growth phase at 15.
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 160 cm (5'3") | 151 cm (4'11") |
| 25th | 169 cm (5'7") | 157 cm (5'2") |
| 50th (avg) | 174 cm (5'9") | 161 cm (5'3") |
| 75th | 179 cm (5'10") | 165 cm (5'5") |
| 95th | 186 cm (6'1") | 170 cm (5'7") |
Average height for a 16 year old
At 16, girls are essentially at their adult height. Boys are close but may add another 1–3 cm through age 17–18 as the growth plates finish closing. The average 16 year old boy is 176 cm (5'9"); the average girl is 162 cm (5'4").
| Percentile | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 163 cm (5'4") | 152 cm (5'0") |
| 25th | 172 cm (5'8") | 158 cm (5'2") |
| 50th (avg) | 176 cm (5'9") | 162 cm (5'4") |
| 75th | 182 cm (6'0") | 166 cm (5'5") |
| 95th | 188 cm (6'2") | 171 cm (5'7") |
What counts as a normal height?
Any height between the 5th and 95th percentile for a child's age and sex is considered within the clinically normal range. This means that a wide variety of heights are perfectly healthy — the charts above show that normal spans nearly 15 cm at most ages.
More importantly, growth charts are designed to be read over time. A child who consistently tracks at the 25th percentile is growing normally. A child who was tracking at the 75th percentile and drops to the 25th percentile over a year warrants a closer look, even though both measurements are within the "normal" range.
Trend matters more than snapshot. Paediatricians pay more attention to whether a child is following a consistent growth channel than to any single measurement. A single reading tells you where your child is today. The growth trajectory tells you whether their development is on track.
When to talk to a doctor
Most height differences between children are simply genetic — one family runs tall, another runs short. However, there are situations where a paediatrician's assessment is worthwhile:
- Your child's height falls below the 3rd percentile for their age and sex
- Your child's height has dropped across two major percentile channels (e.g., from 50th to below 25th) over 6–12 months
- Your child is growing less than 4–5 cm per year during childhood (pre-puberty)
- There are other signs of concern, such as delayed puberty, fatigue, or unexplained weight changes
Short stature in itself is not a medical problem if it reflects family patterns and the child is growing consistently. A paediatrician can assess whether a child's height trajectory is within normal variation or requires further investigation.
How these charts relate to adult height prediction
These percentile charts tell you where your child stands right now relative to peers their age. They don't tell you how tall your child will be as an adult. Adult height prediction is a separate calculation, based on the child's current height, age, sex, and the heights of both biological parents.
The most validated non-radiographic method for predicting adult height is the Khamis-Roche method, which uses mid-parental height alongside current measurements to produce an estimate with a confidence range. This is the method used in the free height predictor on kidscale.io.
Data Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). CDC Growth Charts: United States. Developed from NHANES I, II, and III data. National Center for Health Statistics.
- World Health Organization. (2006). WHO Child Growth Standards: Length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age. WHO Press, Geneva.
- Grummer-Strawn LM, Reinold C, Krebs NF. (2010). Use of World Health Organization and CDC Growth Charts for Children Aged 0–59 Months in the United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports, 59(RR-9):1–15.
- Khamis HJ, Roche AF. (1994). Predicting adult stature without using skeletal age: the Khamis-Roche method. Pediatrics, 94(4):504–507.
info Medical disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Height percentile data is based on population averages and individual variation is normal. If you have concerns about your child's growth, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.