The average height of Indian females has seen an upward trend in recent decades, though it still remains below the global average. Factors like genetics, nutrition, living standards and access to healthcare play an important role in determining height.
What is the average height of Indian females?
According to data from various studies and surveys, the average height of Indian females is around 5 feet to 5 feet 2 inches. However, there is some variation across different regions and ethnic groups.
A large scale national nutrition survey conducted in 2016-18 found the average height of Indian women between the ages of 20-25 years to be 153.5 cm or approximately 5 feet 0.5 inches.
Another study published in 2014 examined the heights of over 275,000 Indian women across various states. It found the average height to be 151.8 cm or 4 feet 11.6 inches.
Among different ethnic groups, females from South India were generally shorter with an average height of 149.5 cm while those from North-East and North India were taller at 154.7 cm.
Urban females were taller on average (153 cm) compared to their rural counterparts (149.9 cm).
Overall, these studies indicate the average adult Indian female height to be in the range of 150-155 cm or between 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 1 inch.
How does this compare globally?
The average height of Indian females is lower than the global average and that of females in most developed nations.
According to data from 2014, the global average female height was 159 cm or 5 feet 2.7 inches.
Indian females were shorter on average compared to females from countries like the Netherlands (170 cm), Latvia (169 cm), Estonia (167 cm) and the United States (163 cm).
However, the average Indian female was taller than her counterparts in some South Asian and Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia (149 cm), Philippines (149 cm) and Bangladesh (149.4 cm).
So while Indian females are still shorter than global averages, they are taller than women from some neighboring developing countries.
Height trends over time
The average height of Indian females has been steadily increasing over the past few decades:
- In 1975, the average female height was 142.2 cm or 4 feet 8 inches
- By 1995 it had increased to 148.3 cm or 4 feet 10.3 inches
- In 2014-18 surveys, the average was between 150-155 cm or 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 1 inch
This indicates an overall gain of 8-13 cm or 3-5 inches in average female height over the past 40-50 years.
Some key reasons for this sustained increase are:
- Improved nutrition and diet – Increased intake of proteins, calories and micronutrients
- Decline in undernutrition and food insecurity
- Better public health and hygiene
- Access to healthcare and disease control
- Higher incomes and living standards
Going forward, female heights are expected to continue rising as nutrition and socioeconomic conditions improve across urban and rural areas.
Factors impacting height
Some key factors that influence height include:
Genetics
Genetics plays a major role in determining height. Offspring tend to be within the height range of parents and ethnic groups have typical height ranges based on ancestry. For instance, people from the North-East tend to be taller on average compared to those from South India.
Nutrition
Adequate nutrition right from infancy through adolescence is crucial for gaining height. Deficiencies in calories, protein, vitamins and minerals can restrict growth.
Healthcare
Good healthcare ensures proper immunization, disease prevention and treatment during childhood. This helps avoid stunting of growth due to infections.
Socioeconomic Status
Higher incomes enable access to better nutrition, sanitation and healthcare – all of which influence growth and final height.
Rural girls tend to be shorter than urban girls in India due to factors like undernutrition and infections being more common in villages.
Public Health
Access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene practices reduce infections that can inhibit growth. Government programs and interventions promoting child health also play a key role.
Height trends by region
Average female heights in India vary across different regions and states. Some key patterns include:
North and North-East India
States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir in the north and Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya in the north-east have taller than average females. For instance, average female height in Mizoram is over 157 cm.
South India
Females from states in south India like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu tend to be shorter than the national average. For example, average female height in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is around 149 cm.
Central and West India
States like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra have average female heights close to the national figure in the 150-155 cm range.
East India
Eastern states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal show lower than average heights generally below 152 cm.
Differences in ethnicity, diet patterns, living standards and access to healthcare contribute to these regional variances.
Urban versus rural heights
A consistent pattern seen is taller average female heights in urban areas compared to rural parts of India.
| Residence | Average female height |
|---|---|
| Urban | 153 cm |
| Rural | 149.9 cm |
Some factors contributing to this urban-rural difference are:
- Better nutrition and lower malnutrition rates in cities
- Higher household incomes and living standards in urban areas
- More sanitary conditions and access to healthcare in cities
- Prevalence of open defecation and certain infections in villages
Going forward, the gap in height is likely to reduce as rural infrastructure, health services and awareness improve across the country.
Height distribution across percentiles
While the average provides a convenient single number summary, the distribution of heights also provides useful insights.
Here is the distribution of heights for Indian females aged 20-25 years as per the latest national survey data:
| Height Percentile | Height (cm) |
|---|---|
| 5th | 142.5 |
| 10th | 145.2 |
| 25th | 149.4 |
| 50th (Median) | 153.3 |
| 75th | 156.8 |
| 90th | 160.1 |
| 95th | 162.1 |
Key observations:
- Only 5% of females are shorter than 142.5 cm while 5% are taller than 162 cm
- Half the population falls within 153.3 cm (+/- 3.5 cm)
- There is significant overlap in heights between shorter and taller states
- While averages differ, tall and short women can be found across regions
The height distribution highlights that while genetics and environment influence average heights, substantial individual variation exists.
Growth charts for Indian girls
Growth charts and percentile curves provide height-for-age patterns from birth through adolescence for a reference population.
These standard growth charts help monitor whether a particular child’s height is appropriate for their age and gender. Falling under the 5th or below 3rd percentile may indicate stunting and inadequate growth.
The following chart shows height-for-age percentiles for Indian girls from birth to 20 years, based on WHO Child Growth Standards:
Key aspects:
- Birth length is around 50 cm on average
- Rapid growth in infancy with gain of 25 cm in first year
- Steady height gain of 5-7 cm annually up to age 2 years
- Height increase slows to 3-5 cm per year during mid-childhood
- Growth spurt occurs around puberty and lasts 2-3 years
- Adult height reached between 16-18 years
Factors like chronic malnutrition early in life can restrict growth and prevent girls from reaching their height potential.
Projected height increases
Based on current height trends over the past decades, average female heights in India are projected to increase further in the coming years:
- Average height may reach around 153.5 cm by 2025
- Projections indicate it could reach 155 cm by 2040
- By 2060, average female height could be between 156-158 cm
This would bring India closer to the current global average but still below heights of females in developed nations.
Sustained improvements in healthcare access, sanitation, income levels and nutrition across urban and rural areas are essential to achieve these projected height increases.
Significance of average height
The average height of a population serves as an important indicator of living standards.
In particular, female height provides insights into a society’s overall health and inequality.
Taller average heights suggest better nutrition, public health practices and access to healthcare. As a result, female height is associated with many health and socioeconomic parameters:
- Taller women tend to have fewer pregnancy complications
- Their children have higher birth weights
- Incidence of diabetes, heart disease and cancers tends to be lower
- Greater height is linked to higher education levels and incomes
However, very tall stature may sometimes indicate hormonal or other problems if too far outside the normal range.
In general, moderate height with minimal inequality is ideal for a population rather than uniform short stature.
Conclusion
The average height of Indian females has steadily increased over the past few decades but remains below the global average. Current estimates range between 150-155 cm across studies. Urban females tend to be taller than their rural counterparts. Considerable regional variation is also seen with shorter statures in South India and taller heights in the North-East.
Sustained improvements in nutrition, sanitation and healthcare access can help enhance average heights. Growth monitoring programs should also identify children, especially girls, falling behind their height potential and provide interventions to prevent stunting.
Increased female heights signify better public health and reducing gender inequality. However, maximizing average heights should not override individual variation arising from genetics and other factors.