The average male height in the United States is 5 feet 9 inches.

Men in the Netherlands have the tallest average height of about 6 feet.

Genetics and nutrition are key factors that influence your height.

The average male height is 5 feet 9 inches in the United States. Genetics, nutrition, and chronic disease heavily influence your height.

The average height of men in the United States who are 20 years or older is 5 feet 9 inches. This average is based on 2015–2016 data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This number is not an indication of how tall a male should be.

Male heights vary across the globe. Socioeconomic factors, like access to quality foods and genetics, play a major role in height differences. The 5-foot-9 average is in the middle of global height averages.

The tallest average male height is found in the Netherlands, with an average of 72.4 inches, or slightly over 6 feet tall.

Southeast Asian countries and Guatemala are among the shortest. Men average about 5 feet 4 inches or slightly shorter. 

Here's how male height compares in other countries:

Germany: 5 feet 11 inches

Bermuda: 5 feet 10 inches

Greece: 5 feet 10 inches

Puerto Rico: 5 feet 10 inches

Australia: 5 feet 10 inches

Canada: 5 feet 10 inches

United Kingdom: 5 feet 10 inches

Brazil: 5 ft 9 inches

South Korea: 5 ft 9 inches

Iran: 5 ft 9 inches

China: 5 ft 9 inches

Mexico: 5 feet 7 inches

Kenya: 5 feet 7 inches

India: 5 feet 5 inches

Philippines: 5 feet 4 inches

These measurements are estimates based on the data available. There are no standard instructions for measuring or reporting height across countries. Slight differences in measurements between countries may exist.

Men, and humans in general, are taller than their ancestors. Ten thousand-year-old male skeletons from Europe measured 5 feet 6 inches, which is about a 3-inch difference from today's U.S. average. 

The average male was an inch shorter in the 1960s than measurements from the 2010s.   

Other countries have seen similar or even more drastic trends. Men in Iran have grown about 6.7 inches over the last 100 years. Researchers noted that this is the largest height gain in the world. 

Increased height tends to be associated with higher socioeconomic status. One theory about why male height has increased is that our lifestyles and technologies have led to better nutrition and healthcare. Similarly, nutrient deficiencies can stunt growth. 

This doesn't mean humans will keep getting taller. Researchers indicate that better nutrition itself isn't necessarily adding height.

Access to optimal nutrition and healthcare allows people to reach their full potential and pass on "tall" genes.

A person's genetics, hormones during puberty, and environment play a major role in development.

Height is an inherited trait influenced by multiple gene variants. Research has identified more than 700 common gene variants that affect height. 

You are likely to have a shorter height, for example, if your parents are short and you don't have an underlying health condition affecting your growth.  

Doctors can calculate your genetic height potential (your estimated adult height) by finding the mid-parental height. Your mid-parental height is an average height between your two parents and is essentially an educated guess.

Children and adolescents need nutrients from food to grow and reach their height potential. Children who experience malnutrition (a lack of nutrients) may have stunted growth.

Specific nutrients like protein are linked to taller men. 

Men in northern and central Europe, with the highest average male heights, eat the most animal proteins, including dairy. Men in East Asia, which has the shortest average male height, eat more foods that are not as protein-rich, like rice. 

Having certain chronic disorders, especially as a child, may affect your growth. Conditions that make it hard to absorb nutrients from your food can stunt your growth as a child. 

Some conditions often associated with decreased nutrient absorption and shorter heights include:

Stunted growth in childhood might affect your height in adulthood. Adverse events in childhood, such as the death of a parent, may impact puberty timing and ultimate height. 

Gigantism, or extremely tall height, can be caused by a few different conditions. They cause the body to create too much growth hormone.

These conditions include:  

Extremely short height is considered dwarfism, which can affect height in two ways: proportionate short stature (PSS) and disproportionate short stature (DSS).

PSS means the arms, legs, and trunk are proportionately small. DSS means the limbs or trunk are significantly smaller and disproportionate to the body.

An underlying genetic condition usually causes dwarfism, including:

Bone diseases (e.g., achondroplasia)

Endocrine disorders 

Growth hormone deficiencies

Many people start to lose height as they get older, as bones and tissues weaken. You can start getting shorter after age 40. However, height loss typically becomes more rapid after age 70.

Aging typically leads to declines in muscle mass and bone density, which can cause you to become shorter over time.

Regularly seeing a doctor can also help monitor your bone health to prevent and treat bone loss. 

Find a flat wall with a mirror directly across from it. You could also place a standing mirror in front of your wall. 

Follow these steps to measure your height accurately:

Stand tall against the wall, with the back of your heels touching the wall and your shoulders flat against the surface. Your head should not touch the wall.

Place a stiff, flat object, such as a hardcover book, piece of cardboard, or cutting board, on top of your head and slide it back until it touches the wall and the top of your head.

Look into a mirror to ensure the object is parallel to the floor and your posture isn’t slumped or leaning.

Mark a short horizontal line with tape where your flat object hits the wall and touches your head. This will be the bottom side of your object.

Put the object down, grab a tape measure, and measure from the floor to the mark to record your height.

Your height may not fall on an exact measurement. You can measure your height to the nearest one-eighth inch.