Is 5'6" Tall? Height Percentile
5'6" (167.6 cm) sits at about the 18th percentile for U.S. adult men — shorter than most U.S. men (taller than ~18%).
5'6" = ~18th percentile among U.S. men (average: 5'9").
- Height5'6" (167.6 cm)
- Male percentile18th
- vs. male average-2.9"
- vs. female average+2.5"
Source: CDC/NCHS anthropometric reference data (NHANES 2021–2023, measured).
U.S. male height percentiles (CDC, measured)
| Height | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 5′3.9″ | 5th |
| 5′5″ | 10th |
| 5′6.9″ | 25th |
| 5′9″ | 50th |
| 5′10.9″ | 75th |
| 6′0.7″ | 90th |
| 6′1.7″ | 95th |
CDC/NCHS NHANES 2021–2023, measured heights (self-reports typically add ~an inch). Percentiles between anchors are interpolated. Women’s average: 5'3½" — 5'6" is 2.5" above it.
5'6", honestly
At 168 cm, 5'6" is shorter than most U.S. men (taller than ~18%). Height percentiles are stable across recent decades — U.S. averages have been flat for ~50 years — and age shifts them slightly: men in their 20s average ~5′9.4″ while men over 70 measure over an inch shorter. Nearby: 5′4″ · 5′5″ · 5′7″ · 5′8″.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5'6" tall?
For U.S. adult men, 5'6" is at about the 18th percentile — shorter than most U.S. men (taller than ~18%). Against women (average 5'3½"), 5'6" is well above average.
What is 5'6" in centimeters?
167.6 cm.
Is 5'6" short for a man?
It's below the 5'9" average, though within one standard deviation of typical — and far more men are in this range than dating-app filters suggest.
Sources & methodology
Sources: CDC/NCHS Series 3 No. 50.
Male percentiles from measured NHANES tables (interpolated between published anchors); female comparison uses the published mean.