What Is the Average Adult Male Height and Weight?

While your weight can be a reflection of your current state of health, your height usually isn't. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 80 percent of your height is determined by genetic factors. On the other hand, weight is related to the amount of fat and muscle mass in your body.

If you're curious how you stack up against other men, here are the average heights and weights of men around the world.

‌Read more:‌ The Average Weight and Height of a 15-Year-Old

The average adult American male is 5 feet 9 inches tall, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Average heights vary by race and ethnicity. While the average adult white male is 5 feet 9.5 inches tall, the average adult Hispanic American male is 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Height also varies by country. While the average man is 5 feet, 9 inches tall in America, the average man in the Netherlands is 5 feet, 11 inches tall. The countries with the shortest men include Yemen and Laos, according to a July 2016 report in ‌Epidemiology and Global Health‌, where the average is 5 feet, 2.8 inches.

The average adult American male (20 years and older) is 199.8 pounds, according to the CDC. As with height, averages vary by race and ethnicity. For instance, while the average adult white male weighs 203.4 pounds, the average adult African American male weighs 200.1 pounds. Among adult Hispanic American males, the average weight is 193.7 pounds.

There are a number of factors that influence how tall a person grows, though most of them fall within genetics and environment. If you come from a tall family, you are more likely to fall on the taller end of the spectrum. Height can also vary by environment as well, according to a 2016 article published in ‌Scientific Reports‌. This primarily has to do with the types of cultural foods and abundance of nutrients in the region.

While your weight does depend a bit on genetic factors, for the most part, it depends on your lifestyle choices. If your diet primarily contains unhealthy, high-calorie foods and you get little exercise, you'll likely carry extra weight. Obesity rates are also linked with socioeconomic status, which is determined by factors such as education, income and occupation, according to a September 2020 review in the journal ‌Current Obesity Reports‌. A low socioeconomic status is a risk factor for obesity, per the review.

‌Read more:‌ The Average Weight and Height for a 16-Year-Old

Aside from practicing good posture and selecting slimming clothing, healthy eating and exercise can play a role in your height. Though a proper diet won't necessarily make you grow taller, getting plenty of vitamins and minerals through food sources will make you less likely to lose height as you age. And strength training builds bone density and develops the muscles that you'll need to stand up straight and tall.

If you want to lose weight, your caloric output (the calories you burn each day) should exceed your caloric input (the calories you eat each day), according to the Mayo Clinic. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine and eat a diet rich in fibrous vegetables and protein.