What is the Average Weight and Height for Women?

When it comes to defining human beings, the word “average” is a difficult one to work with. People come in so many shapes and sizes that it is hard to come up with a definition of what may be average. But when we reduce this study to only numbers we might be able to state what the average weight and height are for women.

Modern Measure

One of the problems with stating the average weight and height for women or men is that adults in the United States in 2002 are an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier than the average adult in the U.S. was 40 years ago. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) people are just bigger overall. The most disturbing numbers are the 25 pounds of additional weight and the body mass index (BMI) number that has increased significantly since 1960.
The definition for body mass index used by CDC is: BMI is a number calculated from a person’s weight relative to height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. The “average” woman in 1960 isn’t the same as the “average” woman of 2002.

The Numbers

CDC records show that women between 20 and 74 years of age were just over 5’3” tall in 1960 and are now, on average, 5’4” tall. The average woman in 1960 weighed 140 pounds but women, on average, weigh 164 pounds today. Records for men in the same age group show similar increases in height and weight.

When the numbers are broken down by age group these are the results: 20 to 29 – 29 pounds heavier; 40 to 49 – 25.5 pounds heavier; 60 to 74 – 17.5 pounds heavier. It’s also interesting to note that the average 10-year-old girl weighed 77 pounds in 1960 but a 10-year-old girl in 2002, on average, weighed 88 pounds. A similar 10-pound increase was noted for an average 15-year-old girl.
Height Too?

In general terms, people are also taller, with 10-year-old girls, on average, being an inch taller. A 15-year-old girl, however, is about the same height, on average. But this isn’t the most disturbing figure (no pun intended). The CDC study shows that in 1963, the average 7-year-old girl had a body mass index of 15.8. This increased to 16.6 in the 40-year period. For 16-year-old girls, the average BMI increased from 21.9 to 24.0.

Weight charts show suggested/recommended averages for women with small, medium and large “frames.” For example, a 5’4” woman with a large frame should probably weight from 131 to 147 pounds. This compares to the CDC average of 164. That weight, in relation to height, isn’t reached on the charts until a woman with a large frame is 5’7” tall. These numbers vary from one chart to another, just as they might from one study to another. But the truth is the average woman in the United States is now 5’4” tall and weighs from 150 to 164 pounds.