Height Percentile Calculator

Created by Dominika Śmiałek, MD, PhD candidate
Reviewed by Dominik Czernia, PhD and Jack Bowater
Based on research by
The WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study WHO Child Growth Standards;; 2006
Last updated: Oct 29, 2023


Have you recently wondered, how tall is your child compared to others, or whether your child's development is correct? With this height percentile calculator, you will check your child's height percentile, as well as what a height chart for boys and girls looks like. And that's not all; in the article below, we will explain the purpose of percentile calculators (including head circumference percentile calculator or weight percentile calculator), how to find percentiles, and, in the end, give you an example of how to use this tool.

💡 We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace a professional doctor's assessment. All information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical consultation. Always consult your results with a health care provider.

Height percentile assessment - what's the purpose?

A child's development in the first few years of their life is not constant - every kid has periods of excessive growth (making all of their clothes too small before school starts🎓) as well as intervals in which their height remains the same. Therefore, the WHO (World Health Organization) developed growth charts, boys and girls-adjusted. They are based on data collected from thousands of children all over the world.

Proper height percentile boy, and height percentile girl assessments should be done during every pediatric visit. It's important to know that parent's height, and therefore genetic factors, strongly influence the child's future height (check with our height calculator). Also puberty can come at any time, which means that the kid could have their growth spurt a bit later. That's why a visit to the doctor's and a thorough medical history might help find the answer to any developmental disorders.

Height percentile calculator - instructions of use

There are a couple of steps you should follow to answer the question: "How to find percentile?," or maybe you're curious about "How tall am I, among my peers?". To use this tool, please:

  1. Give us some details:

    • Age of the child (either in weeks, months or years);
    • Whether it's a boy or a girl (height percentile girl differs from height percentile boy).
  2. The length or height of your child. Remember that you can easily switch between units within the calculator.

After all of that, you will receive the results.

How to interpret height chart for boys and girls

After filling in all the fields in the height percentile calculator, you'll see some figures. As you've seen in the previous part, the first number is the exact height percentile girl (or boy) result. Below there is the range in which that percentile lies, e.g., between the 15th and 50th percentiles. This would mean that 50% of children are taller than the kid, while 15% are shorter.

The most important thing about height percentile charts is that they let the physician follow the child's development. The percentiles aren't strict indicators - the child needs to be assessed as a whole.
If a child follows a similar percentile canal during their growth, and the results from other measurement charts are similar, it is okay. Similar meaning no significant differences between height, weight, BMI, and head circumference charts. A child may be small and stay below the 15th percentile all the time and be perfectly healthy at the same time. However, a difference of more than two canals should cause concern and require an urgent pediatrician consultation.

Height percentile boy/height percentile girl - important facts

Doctors consider the rate of growth as an important factor when looking at the height chart for boys and girls:

  1. On average, the child should follow a similar percentile channel on the chart as they grow.
  2. If the results cross two or more percentile lines (they raise/decrease by at least two ranges), e.g., from the 75th-85th percentile to the 15th-25th percentile, you should consult a doctor.
WHO height for age chart - girls
Girls chart - height for age, World Health Organization; Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
WHO height for age chart - boys
Boys chart - height for age, World Health Organization; Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Our data derives from the WHO (World Health Organization), and the standards that were developed using data collected in the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study. The data only covers children aged up to 5 years.

How to find percentile in practice

Let's put theory into practice and work on an example. Anthony is a 45 years old father of an only child. The child has recently turned fourteen and seems healthy. During regular check-ups, the pediatrician measures Anthony and checks the result with a WHO height percentile chart.

The physician calculated his percentiles with this height percentile calculator: age: 14 years, sex: boy, height: 160 cm.

The results were: between 50th and 75th percentile.

We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace a professional doctor's assessment. If any health condition bothers you, consult a physician.

FAQ

How to calculate the height percentile for a two year old 34-inch tall boy?

This boy is between 25th and 50th height percentile. To find it, you need to:

  1. Know the child's gender;
  2. Know the exact age of a child;
  3. Know their height/length; and
  4. Check their position on the special charts, e.g., WHO height for age charts.

What does the 75th percentile mean for height?

75th percentile for height means that you are taller than 75% of the people of your sex and age. Of course, that also means only 25% of your peers of the same gender are taller than you.

What height represents the 95th percentile calculator?

It depends on the exact age of the child. For example:

  • For a two-year-old boy, it's around 36.1 inches;
  • For a three-month-old infant girl, it's roughly 25 inches;
  • For a 16-year-old teenage girl, it's around 6 ft 1 inches.

What is the normal percentile for height?

Anything but the exceptions listed below can be normal — as long as a child develops properly and is regularly seen by a pediatrician. Remember that:

  • The child should follow similar percentile canals as they grow.
  • If the child crosses two or more percentile lines as they grow, you should see a pediatrician.
Dominika Śmiałek, MD, PhD candidate
Age
mos
Sex
Girl ♀️
Height / Length
ft
Results
Check out other percentile caculators:

✔️ Weight
✔️ Head circumference
✔️ BMI

This tool is based on WHO's child growth standards.
Check out 7 similar percentile calculators 👶
Baby percentileBirthweight percentileChild BMI percentile… 4 more
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