On the WHO growth reference, the median height is 156.7cm (5’1.7”) for both boys and girls at 13, then 163.7cm for boys and 160.0cm for girls at 14, 169.4cm and 161.8cm at 15, and 173.1cm and 162.6cm at 16. These are estimates for a typical child, and healthy teenagers fall well above and below them.
Average height by age: boys and girls
The table gives the WHO median plus the 3rd and 97th percentiles, which together contain 94 out of 100 children. Ages are “just after the birthday”, the points WHO tabulates (for example 13 years 1 month).
| Age | Boys: 3rd | Boys: median | Boys: 97th | Girls: 3rd | Girls: median | Girls: 97th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 142.7cm | 156.7cm | 170.7cm | 143.6cm | 156.7cm | 169.8cm |
| 14 | 149.2cm | 163.7cm | 178.2cm | 147.0cm | 160.0cm | 173.0cm |
| 15 | 154.7cm | 169.4cm | 184.1cm | 148.9cm | 161.8cm | 174.7cm |
| 16 | 158.5cm | 173.1cm | 187.7cm | 149.9cm | 162.6cm | 175.3cm |
In feet and inches, the medians are 5’1.7” at 13 (both sexes), then 5’4.4” and 5’3.0” at 14, 5’6.7” and 5’3.7” at 15, and 5’8.1” and 5’4.0” at 16, boys first.
The 3rd and 97th percentile figures are calculated from WHO’s published median and spread for each age, using the standard method for this reference.
| Name | Height |
|---|---|
| Girl, 14 (median) | 160 cm |
| Boy, 14 (median) | 163.7 cm |
| Girl, 16 (median) | 162.6 cm |
| Boy, 16 (median) | 173.1 cm |
How much do teenagers grow each year?
Subtracting one median from the next gives the typical yearly gain at each stage. The pattern is clear: girls slow down early and boys keep going.
| Between ages | Boys gain (median) | Girls gain (median) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 and 14 | 7.0cm | 3.3cm |
| 14 and 15 | 5.7cm | 1.8cm |
| 15 and 16 | 3.7cm | 0.8cm |
At 13 the medians are identical, which is why boys and girls look similar in height in a Year 8 classroom. A year later the boys’ median is 3.7cm higher, and by 16 the gap is 10.5cm. Our guides to when girls stop growing and when boys stop growing go into the end of growth in more detail.
The WHO reference shows the typical child, not any individual. A child who is early into puberty will shoot above the median for a year or two and may then level off, while a later developer can sit low for a while and catch up.
Check a specific child
The calculator below is set to a 14-year-old boy of median height. Change the age, sex and height to match your child, and switch between the WHO and CDC references.
Percentile
53rd
At 163.7 cm and age 14, you are taller than approximately 53% of the WHO reference population for your sex.
z-score 0.08
Why is the normal range so wide at 13 and 14?
At 13, the gap between the 3rd and 97th percentile is 28cm for boys and 26.2cm for girls. That is wider than at age 10, when the boys’ range is about 24cm. The reason is timing: puberty starts at different ages, so at 13 some children have had their growth spurt and others have not.
By 16 the girls’ range has narrowed to 25.4cm, while the boys’ has widened to 29.2cm because a late-maturing boy may still have several inches of growing to do. If your child seems very different from classmates, it often reflects timing rather than a difference in eventual height.
Predicting final height is possible only as a rough estimate. Our child height predictor uses the parents’ heights, and the article on how tall your child will be compares four methods.
WHO or CDC: which should I use?
The WHO reference is designed as an international standard. The CDC reference is built from a US sample and can give somewhat different values at the same age, so the same child may land on a slightly different percentile on each chart. Neither is wrong. They answer “compared with which group?”
If you have already read our pages on average height for a 10-year-old or height percentiles explained for parents, the same logic applies here. Look at the child’s pattern across several measurements, not a single reading.
When to talk to a doctor
A child at the 10th percentile who has always grown along that line is following a normal pattern. A change in pattern is what matters, such as dropping across several percentile lines or having a very slow year. If you are worried about your teenager’s growth or puberty, speak to a GP or paediatrician. This page is a reference, not medical advice.
How these figures were calculated
Medians and spread values come from the WHO 2007 growth reference for ages 5 to 19 (height-for-age). WHO publishes this reference with L = 1, so the percentile heights are median x (1 + S x z), where z is -1.8808 for the 3rd percentile and +1.8808 for the 97th. The values here use this site’s tabulated medians and S values at 13, 14, 15 and 16 years 1 month. Yearly gains are differences between consecutive medians. Last reviewed 25 October 2026.
Open the percentile calculator to place your child on the WHO or CDC charts, or open the comparison board to stand two heights side by side.