Ideal Male Height: What’s the Perfect Height?

The ideal height for men is a heavily debated topic. The answer varies from ethnicity to ethnicity, country to country, and even woman to woman! This begs the question – does an “ideal” male height that everyone can agree on even exist, or is it just a myth?

What Makes an Ideal Height?

The first thought that comes to many men’s minds when they hear “ideal height” might be that taller is always better. However, the perfect height for you largely depends on what makes you feel most confident.

While the first thing a woman notices about you may be your appearance, a long-term partnership is built on personality and confidence. If you’re happy with your height, it is perfect for you, although height does play a part in how you are perceived.

Correlation Between Attractiveness & Height

Apps like Tinder showcase your appearance to women before anything else. It’s common to see women telling men below 6 feet not to message them. This can be quite disheartening for many men, but 6′ is not the threshold for attractiveness.

The idea of a perfect height goes completely against the variation in preferences shown even amongst people of a similar ethnic distribution – even those who speak the same language!

A study in the UK found that for women, 5’11” is the preferred height for a romantic partner, while the average height of men in the UK is 5’10” [1]. This shows a strong correlation between the average height and the perceived ideal height – the ideal is only an inch taller than the average.

Idealisms Are Not Universal

Attractiveness and height have proven to have a positive correlation in most instances, but the most attractive height is dependent on the country, state, city, and even setting you’re in – and even who you’re talking to.

Most women would want someone who’s not too tall but not too short either. The average woman in the UK stands at 5’4″, making 5’11” a comfortable height for her, but this doesn’t mean all UK women are 5’4″. If you’re talking to a woman who’s 4’10”, then 5’11” may just be too tall for her.

This is why height preferences changes with population – the average Indian woman (5′), or even the average Chinese woman (5’2″), may find a 6′ male partner too tall for comfort. A woman from Denmark, who’s likely to be above 5’4″ [2], is much more likely to find 6-foot tall men within her preferred height range. Again, idealisms are extremely subjective to say the least. 

Does Being Taller Make You Happier?

There is no height requirement for happiness and peace of mind, but although being taller doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be wealthier and happier, it does increase the chances of it.

Taller people tend to earn more than shorter colleagues[3], and they’re also more likely to have received a higher quality education[4]. With better education and cushy jobs, some tall people may be happier than their shorter counterparts, but this is generally thanks to greater self-esteem or better economic circumstances rather than height.

Is Success Genetic?

Height has been attributed to greater success on average and genetics ultimately determine the greater part of your height. So in a way, genetics can be correlated with success, but success comes in many shapes and sizes. There’s plenty of successful people who are shorter than average. In addition, if one receives adequate nutrition then they’re more likely to grow into their fullest potential height. 

Is There a Perfect or Ideal Height?

The short answer – no.

The long answer – it depends on what height you feel content at and what that region or person sees as “ideal”. It’s impossible to aggregate people’s preferences from all over the world and create a height that’s ideal across the board. There’s bound to be at least one woman, or even a man, who wouldn’t find a particular height attractive.

Tall people tend to be happier since even a 1-inch difference in height seems to be as satisfying as a 4% wage increase[5]. Despite this, an insecure tall man will not be happier than a confident short man; the taller man might even consider height reduction, or bone reduction surgery due to their height dysphoria. If you don’t feel fulfilled with your height, you may be thinking about how you can get to the perfect height for you.

Ways to Temporarily Increase Your Height

Though it’s not possible to grow much taller when you’re an adult, there are many ways you can make yourself appear taller.

Exercise – Exercises can help you improve posture, especially stretching exercises such as yoga or pilates. A straighter posture means you’ll appear taller and more commanding, and an improved physique is guaranteed to improve your confidence. Not to mention, exercise is positively correlated with maximizing growth in children. 

Tall shoes – Heels aren’t just for women – men’s shoes come in tall styles that look and help you feel taller.

Heel inserts – If you prefer to wear regular shoes, you can use heel inserts inside your shoes to up your height by an inch or two.

Monochromatic clothes – If you’re looking to improve your fashion sense, you can wear clothes that are the same color from head to toe, like a navy blue jacket paired with a navy blue coat and pants. This helps create a taller silhouette.

How Do I Permanently Increase & Achieve The Ideal Height?

On the other hand, if your anxiety about height is to the point where it causes you discomfort every time you think about it, you might have height dysphoria or height neurosis. Your psyche may not see your current height as a perfect fit. The best course of action here would be to see a mental health professional, and if all else fails or you’re still dissatisfied, limb lengthening surgery may be something worth looking into. 

Modern leg lengthening methods are almost 100% successful[6], and it is a permanent solution to reach your ideal height. Modernization has brought many comforts over the past few centuries, and thankfully, no male or female has to live with low self-esteem from short stature for the rest of their life.

References

[1] Jordan, W. (2014, July 11). The ideal height: 5’6” for a woman, 5’11” for a man. YouGov. https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2014/07/11/ideal-height-56-woman-511-man

[2] World Population Review. (2021). Average Height by Country 2021. World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-height-by-country

[3] Hensley, W. E., & Cooper, R. (1987). Height and Occupational Success: A Review and Critique. Psychological Reports, 60(3 Pt 1)(June), 843-849. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3303094/

[4] Gorry, D. (2009). The influence of height on academic outcomes. Economics of Education Review, 56, 1-8. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-influence-of-height-on-academic-outcomes-Gorry/ae569c86f803038086c7f81dc3599935d4ebcef1

[5] Reuters Life! (2008, September 11). Taller people have the edge when it comes to happiness. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-height-happiness-idUSSP35300020080911

[6] Rozbruch, S. R. (2020, April 28). Limb Lengthening – An Overview. HSS. https://www.hss.edu/conditions_limb-lengthening-overview.asp