Height percentiles for boys, ages 2 to 18
The full CDC height-for-age percentile chart for boys, in inches and feet-inches. Look up your son's age and find where his current height lands. Sourced from the CDC 2000 growth charts, the same data US pediatricians use.
How to read this table
Find your son's age in the left column. Read across to see the height at each percentile. If he's shorter than the 3rd percentile, he's clinically short. If he's between the 25th and 75th, he's average. The 50th percentile is the median (half of same-age boys are taller, half are shorter).
The full table
| Age | 3rd % | 10th % | 25th % | 50th % | 75th % | 90th % | 97th % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 32.9" (2'8.9") | 33.7" (2'9.7") | 34.4" (2'10.4") | 35.2" (2'11.2") | 36.1" (3'0.1") | 36.9" (3'0.9") | 37.7" (3'1.7") |
| 3 | 35.5" (2'11.5") | 36.4" (3'0.4") | 37.2" (3'1.2") | 38.1" (3'2.1") | 39.1" (3'3.1") | 40.0" (3'4.0") | 40.9" (3'4.9") |
| 4 | 38.0" (3'2.0") | 38.9" (3'2.9") | 39.9" (3'3.9") | 40.8" (3'4.8") | 41.9" (3'5.9") | 42.9" (3'6.9") | 43.9" (3'7.9") |
| 5 | 40.3" (3'4.3") | 41.3" (3'5.3") | 42.4" (3'6.4") | 43.5" (3'7.5") | 44.7" (3'8.7") | 45.8" (3'9.8") | 46.9" (3'10.9") |
| 6 | 42.6" (3'6.6") | 43.7" (3'7.7") | 44.8" (3'8.8") | 46.0" (3'10.0") | 47.3" (3'11.3") | 48.5" (4'0.5") | 49.7" (4'1.7") |
| 7 | 44.7" (3'8.7") | 45.9" (3'9.9") | 47.1" (3'11.1") | 48.4" (4'0.4") | 49.7" (4'1.7") | 51.0" (4'3.0") | 52.2" (4'4.2") |
| 8 | 46.8" (3'10.8") | 48.0" (4'0.0") | 49.3" (4'1.3") | 50.6" (4'2.6") | 52.0" (4'4.0") | 53.4" (4'5.4") | 54.6" (4'6.6") |
| 9 | 48.7" (4'0.7") | 50.0" (4'2.0") | 51.4" (4'3.4") | 52.8" (4'4.8") | 54.3" (4'6.3") | 55.7" (4'7.7") | 57.0" (4'9.0") |
| 10 | 50.5" (4'2.5") | 51.9" (4'3.9") | 53.4" (4'5.4") | 54.9" (4'6.9") | 56.4" (4'8.4") | 57.9" (4'9.9") | 59.3" (4'11.3") |
| 11 | 52.3" (4'4.3") | 53.7" (4'5.7") | 55.3" (4'7.3") | 56.9" (4'8.9") | 58.6" (4'10.6") | 60.2" (5'0.2") | 61.7" (5'1.7") |
| 12 | 54.1" (4'6.1") | 55.6" (4'7.6") | 57.3" (4'9.3") | 59.1" (4'11.1") | 60.9" (5'0.9") | 62.7" (5'2.7") | 64.3" (5'4.3") |
| 13 | 55.9" (4'7.9") | 57.6" (4'9.6") | 59.5" (4'11.5") | 61.5" (5'1.5") | 63.6" (5'3.6") | 65.5" (5'5.5") | 67.3" (5'7.3") |
| 14 | 58.3" (4'10.3") | 60.1" (5'0.1") | 62.1" (5'2.1") | 64.2" (5'4.2") | 66.3" (5'6.3") | 68.3" (5'8.3") | 70.1" (5'10.1") |
| 15 | 60.8" (5'0.8") | 62.7" (5'2.7") | 64.6" (5'4.6") | 66.7" (5'6.7") | 68.7" (5'8.7") | 70.5" (5'10.5") | 72.2" (6'0.2") |
| 16 | 62.7" (5'2.7") | 64.4" (5'4.4") | 66.1" (5'6.1") | 68.0" (5'8.0") | 69.9" (5'9.9") | 71.6" (5'11.6") | 73.1" (6'1.1") |
| 17 | 63.6" (5'3.6") | 65.2" (5'5.2") | 66.8" (5'6.8") | 68.5" (5'8.5") | 70.3" (5'10.3") | 71.9" (5'11.9") | 73.4" (6'1.4") |
| 18 | 63.9" (5'3.9") | 65.5" (5'5.5") | 67.0" (5'7.0") | 68.7" (5'8.7") | 70.5" (5'10.5") | 72.0" (6'0.0") | 73.5" (6'1.5") |
Values in inches (feet-inches in parentheses). Rounded from CDC's LMS-derived percentile files.
What the percentile actually means
If your son's height falls on the 25th percentile line, 25 out of every 100 boys his age are shorter than him. 75 are taller. It's a statistical rank, not a health score. Kids at the 20th percentile are in perfect health.
The percentiles most pediatricians flag as concerning are below the 3rd percentile. That's when clinical short stature is diagnosed. Below the 3rd doesn't mean sick, it means worth investigating.
Percentile is only half the story
Two boys can share the 15th percentile and have totally different futures. Boy A's family math predicts he lands 5'6" as an adult (his current percentile matches his genetic potential). Boy B's family math predicts he lands 5'11". They look the same on the chart today. They will look very different at 20.
The Growth Check runs his current percentile AND his mid-parental prediction. That's the pair of numbers you actually need.
See where he actually lands
Run the free Growth Check. It plots his current percentile and his family-height prediction in one view.
Take the Growth CheckData source and method
This data is from the CDC 2000 Growth Charts, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It represents US boys ages 2 to 20. Full source: CDC Percentile Data Files.
Values shown are height-for-age at whole-year age points. For between-age precision, use your pediatrician's growth chart plot or the Growth Check tool.