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Average child height by age in the UK
Updated 13 October 2026 · Educational guide, not medical advice
The average UK 10-year-old is about 139 cm (4'7"). Boys and girls are similar in height until about 11, girls are slightly taller at 12, and boys overtake them by 14.
Average height by age: boys and girls
| Age | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 87 cm (2'10") | 86 cm (2'10") |
| 3 | 96 cm (3'2") | 95 cm (3'1") |
| 4 | 103 cm (3'5") | 102 cm (3'4") |
| 5 | 110 cm (3'7") | 109 cm (3'7") |
| 6 | 116 cm (3'10") | 115 cm (3'9") |
| 7 | 122 cm (4'0") | 121 cm (4'0") |
| 8 | 128 cm (4'2") | 127 cm (4'2") |
| 9 | 133 cm (4'4") | 133 cm (4'4") |
| 10 | 139 cm (4'7") | 138 cm (4'6") |
| 11 | 144 cm (4'9") | 144 cm (4'9") |
| 12 | 149 cm (4'11") | 151 cm (4'11") |
| 13 | 156 cm (5'1") | 156 cm (5'1") |
| 14 | 163 cm (5'4") | 160 cm (5'3") |
| 15 | 169 cm (5'7") | 162 cm (5'4") |
| 16 | 173 cm (5'8") | 163 cm (5'4") |
| 17 | 175 cm (5'9") | 163 cm (5'4") |
| 18 | 176 cm (5'9") | 163 cm (5'4") |
Approximate middle (50th centile) values from UK growth charts, rounded to the nearest centimetre. For your child's exact centile, use the growth charts in their red book or ask your health visitor or GP.
What counts as normal?
Average is just the middle. Healthy children vary a lot: at age 10, a child can be about 12 cm above or below average and still be well within the normal range on the growth chart.
What matters more than any single number is the pattern over time. Most children grow along roughly the same centile line year after year. A child who is small but growing steadily along their line is usually just following their family's pattern.
Why girls are taller at 12
Girls usually start their growth spurt about two years before boys, so for a year or two around 11 to 13 many girls are taller than boys the same age. Boys catch up and usually overtake them by 14. Read more in our growth spurt guide.
Is my child tall or short for their age?
Compare their height with the table above, but remember parents' heights matter most. Children of tall parents are often above average all through childhood, and children of shorter parents below it. That's normal.
To see where your child is likely to end up, try our free height calculator. It estimates adult height from Mum's and Dad's heights.
How to measure your child's height accurately
- Measure in the morning. Children are slightly taller then than in the evening.
- Shoes and socks off, heels together and touching the wall.
- Head level, eyes looking straight ahead.
- Place a hardback book flat on their head against the wall and mark underneath it.
- Measure from the floor to the mark with a metal tape.
Measuring every month or so, at the same time of day, makes it easy to spot a growth spurt as it happens.
When to see a GP
- Your child is dropping across growth chart lines.
- They seem to have stopped growing.
- They're much shorter than you'd expect from their parents' heights.
- Puberty starts very early or very late.
How tall will your child be?
Enter Mum's and Dad's heights for an estimated adult height range. Free, takes 10 seconds.
Try the height calculatorFrequently asked questions
What is the average height of a 10-year-old in the UK?
About 139 cm (4'7") for boys and 138 cm (4'6") for girls.
What is the average height of a 12-year-old in the UK?
About 149 cm (4'11") for boys and 151 cm (4'11") for girls. Girls are often slightly taller at this age.
What is the average height of a 14-year-old in the UK?
About 163 cm (5'4") for boys and 160 cm (5'3") for girls.
More guides
Sources
- RCPCH: UK-WHO growth charts, 2–18 years
- NHS: Early or delayed puberty
- CDC: Growth charts
- Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH. Clinical longitudinal standards for height, weight, height velocity and stages of puberty. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1976.
This guide is for general information only and isn't medical advice. If you're worried about your child's growth or development, speak to your GP or health visitor.