Height Converter
Convert height between feet & inches and centimetres.
Last updated: April 2026
Common heights:
Feet and inches:
Centimetres:
| Format | Result |
|---|---|
| Feet and inches | — |
| Centimetres | — cm |
Common height conversions
| Centimetres | Feet and inches |
|---|---|
| 160 cm in feet | 5 ft 3.0 in |
| 165 cm in feet | 5 ft 5.0 in |
| 170 cm in feet | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 175 cm in feet | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 180 cm in feet | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 185 cm in feet | 6 ft 0.8 in |
| 190 cm in feet | 6 ft 2.8 in |
| Feet and inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|
| 5'6" in cm | 167.6 cm |
| 5'8" in cm | 172.7 cm |
| 5'10" in cm | 177.8 cm |
| 5'11" in cm | 180.3 cm |
| 6 foot in cm | 182.9 cm |
Height is one of the most commonly converted measurements — the United States and United Kingdom use feet and inches, while most of the world records height in centimetres. The conversion comes up constantly: medical forms, dating profiles, sports statistics, clothing size charts, and international travel all mix the two systems.
Average height by region
Heights vary considerably around the world. The table below shows average adult heights for men and women by country and region, in centimetres.
| Region / Country | Men (cm) | Women (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 183 | 171 |
| Denmark | 182 | 170 |
| USA | 176 | 163 |
| UK | 176 | 163 |
| China | 172 | 160 |
| India | 165 | 152 |
| World average | 171 | 159 |
When do you need this?
- Filling in a medical form in a country that uses a different system than you grew up with
- Checking whether your height on a dating app translates correctly for an international audience
- Reading sports coverage — NBA player listings use feet and inches; European football rosters use cm
- Buying clothes online from US or UK retailers whose size charts list height in feet and inches
- Comparing heights across nationalities — e.g. average male height in the Netherlands vs. India
- Calculating whether a child's height is on track using growth charts from a different country
Quick reference
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm (exact)
- 1 foot = 30.48 cm (exact)
- 1 cm ≈ 0.3937 inches
- To convert feet + inches to cm: multiply total inches by 2.54
- To convert cm to feet: divide by 30.48 — the whole number is feet, multiply the decimal remainder by 12 to get inches
- 5'0" = 152.4 cm · 5'6" = 167.6 cm · 6'0" = 182.9 cm · 6'6" = 198.1 cm
Understanding the units
Centimetres
The centimetre is part of the metric system and is the standard unit for measuring human height in most of the world. One centimetre is one hundredth of a metre. Medical records, growth charts, and clothing size guides across Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa all use centimetres as the default.
Feet and inches
A foot is 12 inches, and the unit dates back thousands of years — originally tied to the approximate length of a human foot. Today it survives primarily in the United States, where height in feet and inches remains the everyday norm for everything from doctor's appointments to gym equipment. The UK uses a mix: metric in official contexts, imperial in casual conversation.
Common mistakes
- Treating 5'10" as 5.10 feet. Feet and inches are not decimal. 5'10" is 5 feet and 10 inches — not 5.10 feet. 5.10 feet is actually 5'1.2".
- Forgetting that inches only go to 11. There is no such thing as 5'12" — that is 6'0". Inputs over 11 inches should roll over to the next foot.
- Rounding 1 inch as 2.5 cm. The exact value is 2.54 cm. Over multiple inches, rounding to 2.5 adds up to a meaningful error — roughly 2 cm off by 5'10".
- Confusing metres and centimetres. Someone listed as 1.80 m is 180 cm — not 18 cm or 1.8 cm. Always check which unit a form is asking for.
- Using height in feet as a decimal for BMI calculations. BMI formulas require height in metres (e.g. 1.80), not feet (5.11). Converting incorrectly here produces a wrong BMI result.
Which should you use?
- Medical or health records: Use cm or metres — metric is the international standard in healthcare.
- US-based contexts (dating apps, sports, casual conversation): Feet and inches are expected and better understood.
- Clothing and shoe size charts: Check the retailer — US/UK brands use inches; European brands use cm.
- International comparison: Convert to cm — it's easier to compare 178 cm vs. 183 cm than 5'10" vs. 6'0".
Frequently asked questions
How many cm is 5 feet 11 inches?
5 feet 11 inches is 180.3 cm. The calculation is (5 × 12 + 11) × 2.54 = 71 × 2.54 = 180.34 cm. This is often considered the threshold between "average" and "tall" for men in many countries.
How many cm is 6 feet?
6 feet is exactly 182.88 cm, typically rounded to 182.9 cm. It is 72 inches × 2.54. In most European countries, 183 cm is considered notably tall for a man.
How many cm is 5 feet 8 inches?
5 feet 8 inches is 172.72 cm, usually written as 172.7 cm. This sits close to the global average male height of around 171 cm and is a very common height searched for on converters.
How do I convert cm to feet and inches?
Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get total inches. Then divide by 12 — the whole number is feet, and the remainder is inches. For example: 175 cm ÷ 2.54 = 68.9 inches = 5 feet 8.9 inches.
What is the average height for a man?
The global average adult male height is around 171 cm (5 ft 7 in). Women average around 159 cm (5 ft 3 in) worldwide. Both figures vary considerably by country — see the reference table above for regional breakdowns.
Is 5'10" tall for a man?
5 feet 10 inches is 177.8 cm — above the global male average of 171 cm and above the US average of 176 cm. In the Netherlands, where the male average is 183 cm, it would be below average. What counts as "tall" depends entirely on the country.
What is 175 cm in feet and inches?
175 cm is 5 feet 8.9 inches. Divide 175 by 2.54 to get 68.9 total inches, then 68 ÷ 12 = 5 feet with 8.9 inches remaining. It's close to the global male average and a common reference point on height charts.
Why do some countries measure height in feet and inches?
Feet and inches are a legacy of British imperial units, still standard in the United States and used informally in the UK. Most countries adopted the metric system in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the US never made the switch for everyday use.
Related tools
- Average height by country — sortable table of male and female height for 40+ countries
- Average height guide — height classifications and global trends
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