Calculator
Height difference calculator
Two heights in, the exact gap out — in centimetres, in feet and inches, and as a percentage. Each height is also placed against US adults, so you can see what the difference actually means. Comparing more than two people, or adding objects and photos? Use thefull comparison tool instead.
Enter two heights
Person A is taller by
6″
15 cm · 9.1% taller
- Person A
- 5′ 11″ · 180 cm
- 73rd percentile, US men
- Person B
- 5′ 5″ · 165 cm
- 70th percentile, US women
Common height differences
Worked out for the pairs people ask about most. The percentage is the gap divided by the shorter height.
| Shorter | Taller | Difference | In cm | % taller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 2″ | 5′ 4″ | 2″ | 5.1 cm | 3.2% |
| 5′ 4″ | 5′ 8″ | 4″ | 10.2 cm | 6.2% |
| 5′ 2″ | 5′ 8″ | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 9.7% |
| 5′ 4″ | 6′ 0″ | 8″ | 20.3 cm | 12.5% |
| 5′ 0″ | 5′ 10″ | 10″ | 25.4 cm | 16.7% |
| 5′ 0″ | 6′ 2″ | 1′ 2″ | 35.6 cm | 23.3% |
| 5′ 6″ | 5′ 10″ | 4″ | 10.2 cm | 6.1% |
| 5′ 8″ | 6′ 0″ | 4″ | 10.2 cm | 5.9% |
| 5′ 3″ | 5′ 9″ | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 9.5% |
| 5′ 5″ | 5′ 11″ | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 9.2% |
| 5′ 7″ | 6′ 1″ | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 9.0% |
| 5′ 1″ | 5′ 7″ | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 9.8% |
Worked examples
The widest gaps among the people we hold, each on its own page with the full calculation.
- Jyoti Amge vs Robert WadlowRobert Wadlow is taller6′ 10.5″209.2 cm
- Shaquille O'Neal vs Simone BilesShaquille O'Neal is taller2′ 5″74 cm
- Manute Bol vs Muggsy BoguesManute Bol is taller2′ 4″71 cm
- Danny DeVito vs Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'Neal is taller2′ 3″69 cm
- Jason Momoa vs Peter DinklageJason Momoa is taller1′ 11″58 cm
- Kevin Hart vs Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'Neal is taller1′ 9″53 cm
Questions
How do you calculate the difference between two heights?
Subtract the shorter height from the taller one. Work in a single unit: convert both to centimetres (or to total inches) first, subtract, then convert the result back. Mixing feet and centimetres mid-calculation is where most errors come from.
How do you work out how much taller someone is as a percentage?
Divide the difference by the shorter person’s height and multiply by 100. A 180 cm and a 165 cm person differ by 15 cm, and 15 ÷ 165 × 100 means the taller one is about 9.1% taller. Dividing by the taller height instead gives a different, smaller number — which is why percentages disagree between sites.
What is the average height difference in a couple?
In mixed-sex couples it is commonly around 12–15 cm (5–6 inches), broadly tracking the gap between average male and female height in a given country. Plenty of couples sit well outside that, including many where the woman is taller.
Does this account for shoes or posture?
No. Every figure here is a barefoot standing height, which is how national health surveys measure. Shoes typically add 2–4 cm, and most people lose a little height over the course of a day.
Need more than two?
The comparison tool takes up to 40 people, objects or photos at once and works out every pairwise difference, not just one. It also handles celebrities, characters and your own images.
Percentiles use measured CDC NHANES data for US adults aged 20 and over.How we source and calculate this →