The short answer is that, on average, people keep getting taller until puberty stops, around 15 or 16 years old. By the time someone has reached their adult height, the rest of their body will be done maturing too. By age 16, the body will usually have reached its full adult form — height included.
It’s impossible to predict how tall someone will be as an adult. From nutrition to genetics, there are just too many variables to determine a precise number. But the biggest factor is genetics, and paying attention to that helps figure out how tall someone will be as an adult.
Genetics
Parents pass on their freckles, their smiles, and their hair to their kids. They pass on their height too. Tall parents tend to make tall kids; short parents tend to make short kids. This is not a universal rule, though. Plenty of tall people have parents who are shorter than average.
People’s growth rate changes drastically from year to year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a growth chart for girls that lets you check the average height of children and teenagers at different ages throughout adolescence.
The female growth rate kicks off around ten years old. At ten, the average female height is around 54 inches. The average 13-year-old height is 62 inches. That’s an average of eight inches in three years!
After 13, growth tends to slow down to about an inch every year. The average 14-year-old height is 63 inches. A year after that, it’s 64 inches — the average height for 15-year-old girls.
Check out the growth chart from the CDC to see the average height at different ages throughout adolescence. And remember, it’s just an average. It’s very common to have a height that’s different from the average.
At the beginning of puberty, the female average height by age is higher.
This is because female puberty usually starts earlier, usually around age ten. Male puberty usually doesn’t start until 12 or 13.
Once puberty kicks in, the male growth rate starts to increase. The average male adult height is 70 inches, compared to an average female adult height of 64 inches. Most people reach their adult height by 16.
Though genetics is the biggest factor in determining someone’s height, there are plenty of others. Here’s a list of factors that could cause a slower growth rate.
Many genetic conditions can affect adult height. For instance, people with Down syndrome or Turner syndrome tend to be shorter than average.
Eating a healthy diet full of nutrients speeds up the rate of growth, and a lack of nutrients slows it down. Focusing on a balanced diet during puberty can help make sure growth isn’t stunted.
Human growth hormone and thyroid hormone control growth during puberty. Some people naturally have less of these hormones, and they will be shorter than average.
Illnesses like cancer, celiac disease, various kidney diseases, and cystic fibrosis slow down the rate of growth. People with one of these conditions may end up shorter than average.
Regular use of some medications prescribed for severe bronchial asthma and some autoimmune diseases can also slow growth. These medications include corticosteroids such as prednisone and hydrocortisone.
This is just a snapshot of what growing taller might look like. There is no specific height anyone is supposed to be at any given age, and it’s very common for the growing experience to be very different for different people. We hope this gave you an idea of what getting taller might look like and the understanding that it can be different for everyone.
