Average Black Male Height in America from 1999 to 2016

If you’re like most of us, you’ve been fed the stereotype of the tall athletic basketball playing black guy. He towers over men of other races. It leads us to believe that the average black male height is much taller than that of the other racial demographics. Data suggests, as far as averages go, that may not be true.

The interesting thing here is that we hear so much about height all the time. Often, you’ll read on social media comments saying a man must possess a certain height to be attractive. I’ve even heard women say it has a direct impact on a man’s relationship and marriage options. Usually, at least six feet tall is chosen by women to be acceptable. Or, you might hear some say, “As long as he’s taller than me.”

We’ll cover the average height of a black woman in America in another post.

So, just how tall is the average black man? This was a question that I had to ask. I did a little research on the topic. Here’s what I found.

Average Black Male Height Statistics

I obtained the data for this post from a National Health Statistics Report at the CDC.gov website. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) provides original data. A report shows height and other physical statistics across different demographics over a series of samplings. In this case, there were 9 NHANES 2-year cycles beginning in 1999 and ending in 2016.

The table below shows data for the Non-Hispanic Black Male Population only.

Mean Height of Black Men (Non-Hispanic) 1999-2016

Years	Heigh in Centimeters	Height in Inches	Height in Feet and Inches	Change (in Inches)
1999-2000	176.0	69.3	5 feet, 9.3 inches	n/a
2001-2002	177.1	69.7	5 feet, 9.7 inches	Increased 0.4 inches
2003-2004	176.6	69.5	5 feet, 9.5 inches	Decreased 0.2 inches
2005-2006	177.2	69.8	5 feet, 9.8 inches	Increased 0.3 Inches
2007-2008	176.5	69.5	5 feet, 9.5 inches	Decreased 0.3 Inches
2009-2010	176.0	69.3	5 feet, 9.3 inches	Decreased 0.2 Inches
2011-2012	176.0	69.3	5 feet, 9.3 inches	No Change
2013-2014	176.6	69.5	5 feet, 9.5 inches	Increased 0.2 Inches
2015-2016	175.5	69.1	5 feet, 9.1 inches	Decreased 0.4 Inches

National Health Statistics Reports

The National Health Statistics Surveys produce some valuable information in understanding the health of the overall population. Survey data is useful in spotting trends. Additionally, it can be used to dispel myths or confirm facts about demographic characteristics. We all think we know things that just aren’t so.

Objectives

The NHSR presents trends in mean height. Other categories included weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). However, they restricted the data to adults in the United States from 1999–2000 through 2015–2016.

Methods

Analysts obtained data from physical examinations. The sample nationally represented adults aged 20 and over. Surveyors gathered the data in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys during 1999–2016. Basically, they presented the data separately for men and women. They also presented information by age group, and by race. Additionally, they separated Hispanic origin for each 2-year survey period. Ultimately, evaluators used linear regression to evaluate changes in these body measures over time.

Non-Hispanic Black Males

A Non-Hispanic black person is one having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Furthermore, those in this category have no Hispanic origin. It’s important to note that much of this is self-identification. Also, race and Hispanic origin are two separate concepts in the federal statistical system. Believe it or not, people who are Hispanic may be of any race. So, people in each race group may be either Hispanic or Not Hispanic. Therefore, each person has two attributes. One attribute is their race (or races). And, another attribute is whether or not they are Hispanic.

Average Black Male Height Compared to Other Races

So, back to something that I mentioned in the opening paragraphs. We have some serious echo chambers in this country. And, those echo chambers lead to myths and untruths. Basically, it amounts to stereotypes. A major stereotype is that black men are the tallest people. I mean, just look at the NBA. However, according to the data, this isn’t true on average.

Survey results show that white men in America actually average a taller height. In fact, this was true in every year of the survey. If that surprises you, you’re not alone. It was a surprise to me too. I was sure that black men were taller on average.

Just for fun, I added the heights for every year in the black and white categories. Then, I divided by 9. There were 9 years in the survey. Here’s what I found;

• Non-Hispanic Black – 69.44 Inches (5 Feet, 9.44 Inches)
• Non-Hispanic White – 69.83 Inches (5 Feet, 9.83 Inches)

So, as you can see, there isn’t much difference. But, on average, the white group averaged taller.

As I said before, that was a surprise to me.

In any case, at 6’2″, I’m feeling kinda tall right now.

Peace and Blessings!