Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSizeBody CompositionOther Measurements
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Size
Body Composition
Other Measurements
The average size of a male comprises details about height, weight, head size, arm and leg length, penis size, and the distribution of fat in the body. The composition of the average human male can be broken down into a series of specific physical measurements and statistics—some of which might surprise you. For example, an average male’s head is about 7% of his body weight. That means the average male weighing 172 pounds has a head that weighs more than 12 pounds!
In this article, we will explore the average height and weight, body composition, and other vital statistics of people who were assigned male at birth.
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In this article, we use the term “male” to define sex.Sex and genderare different, and this article refers to the male sex.
Average Size for Males
In the United States, males have an average height of around 5 feet 8 inches, although that varies slightly depending on race and ethnicity. The average weight is somewhat dependent on age. Let’s take a closer look.
Average Height
Of course, males don’t reach their full height until adulthood. Below is the mean height for males at different ages.
Average Weight
The average weight of men over the age of 20 varies between 174.6 lbs and 201.7 lbs, depending on age.The average weight peaks between 40 and 49.
Average Body Composition for Men
Body composition is the distribution of body fat, bone, muscle, and other constituents. While some health professionals and fitness enthusiasts often discuss body composition as just the percentage of body fat. For our purposes, body composition is the relative amount of various tissue types in the body.
The average percentage of body fat in adult males is 28.1%. Younger adults typically have a lower percentage, around 26.1%, and adults over age 40 have an average body fat of 28.6%.
Average Body Weight Distribution
In males, the distribution of body weight averages the following:
Water Content
Water is vital to living things, but in the human body, it is essential for cells to reproduce, protect the spinal cord and brain, and ensure proper oxygenation of all the organs. In the average male, 60% of the body is water.By percentage, males have more water in their bodies than females, mainly due to differences in fat composition between sexes.
Average Area of Skin
For a long time, the area of human skin has been estimated at 2 square meters. However, researchers studying the skin’s microbiome note that the skin is not flat, which is how that estimation is calculated. Rather, the skin has indentations at hair follicles and sweat ducts, dramatically increasing the skin area. When accounting for this, the area of the skin is more like 25 square meters.The skin is the body’s largest organ.
Researchers have found averages for several other metrics in the male body as well.
Average Lifetime Heart Beats
The human heart does more work than any other muscle in the body. It beats approximately 3.3 billion times if you live to be 80 years old, at an average of 80 beats per minute.The average heart moves 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
Average Number of Sperm Produced
Men produce the reproductive cells called sperm continuously. The average ejaculate content contains anywhere from 46-259 million sperm.
Summary
The average male body is just under 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs roughly between 175 and 200 pounds. While knowing averages for various body statistics is interesting, knowing that the average does not equate to the ideal is important. Talk to a healthcare provider to understand the optimum statistics for your unique age, race, ethnicity, and personal risk factors for health.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Anthropometric reference data for children and adults : United States, 2015-2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.Body composition data for individuals 8 years of age and older: U.S. population, 1999-2004.U.S. Geological Survey.The water in you: water and the human body.Lu H, Ayers E, Patel P, Mattoo TK.Body water percentage from childhood to old age.Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2023;42(3):340-348. doi:10.23876/j.krcp.22.062Gallo RL.Human skin is the largest epithelial surface for interaction with microbes.J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(6):1213-1214. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.045National Center for Families Learning.Have you ever wondered…how many times does your heart beat in a lifetime?American Heart Association.Heart facts infographic.Barlow PW.Why so many sperm cells? Not only a possible means of mitigating the hazards inherent to human reproduction but also an indicator of an exaptation.Commun Integr Biol. 2016;9(4):e1204499. doi:10.1080/19420889.2016.1204499Additional ReadingSemen Analysis. MedlinePlus.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J. Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010.CDC.Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2007–2010.Vital and Health Statistics. October 2012. Series 11, Number 252.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Anthropometric reference data for children and adults : United States, 2015-2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.Body composition data for individuals 8 years of age and older: U.S. population, 1999-2004.U.S. Geological Survey.The water in you: water and the human body.Lu H, Ayers E, Patel P, Mattoo TK.Body water percentage from childhood to old age.Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2023;42(3):340-348. doi:10.23876/j.krcp.22.062Gallo RL.Human skin is the largest epithelial surface for interaction with microbes.J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(6):1213-1214. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.045National Center for Families Learning.Have you ever wondered…how many times does your heart beat in a lifetime?American Heart Association.Heart facts infographic.Barlow PW.Why so many sperm cells? Not only a possible means of mitigating the hazards inherent to human reproduction but also an indicator of an exaptation.Commun Integr Biol. 2016;9(4):e1204499. doi:10.1080/19420889.2016.1204499Additional ReadingSemen Analysis. MedlinePlus.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J. Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010.CDC.Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2007–2010.Vital and Health Statistics. October 2012. Series 11, Number 252.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Anthropometric reference data for children and adults : United States, 2015-2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.Body composition data for individuals 8 years of age and older: U.S. population, 1999-2004.U.S. Geological Survey.The water in you: water and the human body.Lu H, Ayers E, Patel P, Mattoo TK.Body water percentage from childhood to old age.Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2023;42(3):340-348. doi:10.23876/j.krcp.22.062Gallo RL.Human skin is the largest epithelial surface for interaction with microbes.J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(6):1213-1214. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.045National Center for Families Learning.Have you ever wondered…how many times does your heart beat in a lifetime?American Heart Association.Heart facts infographic.Barlow PW.Why so many sperm cells? Not only a possible means of mitigating the hazards inherent to human reproduction but also an indicator of an exaptation.Commun Integr Biol. 2016;9(4):e1204499. doi:10.1080/19420889.2016.1204499
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Anthropometric reference data for children and adults : United States, 2015-2018.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.Body composition data for individuals 8 years of age and older: U.S. population, 1999-2004.
U.S. Geological Survey.The water in you: water and the human body.
Lu H, Ayers E, Patel P, Mattoo TK.Body water percentage from childhood to old age.Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2023;42(3):340-348. doi:10.23876/j.krcp.22.062
Gallo RL.Human skin is the largest epithelial surface for interaction with microbes.J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(6):1213-1214. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.045
National Center for Families Learning.Have you ever wondered…how many times does your heart beat in a lifetime?
American Heart Association.Heart facts infographic.
Barlow PW.Why so many sperm cells? Not only a possible means of mitigating the hazards inherent to human reproduction but also an indicator of an exaptation.Commun Integr Biol. 2016;9(4):e1204499. doi:10.1080/19420889.2016.1204499
Semen Analysis. MedlinePlus.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J. Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010.CDC.Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2007–2010.Vital and Health Statistics. October 2012. Series 11, Number 252.
Semen Analysis. MedlinePlus.
Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J. Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010.
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