When Do Boys Stop Growing? Median Height, Genetics & More

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HealthlineSubscribeWhen Do Boys Stop Growing?

Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — Written by Chaunie Brusie — Updated on June 30, 2022

Growth and puberty
Median height
Height and genetics
Boys vs. girls
Growth delays
Tips
Takeaway

Most boys are done growing by the time they’re 16 years old. Some boys may continue to grow another inch or so in their later teen years, and muscles will continue to grow into adulthood.

Language matters

We use the terms “boys” and “girls” in this article to refer to sex assigned at birth and reflect terms historically used to gender people.

Sex and gender exist on spectrums and your gender identity may not align with these terms. Your doctor can better help you understand your specific circumstances.

https://www.healthline.com/health/sex-vs-gender

Boys seem to grow at incredible rates, which may make any parent wonder: When do boys stop growing? Do boys grow in their later teen years?

According to KidsHealth, most boys complete their growth by the time they’re 16 years old. Some boys may continue to grow another inch or so in their later teen years, and muscles will continue to grow into adulthood.

Keep reading to learn more about growth in boys and what to expect.

How does puberty affect growth?

Boys go through a growth spurt during puberty. However, the rates of growth can vary a lot because boys go through puberty at different ages.

The age of a boy when he goes through puberty doesn’t affect how tall he’ll eventually be, but it’ll affect when his growth starts and stops.

Boys tend to fall into two categories:

early maturers, starting puberty around the age of 11 or 12 years old
late maturers, starting puberty around the age of 13 or 14 years old

Both categories usually gain the same average amount of inches in height, but the late maturers tend to grow at a faster rate to make up for the lost time. At their fastest rate of growth during puberty, boys reach about 92 percent of their adult height.

Boys who have growth restrictions before they start puberty still gain the same average amount of inches in height during puberty. They never quite make up for any deficits from before puberty.

What’s the average height for boys?

For American men 20 years old and up, the average age-adjusted height is 69.1 inches (175.4 cm), or just over 5 feet 9 inches tall.

Height by age

At 10 years old, the earliest start of puberty, half of all boys will be under 54.5 inches (138.5 cm). The median heights listed below are taken from a CDC chart from 2000:

Age (years)	50th percentile height for boys (inches and centimeters)
8	50.4 in. (128 cm)
9	52.6 in. (133.5 cm)
10	54.5 in. (138.5 cm)
11	56. 4 in. (143.5 cm)
12	58.7 in. (149 cm)
13	61.4 in. (156 cm)
14	64.6 in. (164 cm)
15	66.9 in. (170 cm)
16	68.3 in. (173.5 cm)
17	69.1 in. (175.5 cm)
18	69.3 in. (176 cm)

What role does genetics play in height?

Genes from both parents play a role in determining height and growth for both boys and girls. Other factors such as diet, activity level, and the mother’s nutrition during pregnancy also affect height.

The mid-parental method is one way of predicting how tall a child will be. In this method, you add up the heights of the parents (in inches), and then divide the number by 2.

Add 2.5 inches to this number to get the predicted height for a boy. Subtract 2.5 inches from this number to get the predicted height for a girl.

For example, take a boy with a father who’s 70 inches tall and a mother who’s 62 inches tall.

70 + 62 = 132
132 / 2 = 66
66 + 2.5 = 68.5

The boy’s predicted height would be 68.5 inches, or 5 feet 8.5 inches tall.

This isn’t exact, however. Children may end up taller or shorter than the height predicted by this method.

Do boys grow at a different speed than girls?

Boys and girls grow differently. Boys tend to grow at a faster rate during childhood. On average, boys also tend to be taller than girls. That’s why doctors use separate growth charts for boys and girls to measure growth over time.

For girls, height tends to peak around two years after the onset of puberty, which usually begins between ages 8 and 13. Some girls’ height tends to peak around age 14 or 15. Boys, however, may grow until around 16 but may show the most growth between ages 12 and 15.

The percentile your child falls into isn’t as important as consistency. If your child drops from the 40th percentile to the 20th, for instance, their doctor may recommend tests to determine an underlying cause.

What causes growth delays?

There are many possible causes of growth delays, including:

medical conditions that affect the thyroid
deficiencies of growth hormones
problems with insulin levels
problems with sex hormones
Down syndrome and other genetic disorders

Being overweight or obese may influence the age at which boys enter puberty and their rate of growth both before and during puberty. Malnutrition during childhood could also delay growth.

Growth delays may be most noticeable during infanthood, which is why it’s important to keep on schedule with well-child visits. At each visit, your child’s pediatrician will track growth. That allows the doctor to detect a problem right away.

Tips to ensure the best growth possible

Some tips to help boys ensure that they are growing healthily include:

a balanced diet
getting proper amounts of sleep
exercise

What’s the takeaway?

In general, boys tend to stop growing around the age of 16. Many factors can affect growth and, ultimately, height. These include environmental factors as well as genetics, nutrition, and physical activity levels.

If you’re concerned about possible growth delays, contact your child’s doctor.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

2 to 20 years: Boys stature-for-age and weight-for-agepercentiles. (2000). https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c021.pdf
FryerCD, et al. (2018). Mean body weight, height, waist circumference, and body massindex among adults: United States, 1999–2000 through 2015–2016.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr122-508.pdf
Soliman A, et al. (2014). Advances in pubertal growth andfactors influencing it: Can we increase pubertal growth? DOI:http://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.145075
Stagesof puberty: What happens to boys and girls. (2018).https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/stages-of-puberty-what-happens-to-boys-and-girls/
WeintraubB. (2011). Growth.http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/32/9/404

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Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — Written by Chaunie Brusie — Updated on June 30, 2022

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