15 is usually seen as the end of puberty. So what is the average height of 15 year olds girls and boys? Will they be taller at this age? Keep reading to get your own answer.
Parents must keep track of their children’s development, especially during puberty. This period is critical for your kid’s potential development in height. As some of you might know, both girls and boys reach sexual maturity at different times, ranging from 8 to 14 years old. And during this time, their height will also increase very differently.
So, you might wonder what is the average height for 15 year olds. At this age, girls have a tendency not to grow in height and weight anymore. This might be because they reach the end of puberty. However, there are exceptions in this case where girls can still be higher at the age of 15 and up. This also applies to teen boys. Now, let’s dig into details about teenagers’ average height.
Is There Significant Growth in Late Adolescents?
According to some studies, when teen boys reach their 16 years old, it seems to be hard for them to grow more. During their puberty, boys can grow at an unbelievable rate (typically in height). However, when they are 16 or over, the height increment is not much, which is only around 1 to 3 inches each year.
Just like boys, girls also dramatically develop in height when they start their puberty. Since most girls begin this period more early than boys, they also finish it sooner. So, at the age of 15, they are less likely to be taller.
What Impact Does Puberty Have on the Development of Teenagers?
As I mentioned above, teen girls and boys all undergo a growth spout when they start their puberty. During this period, there is a wide range of elements affecting their growth rate.
The development speed, nevertheless, is also different as different teens hit puberty at separate times. Girls usually have a lower height increment during puberty than boys. In particular, the annual height increase for teen girls is only 1-2 inches, while it is up to 3 inches for teen boys.
Having said that, the time teenagers hit puberty is not related to their height later on. Instead, it will leave a mark on the moment they mature and stop growing.
Your kids are considered early matures if they reach puberty during their 11 and 12 years old. On the contrary, those who start their puberty between the age of 13 and 14 or up are seen as late matures. However, this is bound to be true for teen boys rather than teen girls.
On the flip side, girls usually start much earlier than this age range, which is typically from 8 to 13 years old. And they will experience a growth spurt when they are around 10 to 14 years old.
Below are the tables of the average height for 15 year olds girls and boys.
Average Height For 15 Years Old Boys
The average height for 15 year old boys is 170.1 cm according to the CDC.
There are many factors that affect the height of a child. One of these is genetics, which can be determined by looking at your parents’ heights. However, there are also things like nutrition and environmental conditions that may play a role in how tall you grow to be.
The average height for boys at 15 years old can vary depending on race and ethnicity. For example, white American boys tend to be taller than Hispanic American boys, who in turn tend to be taller than African American boys.
Related: Clinical Growth Charts by CDC
Average Height For 15 Years Old Girls
The average height for a 15-year-old girl is 159.7 cm according to CDC height and age Chart. However, there is a lot of variation in height due to heredity and nutrition. Approximately 90 percent of 15-year-old girls are between 4’10” and 5’6″.
Research has found that girls are on average 2cm shorter than boys of similar age. However, this difference decreases as the children get older. Furthermore, while boys grow faster in their early years, growth curves show that both sexes have about the same length increase per year after puberty starts.
As I mentioned previously, most girls begin puberty sooner than boys. So, they tend to grow in height and weight more dramatically than boys. However, when girls reach the age of 15 years old, they are likely to finish their puberty, and their height will not increase. If yes, the increment each year is also very small. Boys, on the flip side, are more likely to grow really fast at this period as they start puberty later than girls.
However, you should not count on these average heights only. It doesn’t say anything about your teens’ health. Of course, it is considered “standard” for you to easily recognize if your children are shorter than that recommended height or not. Below are some possible causes affecting their growth speed.
Related: Average Height to Weight Chart for Teens
What Are Elements Influencing Teenagers’ Height Increase Rate?
In addition to puberty, the major factors affecting the height increase of your children, there are a few more components you need to pay attention to. These include sex hormones, growth hormones, genetic matters, thyroid issues, down syndrome, insulin levels, etc.
What’s more, if your child has to experience malnutrition during their childhood, the chances are high that their height development will also be affected. In some cases, children who have problems with their weight (overweight or obese) might also have an effect on their growth rate later on.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the older the children are, the slower the growth rate is, even when they are teenagers. This can be clearly seen when they almost finish their puberty, usually from the age of 15 and up. Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).
Again, you should not assume that this is the standard height for all teenagers. As I discussed above, different factors will make your kids grow either faster or slower than the suggested rate. If you find your child’s growth speed is potentially abnormal, talk to their pediatrician for advice.
