Karnataka — height and body data
As published, with the year attached. Anything the surveys do not publish for Karnataka is simply absent from this page.
What has been published for Karnataka
165.3cm men
In Karnataka, mean adult height was 165.3 cm (5'5") for men and 152.6 cm (5'0") for women when it was last published, in 2005–06.
On the current NFHS-5 round (2019–21), 10.1% of women aged 15–49 in Karnataka measure below 145 cm.
SOURCE·Mamidi RS et al., Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2011;32(1):23-34, Tables 1 and 2 - mean height of adults aged 20-49, NFHS-3 (2005-06)·state mean adult height, fieldwork 2005–06·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Mean adult height — 2005–06
| Group | Centimetres | Feet and inches |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 165.3 | 5'5" |
| Women | 152.6 | 5'0" |
Source: Mamidi RS et al., Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2011;32(1):23-34, Tables 1 and 2 - mean height of adults aged 20-49, NFHS-3 (2005-06) Paper.
These figures are from 2005–06. They are the most recent state-level mean heights published anywhere this site could verify, and they are shown with their year rather than presented as current.
NFHS-5 indicators — 2019–21
| Indicator | Karnataka |
|---|---|
| Women under 145 cm (%) | 10.1 |
| Mean BMI, women | 23.0 |
| Mean BMI, men | 23.2 |
| Women, BMI under 18.5 (%) | 17.2 |
| Men, BMI under 18.5 (%) | 14.3 |
| Women, BMI 25 or above (%) | 30.2 |
| Men, BMI 25 or above (%) | 30.9 |
Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report Vol. 1, Table 10.20.1 (women) and Table 10.20.2 (men), age 15-49, by state/union territory Report.
Reading these figures
These are survey indicators for a whole state, and a state is not a person. Within any Indian state, adult height varies with household wealth, urban or rural residence and childhood nutrition far more than the gap between two states does. A state-level number is useful for public health and close to useless for predicting an individual.
The indicator most often mistaken for an average is the share of women measuring under 145 cm. It is a threshold count, not a mean — and this site does not convert one into the other, because the conversion is not possible without the underlying distribution.
Other states
Questions
What is the average height in Karnataka?
165.3 cm (5'5") for men and 152.6 cm (5'0") for women, for adults aged 20–49 measured in 2005–06. That is the most recent state-level mean height published for Karnataka anywhere this site could verify. No newer figure exists, and this site will not estimate one.
What does "percentage of women below 145 cm" measure?
It is a nutritional and obstetric-risk indicator used by the National Family Health Survey, not a description of typical height. Short adult stature in women is associated with childhood undernutrition and with higher risks in childbirth, which is why the survey tracks the share below a fixed threshold rather than a mean. It cannot be converted into an average height, and this site does not try.
Which survey rounds are these figures from?
The nutritional-status indicators are from NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report Vol. 1, Table 10.20.1 (women) and Table 10.20.2 (men), age 15-49, by state/union territory The mean heights are from a different and much older source: Mamidi RS et al., Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2011;32(1):23-34, Tables 1 and 2 - mean height of adults aged 20-49, NFHS-3 (2005-06) Nothing on this page has been carried over between rounds or adjusted.
Figures for Karnataka as published in the sources cited above, each with its own survey round and year. General information only — not medical advice. Growth varies enormously between healthy individuals; a single measurement means little. Discuss any concern about a child's growth with a paediatrician. See data & method for every source, survey round and rounding rule used on this site.
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