Child Height Percentile Calculator (Ages 5–19)

Any height percentile from the 3rd to the 97th is considered within the normal range. There is no single ideal percentile — what matters is that a child tracks consistently along their own curve over time. Short stature (below the 3rd percentile) or unexpectedly slow height gain warrants evaluation by a pediatrician or pediatric endocrinologist.

Not necessarily. Some children are constitutionally short — they're genetically predisposed to be shorter (often reflected in one or both parents' heights). As long as the child is tracking steadily along their curve and the mid-parental height prediction supports a shorter adult height, this is usually normal. Use our Adult Height Prediction calculator to compare.

A significant drop in height percentile (crossing two major percentile bands downward over 12 months) is a red flag called 'growth faltering' and should be evaluated. Causes include nutritional deficiency, celiac disease, hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, chronic illness, or psychosocial factors. Your pediatrician can order a bone age X-ray and other tests to investigate.

Puberty includes a pronounced height growth spurt. Girls typically begin their spurt around age 10–11 and boys around 12–13. During this period, some children temporarily move up in height percentile before plateauing after growth plates close (usually 14–16 in girls, 16–18 in boys). A similar-age child who is an early or late maturer can appear much taller or shorter without there being any growth disorder.

Discuss with your pediatrician if: height is below the 3rd percentile; the child has dropped across two major percentile lines; the child's height gain is less than ~5 cm/year during school age (5–10 years); or if there is a large discrepancy between the child's height percentile and the mid-parental height prediction.

The CDC recommends its 2000 growth reference for school-age children and adolescents (5–19 years). WHO growth charts are preferred for children under 5. Both sets of charts are used in the GrowthKit app, each applied to the appropriate age range.