Average height of women in Sweden

The average height of women in Sweden is about 167 centimetres (cm), or roughly 5 feet 6 inches. That is the clearest rounded figure for adult women in the general population. It is a statistical description rather than a personal standard, and it does not imply that a woman shorter or taller than 167 cm is outside a normal range.

Published estimates can differ by a centimetre or two because surveys use different age groups, years and collection methods. A cautious summary is that the typical national figure sits around 166–168 cm. For a research-grade answer, the source and measurement method matter; for an everyday comparison, 167 cm provides a practical baseline.

What the Swedish figures show

Swedish women are among the taller female populations internationally, and their national average stands well above the worldwide figure of roughly 159 cm commonly used in global comparisons. The headline number is usually presented in the mid-to-upper 160 cm range. Swedish health and demographic information from Statistics Sweden (SCB) and the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) provides the basis for more detailed breakdowns.

The national average is normally calculated from measured or self-reported heights across a selected adult age range. Depending on the table, “women” might mean everyone aged 18 and over, people aged 20–64, or respondents grouped into narrower cohorts. Each definition gives a slightly different result because height tends to change across adulthood and because the age composition of a sample matters.

A mean of 167 cm does not mean that every Swedish woman is close to that exact height. It means that the heights in the represented population add up to that average. A median, which identifies the middle person when observations are ordered by height, will often be close, but it answers a different question. The spread around the centre is much wider than the single-number summary suggests.

How the average is calculated

The most reliable figures use height measured rather than estimated. A trained staff member records the distance from the floor to the top of the head, usually without shoes and with the person standing in a standard position. Self-reported data can also be useful in large surveys, but shoes, memory and rounding may shift the result. These methodological differences explain part of the gap between tables.

Age selection is just as important. Younger adults may have a different mean from older groups, while very old adults can lose height through changes in the spine. A survey of younger adults might therefore produce a slightly higher average than a survey covering the entire adult population. Comparing Sweden with another country is most meaningful only when the age bands and collection years are similar.

Height is influenced by genetics and a broad set of early-life conditions, including prenatal growth, childhood nutrition, illness and healthcare access. Population composition also affects a national figure as families and migration patterns change. These influences should not be turned into rigid rankings of national groups; an average can describe a population while saying little about any one person’s expected height.

Swedish and Australian measurement habits

Sweden uses the metric system in everyday official communication. A Swedish medical form or health record is likely to state height in centimetres, while 167 cm may also be written as 1,67 meter. Swedish decimal notation uses a comma, so 1,67 means one metre and sixty-seven centimetres, not one metre and sixty-seven millimetres.

Australia has a mixed convention. Health services, medical forms and many workplace records use centimetres, yet people in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other cities often describe height conversationally in feet and inches. An Australian might say someone is “about five-six” or “just over five foot seven”, without intending an exact measurement. The same spoken approximation in British English can mean roughly 165 cm or 170 cm.

Population-level comparisons need care. Australian estimates have often placed the average adult woman at around 162 cm, although the age range and survey date affect that result too. Using that figure beside Sweden’s 167 cm gives an indicative difference of about 5 cm, or 2 inches. It does not establish that a Swedish and Australian woman of the same age should differ by precisely that amount.

The Australian clothing market adds another local layer. Women’s garments are commonly sold in Australian sizes, generally running from about AU 6 to AU 24, rather than by height alone. Retailers such as Myer and The Iconic sell across different brands whose cuts and sizing can vary, so their product pages use garment-specific charts. A shopper ordering online in Australia therefore gains more from checking the chart for that coat, dress or pair of trousers than from relying on either national height average.

Everyday comparisons and data checks

Converting the Swedish figure can be confusing when centimetres and informal imperial descriptions are mixed. The following references make a quick comparison easier without pretending that every body can be assigned to one height category.

Common metric conversions

• 160 cm is approximately 5 feet 3 inches.
• 165 cm is approximately 5 feet 5 inches.
• 167 cm is approximately 5 feet 6 inches.
• 170 cm is approximately 5 feet 7 inches.
• 175 cm is approximately 5 feet 9 inches.

What can change a reported average

• The age groups included: younger and older adults often have different mean heights.
• The data source: measured heights and self-reported heights are not interchangeable.
• The period: population and health conditions can shift averages across generations.
• The definition: a national mean, subgroup median and clinical sample may answer different questions.

Use 167 cm as a contextual benchmark, not a personal label. For clothing, furniture or vehicle space, the relevant product dimensions matter more than a national statistic. For health communication, the measured value, age and relevant clinical context should take priority over population averages.

Using the figure in practical decisions

For visitors to Sweden, 167 cm offers a convenient reference when reading Swedish product information, clothing guides or health forms. It can also help an Australian reader understand why someone described as “five foot six” in Sydney and someone listed as 1,67 meter in Stockholm may be the same height. The unit changes; the underlying measurement does not.

The figure is most useful when combined with a source and a definition. If a website states a Swedish female average without giving an age range or measurement method, treat it as a general summary. Current tables from Statistics Sweden or Folkhälsomyndigheten are the appropriate places to check for the latest official breakdown, while international datasets are useful for broad comparisons.

Use 167 cm (5 feet 6 inches) as the working estimate for the average height of women in Sweden, and confirm the underlying age group and method whenever the number will inform travel planning, retail sizing, research or health interpretation.