Height can be a sensitive topic for many boys. If you’re a little on the shorter side, you can get pushed around and made fun of. The same thing goes for tall, lanky boys. So, if you struggle with your height, you might find yourself wondering when do boys stop growing?

Let’s take a look at the average height for boys and what are some of the factors that can affect overall height.

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When you have kids, you can tell certain things about them straight away, like the color of their eyes. Still, one thing that’s hard to pinpoint is how tall your boy will be.

In the USA, the average adult male height is about 5’9”. However, many factors can affect the overall height.

Males go through many growth spurts throughout their lives. Still, most of the increase in height happens around puberty. Puberty is a little different for everyone, but there’s a general range. 

For most boys, puberty will start between the ages of 10 and 13 and lasts for about two to 5 years. The height can change at any point during this process, but it’s more likely to happen towards the beginning.

Usually, boys will keep growing in height until the age of 16. There can be growth after that point, but very little. Then, by age 18, the average male will have fully developed. That means a growth in height is unlikely.

This is only a general guideline. Puberty is where most growth happens, but that’s no indication of how much growth happens.

Average Height for Boys

Figuring out how tall a boy should be isn’t an exact science. There are a couple of ways to make predictions, but there’s a big margin of error.

As you can guess from the title, this is a calculator that uses data from the parents. While the link may not always be obvious, there’s a correlation between the parent's and child’s height.

So, to calculate the average height of a boy, you add 5 inches (13 cm) to the mother's height. Then you add that number to the father’s height and divide the answer by two.

For example, a mother is 5’4” and the father is 6 feet. Adding 5 inches to the mother's height will give you 5’9”. Then you add 6 feet to that and you get 11’9”. You then divide this number by two to give you 5’8”.

This sounds complicated on paper, but it’s pretty simple. Still, if math isn’t your area of expertise, you can use this mid-parental height calculator.

However, the major issue with this method is the accuracy. Most of the time, this calculator won’t give you an exact match to the potential height. As a general rule, the boy’s height will be the number you calculated, plus or minus 3’5”.

This method requires more information, but the results are usually more accurate. To use growth charts, you have to be aware of a few facts. Human beings, both boys and girls, go through many stages of growth. 

The first stage starts at birth and carries on for the first two years of the child's life. In this stage, there are a couple of size changes when it comes to height. Still, most of the changes in the period happen in mental development.

Then we move on to childhood and adolescence. This is where height changes start to present. As boys go through puberty, they’re going to change in many ways. One of the most visible ways is height. 

So, when you’re trying to predict the height of a boy, it can be tricky to do it in the first stage. The answer you get will rarely be accurate. To get a more accurate reading, you have to wait until the adolescence stage.

Once the boy is going through adolescence, you can use growth charts. This chart factors in current height, weight, and age. Using these three factors, you can find the point your boy is on the chart. 

Then, it’s just a game of following the curve. With this chart, you can get a preview of how boys’ height will change as they grow older.

Again, this method isn’t 100% accurate. Still, it has a much better margin of error.

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How to Predict Boys’ Height

Now that you know when boys stop growing, let’s look at the factors that affect that growth.

The first, and probably most important, factor on this list is DNA. Your genetic makeup is a combination of your parent's DNA. So, chances are, you’ll be in the same height range as your parents.

This means how tall a boy is going to be is pre-determined from birth. Still, your genes tell you how tall you can be, not how tall you are.

Throughout the different stages of a boy’s life, they’ll produce a variety of hormones. For boys, the main growth hormone is testosterone.

The levels of testosterone in a male system will decide how much growth occurs. These levels usually increase with the start of puberty and end at around 18 or 19 years of age.

Still, many factors can affect hormone levels in your system.

What you eat can affect more than just your weight. Our body needs a few nutrients and vitamins to be able to grow properly.

Proteins for muscle growth and development

Different minerals to keep hormone levels stable

That’s why for years moms have been saying you need to drink your milk to grow. Without the right nutrition, your body can increase in size.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for you, but why? Not only does it help you lose weight, but exercise can also help regulate your hormone levels.

That doesn’t mean going to the gym 7 times a week is the solution. Too much exercise can lead to a drop in your normal hormones. Stick to a schedule of regular exercise two to three times a week.

These are just some of the factors that affect growth. For more details, it’s a good idea to call a doctor. 

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When Do Boys Stop Growing?

Average Height for Boys

How to Predict Boys’ Height

Factors That Affect Height