Well, the answer to this question depends upon the person being asked.
Everyone has a different opinion whether a woman or a man of a certain height is considered short, and this includes the person themselves.
With that being said, across studies, there does seem to be a general consensus for what height is considered short.
The answer? Any woman who is 4 feet 11 inches or less is considered short.
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What about 5 feet 2 inches for a woman?
The average height for a woman in the United States is 5 feet 5 inches. It is generally agreed upon that a female of 5 feet 2 inches (or even 5 feet 3 inches) is considered short.
Of course, opinions on this matter may differ in other countries.
Is 5 feet 4 inches considered short for a woman?
No, not really. However, this woman may be considered petite if she has a small build.
However, as far as height goes, this figure is not considered to be short. Rather, it is just about average.
How about 5 feet 5 inches or above?
As mentioned earlier, here in the States this is an average height for a lady of any age or heritage.
It is important to say that this height is also not considered tall. A woman is only considered tall if she is over 5’5″.
How short is 5 feet 0 inches?
This height is considered very short for a woman. Of course, there are many women around the world that are 5’0″ or less in height.
Because the world is typically set up to accommodate people taller than 5’0″, women who are this short may find things such as items on grocery store shelves to be out of reach.
They often wear shoes that have very high heels and need pants, skirts, and dresses shortened in order for them to fit properly.
Perceptions of women’s height differ around the world
The above height observations were made from the perspective of people in the United States.
In other parts of the world, people have varied concepts of what is considered short for a woman’s height. We’ll dive in a little further in this next section.
Please note: there is no significance to which countries or regions are included on our list, nor to the order in which they appear.
- United States mainland – 5 feet 2 inches
- United States – Alaska – 5 feet 4 inches
- United States – Hawaii – 5 feet 4 inches
- China – 5 feet 2 inches
- Pakistan – 4 feet 10 inches
- Bangladesh – 4 feet 9 inches
- United Kingdom – 5 feet 1 inch
- Western Europe – 5 feet 6 inches
- Mexico – 5 feet 2 inches
- Canada – feet 2 inches
- Austria – 5 feet 1 inch
- Australia – 5 feet 0 inches
- Russia – 5 feet 1 inch
- Greece – 5 feet 5 inches
- South Africa – 5 feet 2 inches
- Congo – 5 feet 0 inches
- Norway – 5 feet 5 inches
Is it true that short women are less successful than other people?
Perhaps yes, according to a study by Timothy A. Judge, Ph.D., and Daniel M. Cable, Ph.D.
Their study provided an analysis of four other related studies done in America and Britain. It followed the lives of approximately 8,500 participants.
Additionally, doctors Judge and Cable analyzed 45 prior studies that focused on the relationship between a person’s height and their success in the workplace.
They combined this evidence with the other four studies to conclude that yes, it does seem like shorter people see less success when it comes to their careers.
What happened in their studies?
What these two men wanted to accomplish was to prove that there is discrimination of shorter men and women in society’s workforce.
They did exactly that. The results were conclusive that taller people earned over $165,000 more over 30 years than short people.
The study by Judge and Cable can be found in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Volume 89, No. 3.
Is this something to be concerned about? Maybe. More time and more research are needed in order to say so conclusively.
Are there problems for short women?
Despite research like that we just discussed, many short women think this is a fallacy.
Yes, there are issues with reaching things on high shelves and maybe even tackling high steps on a staircase or a bus. It does happen.
That said, however, women that actually are short do not feel discriminated against in the workplace or anyplace else.
Take a look at all the short, successful women in the world including the entertainment industry as well as private sector companies.
Short women and romance
The notion that short women are lacking in the romance department is subjective.
Although this is up to the individual, many men of average or tall heights love short women. Men tend to be extremely protective of their short ladies.
Short women do not have any trouble finding someone to be their romantic partner. Their relationships last just as long as women of average or taller heights.
Short women and aging
Short women tend to remain young-looking in the later years of their lives, which also makes them attractive to men.
If you don’t believe us, observe the people around you for a while. You will see they are quite true.
How many times have you been pleasantly surprised when the woman in line in front of you gets asked for proof of age and is older than you thought?
Did her dainty height make it hard to believe at first?
What are some other benefits for short women?
There are indeed a lot of advantages for short women and men. Here are a few of them.
- They can more easily fit into airplane seats or train seats
- They do not take up much space in a waiting line
- They do not have far to fall during a mishap, so they are less likely to break any bones when they do fall
- Their reaction times tend to be faster
- They have a faster rate of mobility
- Perhaps a reduced risk of heart disease or any cardiovascular disease
- Attractive to taller partners
- Maintain a youthful appearance
- They consume fewer natural resources than taller people
What about short men?
There are times when short men feel discriminated against by other people and can often be the brunt of jokes and pranks.
However, this too is something subjective. Many short men fare perfectly well in the world.
Are short men attractive?
Yes, they sure can be. Many short men are successfully paired with someone and enjoy a fulfilling family life.
Plenty of them also experience a long and fruitful career in whatever path they choose. There are a significant number of professions for which short men are perfect.
Is it possible to be too short?
No, not really. As we have discussed, there are some pitfalls. However, none are that serious.
There are many positive aspects of being short as well. Most people that are short are happy with their lives and with themselves.
What can we take away from this information about short women?
There is definitely a place for short women in society, no matter where in the world they are.
If a woman or a man faces adversity, he or she should remember it is usually the other person who has a problem.
A short person should always maintain a positive attitude towards themselves and other people and know that they are perfect just the way they are.
