Height prediction
How Tall Will a 12-Year-Old Girl Be?
By the Taller team · Updated · 4 min read · How we write
A girl of average height at 12 (5'1" (155 cm)) is on track to be about 5'4.5" (164 cm) as an adult. Find your current height in the chart below to see your own projection: it assumes you keep the same percentile on the CDC growth charts until you stop growing.
At 12, many girls are at or just past the peak of their growth spurt. After the first period, growth slows down and usually stops within about two years.
Predicted adult height for 12-year-old girls
Heights measured around 12½. “Likely range” reflects how much puberty timing usually changes the outcome at this age.
| Height at 12 | Percentile | Predicted adult height | Likely range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4'8" (142 cm) | 5th | 5'0" (152 cm) | 4'10" – 5'2" |
| 4'9" (145 cm) | 9th | 5'1" (155 cm) | 4'11" – 5'2.5" |
| 4'10" (147 cm) | 16th | 5'2" (157 cm) | 5'0" – 5'3.5" |
| 4'11" (150 cm) | 26th | 5'2.5" (159 cm) | 5'1" – 5'4.5" |
| 5'0" (152 cm) | 38th | 5'3.5" (161 cm) | 5'1.5" – 5'5.5" |
| 5'1" (155 cm) | 52nd | 5'4.5" (164 cm) | 5'2.5" – 5'6.5" |
| 5'2" (157 cm) | 66th | 5'5.5" (166 cm) | 5'3.5" – 5'7" |
| 5'3" (160 cm) | 78th | 5'6.5" (168 cm) | 5'4.5" – 5'8" |
| 5'4" (163 cm) | 87th | 5'7" (171 cm) | 5'5.5" – 5'9" |
| 5'5" (165 cm) | 93rd | 5'8" (173 cm) | 5'6.5" – 5'10" |
| 5'6" (168 cm) | 97th | 5'9" (175 cm) | 5'7" – 5'11" |
Get a personal prediction
Your parents’ heights matter as much as your current height. Add them below for a prediction that combines both.
Why the prediction can be off
- Puberty timing. A girl who starts puberty early looks tall for 12 but usually stops growing sooner. A late bloomer looks short now and keeps growing longer. See late bloomers and growth spurts.
- Genetics. Children tend to end up near their parents’ mid-parental target height.
- Health and habits. Sleep, nutrition and general health help a girl reach the height her genes allow, but don’t raise the ceiling. See how to grow taller at 12.
Only a bone-age X-ray read by a doctor can narrow the estimate much further. Median adult height in the US is 5'9.5" for men and 5'4.5" for women on the same charts.
Frequently asked questions
If I’m 4'11" at 12, how tall will I be?
A girl who is 4'11" at 12 is around the 26th percentile. If she stays on that growth curve, her adult height would be about 5'2.5" (159 cm), most likely between 5'1" and 5'4.5". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
If I’m 5'1" at 12, how tall will I be?
A girl who is 5'1" at 12 is around the 52nd percentile. If she stays on that growth curve, her adult height would be about 5'4.5" (164 cm), most likely between 5'2.5" and 5'6.5". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
If I’m 5'3" at 12, how tall will I be?
A girl who is 5'3" at 12 is around the 78th percentile. If she stays on that growth curve, her adult height would be about 5'6.5" (168 cm), most likely between 5'4.5" and 5'8". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
How accurate are these predictions?
They assume a girl keeps the same percentile until adulthood, which is a reasonable average but not a rule. Around this age puberty timing is the biggest unknown: early bloomers often end up shorter than their projection and late bloomers taller. Adding both parents’ heights in the calculator improves the estimate.
Sources
- Clinical Growth Charts (2000 CDC stature-for-age) — CDC / National Center for Health Statistics
- Data Table of Stature-for-age Charts (LMS parameters) — CDC
- Puberty — Nemours KidsHealth
Predictions for other ages (girls)
Keep reading
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Growth is very individual: if you are worried about your height, growth or puberty, talk to a doctor or a pediatric endocrinologist.