5′8″ at a glance
- Centimeters
- 172.72 cm
- Nearest whole cm
- 173 cm
- Meters
- 1.7272 m
- Millimeters
- 1,727.2 mm
- Total inches
- 68 in
- Decimal feet
- 5.6667 ft
How to convert 5′8″ to centimeters
68 in × 2.54 = 172.72 cm
Because the inch is defined as exactly 2.54 cm, 172.72 cm is an exact answer, not a rounded one. Medical and sports forms usually round it to 173 cm (or 172.5 cm to the nearest half centimeter).
Is 5′8″ tall? How it compares with US adults
For a man, 5′8″ is within the middle half of heights (about the 37th percentile). For a woman it is very tall (above the 95th percentile). A normal-curve estimate puts it at roughly 1 in 20.
| Group | Where 5′8″ falls | Median height | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men 20 and over | about the 37th percentile | 175.4 cm | −2.7 cm (−1.1 in) |
| Women 20 and over | above the 95th percentile | 161.3 cm | +11.4 cm (+4.5 in) |
| Men 20–29 | about the 34th percentile | 176.0 cm | −3.3 cm (−1.3 in) |
| Women 20–29 | about the 95th percentile | 162.8 cm | +9.9 cm (+3.9 in) |
Put another way, about 37 of every 100 US men are shorter, and fewer than 5 of every 100 US women are this tall. 5′8″ is closer to the typical man’s height than the typical woman’s; younger adults (20–29) run slightly taller than the all-ages figures, which include older adults who have lost some height.
Healthy weight range for 5′8″
Adult BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is the range the CDC labels healthy weight. At 5′8″ (1.73 m), that works out to 55.2–74.3 kg, or 122–164 lb.
| BMI | Category | Weight (kg) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18.5 | Healthy weight starts | 55.2 | 122 |
| 22.0 | Middle of healthy range | 65.6 | 145 |
| 25.0 | Overweight starts | 74.6 | 164 |
| 30.0 | Obesity starts | 89.5 | 197 |
BMI is a screening number, not a diagnosis: it does not separate muscle from fat and is not meant for children. Check a specific weight with the BMI calculator or compare formulas in the ideal weight calculator.
5′8″ in everyday terms
- Children’s growth. 5′8″ is close to the median height of US 14-year-old boys (170 cm) in the same CDC survey.
- Average range. 5′8″ sits between the median US woman (161.3 cm) and the median US man (175.4 cm), the band where most adults fall.
- Filling in a metric form? Visa applications, sports registrations and medical charts outside the US ask for 173 cm or 1.73 m; 5′8″ rounds to those values.
Heights near 5′8″
| Feet & inches | Centimeters | Meters |
|---|---|---|
| 5′4″ | 162.56 | 1.63 |
| 5′5″ | 165.1 | 1.65 |
| 5′6″ | 167.64 | 1.68 |
| 5′7″ | 170.18 | 1.70 |
| 5′8″ | 172.72 | 1.73 |
| 5′9″ | 175.26 | 1.75 |
| 5′10″ | 177.8 | 1.78 |
| 5′11″ | 180.34 | 1.80 |
| 6′0″ | 182.88 | 1.83 |
Going the other way: see 173 cm in feet and inches.
Frequently asked questions
What is 5 feet 8 inches in cm?
5 ft 8 in = 68 inches, and 68 × 2.54 = 172.72 cm exactly (1.7272 m).
Is 5′8″ tall for a man?
Among US men aged 20 and over, 5′8″ (172.7 cm) is about the 37th percentile, so it is within the middle half of heights.
Is 5′8″ tall for a woman?
Among US women aged 20 and over, 5′8″ is above the 95th percentile, so it is very tall.
What is a healthy weight for someone 5′8″?
A BMI of 18.5–24.9 at 5′8″ corresponds to about 122–164 lb (55.2–74.3 kg). BMI is only a screening measure.