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20 cm height difference: Big or normal?

20 cm height difference: Big or normal?

A 20 cm height difference sounds like a very significant height gap. This is interesting because, in isolation, a 20 centimeter measurement really isn’t that big.

However, when it comes to human height, many of us are very sensitive to differences in stature, which is why a 20 cm difference in height is so noticeable.

See More Height Differences:

What does a 20 cm height difference look like between couples?

A 20 cm height difference between couples looks very noticeable because one person will tower over the other.

Many girls are worried about being too short compared to their partner, but the reality is that there are quite a lot of couples who have a 20 centimeter height difference.

I certainly wouldn’t say that a 20 cm difference in height is big to the point where it’s a problem. Not by a long shot. In fact, if anything, I would say that a 20 cm height difference actually looks complementary.

After all, most guys want to be taller than their partner, and most girls want to be shorter than their partner. So a 20 centimeter difference in height certainly reinforces these norms.

Is a 19 cm height difference common?

A tall man stood next to a short woman

A 19 cm height difference is pretty common for all of the same reasons that a 20 centimeter height difference is fairly common.

Of course, since their height and how tall or short they look in comparison with others is a major concern for a lot of people, they can often become hung up on highly specific height differences.

In reality, a few centimeters here or there doesn’t make much difference. Sure, you can easily see that one person is much shorter than the other, but that’s just the way we’re designed.

Height is largely genetic, so some people are naturally going to tower 19 cm or more over others.

How big is a 23 cm or 24 cm height difference?

A man and a woman holding a tape measure

A 22 cm, 23 cm, and 24 cm height difference are all very large height gaps, meaning that one person would tower over the other.

When you get beyond twenty centimeters, the height differences really start to seem like a lot because they become less common statistically.

Still, a 23 cm height difference, for example, isn’t excessive, even though it is dramatic. 

Many people actually like having such a large height difference between themselves and their partner, although this preference obviously isn’t the same for everyone.

It’s interesting that we’ll barely notice, say, a 22 cm height difference between objects, but the same exact height difference will be blindingly obvious when it exists between two people.

I suppose since height is considered important, we’re very sensitive to even fairly subtle differences in human stature.

Who typically has a 20 cm difference in height?

A happy couple enjoying some time outside

Many different people can have a 20 cm difference in height. It’s not exactly uncommon for a couple to have a 20 cm height difference presuming, obviously, that the male is taller than the female.

A parent can also have a 20 centimeter height difference with their growing child (or with one of their parents), and brothers and sisters may also have a 20 centimeter difference in height.

Some people can be pretty tall, so you also might get two friends of the same gender who have a 20 cm or even a 21 cm height difference.

Some people don’t have a problem with being 20 cm or so shorter than their friend, while others would strongly dislike being the short friend!

Actually, it is technically possible to be 20 cm shorter than someone else while still being fairly tall yourself if the other person is exceptionally tall.

Related: Can you really grow 20 cm taller?

Conclusion

Ultimately, while it might look very noticeable, a 20 cm height difference isn’t a big deal because there are loads of people who are 20 centimeters shorter or taller than their partner/friend/siblings/parents/children.

Human height really does vary a lot, so even a 24 cm height difference, for example, is not exactly unheard of, regardless of who it exists between.

If you walk around any town or city, I’ll bet that you’ll see at least a few people who have a 20 centimeter height difference. While 20 centimeters sure sounds like a lot, it’s not an extremely rare height gap to have with someone.