Meters to Feet: The Height Conversion Every Indian Needs

Your Indian passport says 170 cm. The US visa form asks for feet and inches. Your Aadhaar card says 5'7". Your medical report says 1.70 m. Three systems, one height. Here's every conversion you'll ever need.

The Formula

1 meter = 3.28084 feet

1 foot = 0.3048 meters

feet = meters × 3.28084

| Meters | Feet & Inches | Context | |--------|-------------|---------| | 1.50 m | 4'11" | Short Indian woman | | 1.60 m | 5'3" | Average Indian woman | | 1.70 m | 5'7" | Average Indian man | | 1.80 m | 5'11" | Tall Indian man | | 1.90 m | 6'3" | Very tall | | 2.00 m | 6'7" | NBA territory |

Convert any length with our Length Converter.

📊 Height Chart: cm ↔ feet & inches

| cm | Feet & Inches | cm | Feet & Inches | |----|-------------|-----|-------------| | 145 | 4'9" | 170 | 5'7" | | 150 | 4'11" | 175 | 5'9" | | 152 | 5'0" | 178 | 5'10" | | 155 | 5'1" | 180 | 5'11" | | 157 | 5'2" | 183 | 6'0" | | 160 | 5'3" | 185 | 6'1" | | 163 | 5'4" | 188 | 6'2" | | 165 | 5'5" | 190 | 6'3" | | 168 | 5'6" | 193 | 6'4" |

The Trench Truth: Indian passports require height in centimeters. US visa forms (DS-160) ask for feet and inches. UK forms accept either. When filling the DS-160, don't round — 170 cm is 5'6.93", which rounds to 5'7", not 5'6". A 1-inch error on a visa form can cause issues at immigration if your actual height doesn't match. Always convert precisely and round to the nearest inch.

Indian Average Heights

| Group | Average Height | cm | Global Rank | |-------|-------------|-----|-----------| | Indian men (25+) | 5'5.5" | 166.5 cm | 176/200 | | Indian women (25+) | 5'0.5" | 153.3 cm | 183/200 | | Indian men (18-21, urban) | 5'7" | 170 cm | — | | Dutch men (tallest) | 6'0" | 183 cm | #1 | | US men | 5'9" | 175.4 cm | 47 |

Key Takeaways

• 1 meter = 3.28084 feet — multiply by 3.28 for quick estimate
• 170 cm = 5'7" — the most common Indian male height
• Passport = cm, US visa = feet/inches — always convert precisely
• Indian men average 166.5 cm (5'5.5") — shorter than global average
• Convert any measurement: Length Converter | Weight Converter | Temperature Converter

Related articles: kg to lbs Guide | Celsius to Fahrenheit | BMI Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert my height from cm to feet and inches? Divide cm by 2.54 to get total inches. Then divide by 12 for feet — the remainder is inches. Example: 170 cm ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 inches. 66.93 ÷ 12 = 5 feet with 6.93 inches remaining → 5'7".

Why does the US visa form ask for feet and inches? The DS-160 form follows US customary units. India uses metric (cm) on passports and Aadhaar. Always convert precisely — a 1-inch discrepancy between your visa form and actual height can cause issues at immigration.

What height is considered tall in India? For men: 5'9" (175 cm) and above is considered tall (above average). For women: 5'4" (163 cm) and above. The average Indian man is 5'5.5" (166.5 cm) and average woman is 5'0.5" (153.3 cm).

Is 170 cm a good height? 170 cm (5'7") is the average height for urban Indian men aged 18-21. It's slightly above the national average (166.5 cm) but below the global average (171 cm). For Indian context, it's perfectly average.

How accurate is the 3.28 conversion factor? 1 meter = 3.28084 feet exactly. Using 3.28 gives a close approximation — off by only 0.03% (0.084 feet per meter). For quick mental math, 3.28 is fine. For official documents, use 3.28084.

Sources: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2016) Height Data, Indian Council of Medical Research, US State Department DS-160 Form Guidelines.