Though the reality is more complicated, women often say they prefer tall men. An average American woman is about five and a half inches shorter compared to her male counterpart.
And this is true for most places of the world including Asia and Middle East. But still, the exact science of what constitutes the perfect couple height difference specific for heterosexuals is not fully settled.
According to Polish scientist Boguslaw Pawlowski, height preferences shift with a person's own height, which naturally widens the dating pool. His research suggested that the "ideal" ratio between partners' heights is about 1.09, meaning the man's height is about 1.09 times the woman's.
Women Usually Say They Prefer Tall Men
This is a common saying worldwide. Researchers found that many women prefer male partners who are tall, and tall women often prefer a partner with even more height than their own.
But the contrary is men preferred shorter women. And their reason is shorter women are more attractive. In an online study conducted, it was noticed that men who are 6'3" and 6'4" got almost 60% more messages from women that are interested in them compared to men who were 5'7" or 5'8". Also, women that are 6'3" tall got about 40% fewer messages from males that are interested in them compared to women that are average 5'5".
Tallness Is a Power Play
Beyond the romance, there’s a history of authority dynamics which play a big role in height difference. According to the National Bureau of Economics, short men often marry women that are educationally disproportionate-less educative. As a result, gender ideals are connected to stature and that tallness is linked with masculinity, dominance, as well as higher status.
Also, there are lots of other studies that revealed some interesting facts. And one of such studies mentioned that tall men tend to get better deals and promotions at work. Therefore they make more money and get the best status in society at a large.
The Bottom Line
Height preferences make for fun research, but real relationships are built on far more than inches. Most couples don't match the "ideal" ratio, and studies show that people often end up with partners outside their stated preferences.
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1. Abraham PB. Are Human Mating Preferences with Respect to Height Reflected in Actual Pairings? Published 2013 Jan 16. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054186
