Resting Heart Rate
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
Resting heart rate is the pulse measured while a person is seated and at rest. These published percentiles come from Ostchega et al. 2011, using 14,200 adults aged 20 and older from NHANES 1999-2008. The reference sample excluded participants with conditions, medications, pregnancy, irregular pulse, abnormal thyroid results, or probable infection that could affect resting pulse.
Trained physicians measured the radial pulse manually for 30 seconds after the participant had been seated quietly for about 4 minutes. These are survey-weighted estimates for the source's published age groups, not values inferred from smartphones or wearables. The data are nationally representative of the US at the time of collection but are now historical, and the exclusions make this a reference sample rather than all US adults. Read more on Wikipedia
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
-
- Stopwatch or watch with a seconds display
- Chair
- Protocol Steps
-
- Sit quietly in a chair for about 4 minutes, matching the source examination protocol.
- Place two fingers lightly over the radial artery at the wrist.
- Count the pulse for 30 seconds.
- Multiply the count by 2 to express the result in beats per minute.
- Scoring
Record beats per minute (bpm). The source used one 30-second physician count after the seated rest; a home or clinical monitoring protocol may require repeated readings.
- Notes
The source excluded irregular pulses from its reference sample. If the rhythm feels irregular or a reading is unexpected or symptomatic, do not use this percentile table as a diagnosis.
Data source: Ostchega et al. - NHANES resting pulse reference data About this study
Reference population: Civilian, noninstitutionalized US population; normative sample excluding conditions, medications, pregnancy, irregular pulse, abnormal thyroid function, and likely current infection that could affect resting pulse
Resting Heart Rate Norms Chart by Age and Sex (bpm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-39 | Male | 52 | 61 | 69 | 76 | 89 |
| Female | 57 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 95 | |
| 40-59 | Male | 52 | 61 | 68 | 77 | 90 |
| Female | 56 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 92 | |
| 60-79 | Male | 50 | 60 | 67 | 75 | 91 |
| Female | 56 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 92 | |
| 80+ | Male | 51 | 61 | 68 | 78 | 94 |
| Female | 56 | 64 | 71 | 77 | 93 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults aged 20 to 39, the middle 50% measure 61 to 76 bpm for men and 66 to 82 bpm for women. The medians remain within a narrow range across the four broad adult age groups. These percentiles describe a selected US reference population; they are not diagnostic thresholds, and neither tail is automatically better or worse without considering symptoms, medications, fitness, rhythm, and measurement conditions.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-39 | 61 to 76 | 66 to 82 |
| 40-59 | 61 to 77 | 64 to 79 |
| 60-79 | 60 to 75 | 64 to 78 |
| 80+ | 61 to 78 | 64 to 77 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts and distribution labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do these resting heart rate percentiles represent?
They represent a survey-weighted reference sample of 14,200 US adults aged 20 and older examined in NHANES 1999-2008. The source excluded several conditions and medications that could affect pulse, so the table should not be read as the distribution for every adult.
Is a lower resting heart rate always better?
No. These labels describe position in the reference distribution, not health or performance grades. A low or high value can have different meanings depending on fitness, symptoms, medications, rhythm, illness, and measurement conditions. Seek clinical advice about a reading that is unexpected for you or accompanied by symptoms.
How was resting heart rate measured in NHANES?
A trained physician counted the radial pulse for 30 seconds after the participant had been seated quietly for about 4 minutes. See the protocol below and the methodology page for the source details.
Why might my watch show a different resting heart rate?
Wearables use device-specific sensors and algorithms and may summarize sleep or long periods of inactivity. The NHANES value was a single, manually counted seated pulse under a defined examination protocol, so the values are not directly interchangeable.