Vertical Jump
Vertical jump height is a measure of lower-body explosive power. The subject performs a countermovement jump (bending the knees, then jumping as high as possible with arm swing). Data are from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (n=5,188), a nationally representative survey of Canadian adults aged 20-69. Jump height was measured using a Leonardo Mechanograph force plate. A Norwegian study using the same protocol (n=484) reported similar values in adults, which supports using the Canadian data as a practical reference point. Read more on Wikipedia
How to Perform This Test
- Equipment
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- Leonardo Mechanograph force plate (or equivalent force plate)
- Steps
-
- Participant stands still on the force plate.
- On command, perform a countermovement jump, bend the knees, then jump as high as possible with full arm swing.
- Land back on the force plate with both feet.
- Repeat for up to 5 attempts with brief rest between.
- Scoring
Jump height is calculated from flight time recorded by the force plate (height = g × flight time² / 8). The best result across attempts is recorded in centimetres.
- Notes
These norms were measured using a force plate. Jump-and-reach field tests (e.g. Vertec, Sargent test) produce different values and cannot be directly compared to these norms.
Data source: Hoffmann et al. (CHMS) About this study
Vertical Jump Norms by Age and Sex (cm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-24 | Male | 32.6 | 41.2 | 49.4 | 56.9 | 63.8 |
| Female | 22.8 | 27.1 | 31.8 | 36.7 | 41.4 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 31.5 | 40 | 48 | 55.3 | 61.9 |
| Female | 22.2 | 26.5 | 31.3 | 36.2 | 41 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 30.1 | 38.2 | 45.8 | 52.8 | 59.1 |
| Female | 21.7 | 26.1 | 30.9 | 35.8 | 40.7 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 28.8 | 36.3 | 43.5 | 50.2 | 56.2 |
| Female | 21 | 25.4 | 30.2 | 35.1 | 40 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 27.5 | 34.4 | 41.1 | 47.5 | 53.3 |
| Female | 20.1 | 24.4 | 29.1 | 34 | 38.7 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 26.2 | 32.5 | 38.8 | 44.9 | 50.5 |
| Female | 19 | 23.1 | 27.7 | 32.4 | 37 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 24.8 | 30.6 | 36.4 | 42.2 | 47.6 |
| Female | 17.7 | 21.7 | 26.1 | 30.5 | 34.9 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 23.4 | 28.5 | 33.9 | 39.3 | 44.5 |
| Female | 16.4 | 20.2 | 24.4 | 28.6 | 32.7 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 21.7 | 26.4 | 31.3 | 36.3 | 41.2 |
| Female | 15.2 | 18.8 | 22.7 | 26.7 | 30.6 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 19.9 | 24 | 28.5 | 33.1 | 37.6 |
| Female | 14.1 | 17.4 | 21.1 | 24.9 | 28.5 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults aged 30 to 34, the middle 50% jump 38 to 53 cm for men and 26 to 36 cm for women. Vertical jump peaks in the early 20s and declines steadily with age, losing roughly 4 to 5 cm per decade; men jump around 15 cm higher than women on average. Scores below 38 cm (men) or 26 cm (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 53 cm (men) or 36 cm (women) are above average.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | 41.2 to 56.9 | 27.1 to 36.7 |
| 25-29 | 40 to 55.3 | 26.5 to 36.2 |
| 30-34 | 38.2 to 52.8 | 26.1 to 35.8 |
| 35-39 | 36.3 to 50.2 | 25.4 to 35.1 |
| 40-44 | 34.4 to 47.5 | 24.4 to 34 |
| 45-49 | 32.5 to 44.9 | 23.1 to 32.4 |
| 50-54 | 30.6 to 42.2 | 21.7 to 30.5 |
| 55-59 | 28.5 to 39.3 | 20.2 to 28.6 |
| 60-64 | 26.4 to 36.3 | 18.8 to 26.7 |
| 65-69 | 24 to 33.1 | 17.4 to 24.9 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the vertical jump test performed?
The full step-by-step protocol is detailed in the 'How to Perform This Test' section above.
Why are the P25 and P75 values approximate?
The source study (CHMS) reports percentiles at P5, P10, P20, P30, P40, P50, P60, P70, P80, P90, and P95, but not P25 or P75 directly. We use the reported P20 as a proxy for P25 and P80 as a proxy for P75. This is a 5-percentile-point approximation.
How do these norms compare to other populations?
A Norwegian study (Kjaer et al. 2016, DOI, n=484) used the same force-plate countermovement jump protocol and reported similar values in adults aged 20-64. That makes the Canadian reference more credible outside Canada, at least for similar Western samples. A large Chinese study (He et al. 2023, DOI, n=19,269) used a different measurement method, so direct comparison is not possible.
Why is there no data for ages 70 and above?
The Canadian Health Measures Survey physical fitness testing covers ages 20-69 only. No large-scale peer-reviewed force-plate vertical jump norms exist for adults aged 70+.
Can I compare my jump-and-reach score to these norms?
Not directly. These norms were measured on a Leonardo Mechanograph force plate, which calculates jump height from flight time. Field-based jump-and-reach tests (e.g. Sargent test, Vertec) measure the difference between standing reach and jumping reach, which typically produces different values. The study authors explicitly caution against comparing across measurement methods.