Vertical Jump
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
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, a nationally representative survey of the Canadian population. Percentiles cover ages 8-9 to 65-69. 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. The same jump reported as power in kilowatts is on the jumping power page. Read more on Wikipedia
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
-
- Leonardo Mechanograph force plate (or equivalent force plate)
- Protocol 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 derived by the force plate's software from the force-time data recorded through the jump, not from flight time. 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
Reference population: Canadians aged 8 to 69, nationally representative (Canadian Health Measures Survey cycle 5, 2016-2017)
Vertical Jump Norms Chart by Age and Sex (cm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 8-9 | Male | 21.4 | 25.7 | 29.2 | 33.3 | 39.8 |
| Female | 20.6 | 24.9 | 27.9 | 30.9 | 35.0 | |
| 10-11 | Male | 24.9 | 30.5 | 34.8 | 39.5 | 45.0 |
| Female | 24.1 | 29.1 | 32.8 | 36.4 | 41.4 | |
| 12-13 | Male | 27.9 | 34.8 | 39.9 | 45.1 | 52.7 |
| Female | 25.5 | 30.9 | 34.9 | 38.8 | 44.4 | |
| 14-15 | Male | 30.2 | 38.3 | 44.0 | 49.6 | 57.6 |
| Female | 25.3 | 30.8 | 34.7 | 38.8 | 44.5 | |
| 16-17 | Male | 31.8 | 40.8 | 46.9 | 52.9 | 61.1 |
| Female | 24.5 | 29.8 | 33.7 | 37.8 | 43.5 | |
| 18-19 | Male | 32.6 | 42.2 | 48.7 | 54.9 | 63.2 |
| Female | 23.6 | 28.9 | 32.8 | 36.7 | 42.4 | |
| 20-24 | Male | 32.6 | 42.8 | 49.4 | 55.5 | 63.8 |
| Female | 22.8 | 28.0 | 31.8 | 35.8 | 41.4 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 31.5 | 41.5 | 48.0 | 54.0 | 61.9 |
| Female | 22.2 | 27.4 | 31.3 | 35.2 | 41.0 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 30.1 | 39.7 | 45.8 | 51.5 | 59.1 |
| Female | 21.7 | 27.0 | 30.9 | 34.8 | 40.7 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 28.8 | 37.7 | 43.5 | 49.0 | 56.2 |
| Female | 21.0 | 26.3 | 30.2 | 34.2 | 40.0 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 27.5 | 35.7 | 41.1 | 46.3 | 53.3 |
| Female | 20.1 | 25.2 | 29.1 | 33.0 | 38.7 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 26.2 | 33.7 | 38.8 | 43.8 | 50.5 |
| Female | 19.0 | 24.0 | 27.7 | 31.5 | 37.0 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 24.8 | 31.7 | 36.4 | 41.1 | 47.6 |
| Female | 17.7 | 22.5 | 26.1 | 29.6 | 34.9 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 23.4 | 29.6 | 33.9 | 38.3 | 44.5 |
| Female | 16.4 | 21.0 | 24.4 | 27.8 | 32.7 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 21.7 | 27.3 | 31.3 | 35.3 | 41.2 |
| Female | 15.2 | 19.5 | 22.7 | 25.9 | 30.6 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 19.9 | 24.9 | 28.5 | 32.2 | 37.6 |
| Female | 14.1 | 18.1 | 21.1 | 24.1 | 28.5 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults aged 30 to 34, the middle 50% jump 40 to 52 cm for men and 27 to 35 cm for women. Male medians peak at 20-24 (49.4 cm) and female medians at 12-13 (34.9 cm). From each peak to age 65-69 the median falls about 4.6 cm per decade in men and 2.5 cm in women. The median sex gap is 1.3 cm at age 8-9, widens to 17.6 cm by 20-24, and narrows again to 7.4 cm at 65-69. Scores below 40 cm (men) or 27 cm (women) are typically below average at 30-34. Scores above 52 cm (men) or 35 cm (women) are above average.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | 25.7 to 33.3 | 24.9 to 30.9 |
| 10-11 | 30.5 to 39.5 | 29.1 to 36.4 |
| 12-13 | 34.8 to 45.1 | 30.9 to 38.8 |
| 14-15 | 38.3 to 49.6 | 30.8 to 38.8 |
| 16-17 | 40.8 to 52.9 | 29.8 to 37.8 |
| 18-19 | 42.2 to 54.9 | 28.9 to 36.7 |
| 20-24 | 42.8 to 55.5 | 28.0 to 35.8 |
| 25-29 | 41.5 to 54.0 | 27.4 to 35.2 |
| 30-34 | 39.7 to 51.5 | 27.0 to 34.8 |
| 35-39 | 37.7 to 49.0 | 26.3 to 34.2 |
| 40-44 | 35.7 to 46.3 | 25.2 to 33.0 |
| 45-49 | 33.7 to 43.8 | 24.0 to 31.5 |
| 50-54 | 31.7 to 41.1 | 22.5 to 29.6 |
| 55-59 | 29.6 to 38.3 | 21.0 to 27.8 |
| 60-64 | 27.3 to 35.3 | 19.5 to 25.9 |
| 65-69 | 24.9 to 32.2 | 18.1 to 24.1 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the protocol for the vertical jump test?
The full step-by-step protocol is detailed in the 'How to Perform This Test (Protocol)' 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. We estimate them as the arithmetic midpoint of the bracketing pair the study does publish: P25 from P20 and P30, P75 from P70 and P80. The P5, P50 and P95 values on this page are printed in the source.
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?
Participants aged 6 to 79 were eligible for the jump tests, but small samples at either end narrowed the published analysis to ages 8 to 69, which is the range shown here. No large-scale peer-reviewed force-plate vertical jump norms exist for adults aged 70 and above.
Can I compare my jump-and-reach score to these norms?
Not directly. These norms were measured on a Leonardo Mechanograph force plate, which derives jump height from the ground reaction forces recorded during the push-off. 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.