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Grip strength · NHANES 2011 to 2014 · updated October 2026

Average Grip Strength by Age & Sex (Chart)

Among US adults aged 18 and over, the median man's best squeeze is about 47 kg103 lb and the median woman's about 29 kg65 lb. Half of each group gripped harder than that, and half less hard.

Units
040801201600102030405060708090KG · LB OUTSIDE
Median man
47 kg 103 lb
Median woman
29 kg 65 lb

US men aged 18 and over · percentiles

US women aged 18 and over · percentiles

Find your percentile

Where does your grip rank?

Squeeze a dynamometer as hard as you can, a few times with each hand, and enter your best reading. We place it among people of your sex and age group in the US survey.

Sex

Enter your best squeeze with either hand. Calculations run in your browser. We measure usage, including the result band.

NHANES 2011 to 2014 · percentile

about the 50th percentile

Among US men aged 30 to 39, you are ahead of about 50% of them.

You · 51 kg113 lb

By age and sex

Grip strength by age, for men and women

Each table is one source, with who it measured, when, how many and how. Two sources are never blended.

Computed by us from the survey records

US adults aged 18 and over

Sex
Units
US men, NHANES 2011 to 2014 · values in kglb · n = people tested in each age group
Age10th25thMedian75th90thn
18 and over357741904710353116591295,231
18 to 29388343944810655120611341,206
30 to 39408846101511135612462136863
40 to 4940884497491085512160132816
50 to 5936794190461025111256122811
60 to 693373388443964910753116806
70 to 79296433733985439547103453
80 and over24522861337237824190276
Who was measured
US adults aged 18 and over
When
2011 to 2014
How many
10,609 people
One value is
the best squeeze with either hand
What the source gives
Percentiles we computed: the 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th
The test
A Takei T.K.K.5401 digital dynamometer, standing with the elbow straight and the arm at the side (people who could not stand were tested seated). Three squeezes with each hand, hands alternated, 60 seconds between squeezes on the same hand, after a practice squeeze. We keep the highest of the six readings.
Licence
Public domain: US government survey data, free to reuse.

Computed by us from the survey records

US children and teens aged 6 to 17

Sex
Units
US boys, NHANES 2011 to 2014 · values in kglb · n = people tested in each age group
Age10th25thMedian75th90thn
6818921112413281431223
710221124132815331736222
811241226153317371941221
912271432163619412045209
1014311737194121452453198
1116351941224725542963182
1219412045245227583066170
1322482554296535784088170
1426563168347539864395175
153066367940874510049109151
163476388343954910752115175
173576398643954910753117144
Who was measured
US children and teens aged 6 to 17
When
2011 to 2014
How many
4,375 people
One value is
the best squeeze with either hand
What the source gives
Percentiles we computed: the 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th
The test
A Takei T.K.K.5401 digital dynamometer, standing with the elbow straight and the arm at the side (people who could not stand were tested seated). Three squeezes with each hand, hands alternated, 60 seconds between squeezes on the same hand, after a practice squeeze. We keep the highest of the six readings.
Licence
Public domain: US government survey data, free to reuse.

A percentile is a rank, not a grade. If your grip sits at the 70th percentile for women aged 40 to 49, you squeezed harder than about 70 in every 100 women that age in the survey, and less hard than the other 30. It tells you where you stand. Whether that is enough for the life you want is a separate question.

Read across your own age row. Grip changes with age, so the same reading lands at a different percentile at 30 than at 70. The median column is the person in the middle. The 25th and 75th columns bracket the middle half of everyone tested, and the 10th and 90th mark the edges where one person in ten sits beyond.

Men and women get separate tables, because their medians differ at every age in the data: compare the two at any row. Ranking a woman's grip against men, or a man's against women, tells you very little.

Most dynamometers read in kilograms. The pound figures are conversions (one kilogram is 2.2 pounds), rounded to whole numbers. The n column is how many people were tested in each age group: NHANES 2011 to 2014 weights them so the percentiles describe US adults aged 18 and over, not only the people who turned up.

Cross-checks

Other sources, shown beside the main tables

These tables measured other people or used another method. We show them so you can see where they agree and where they differ; none of them feeds the numbers above.

As published

Dodds et al. 2014 (UK)

Sex
Units
British men, Dodds et al. 2014 (UK) · values in kglb
Age10th25thMedian75th90th
2536794190481065512161134
3038844497511125812864141
3539864599511125812864141
4038844497501105712663139
4536794293491085612361134
5035774190481065411960132
5534754088471045311759130
603373398645995111256123
653168378243954810653117
70296434753986449749108
7526573168357741904599
8023512760327137824293
8519422453296433733884
9016352044255529643373
Who was measured
people in Great Britain measured in twelve British studies between 1990 and 2012, pooled (49,964 participants, 60,803 measurements); centiles shown at exact ages 25 to 90
When
1990 to 2012
How many
49,964 people
One value is
the best squeeze, either hand (most studies)
What the source gives
Percentiles as printed: the 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th
The test
Maximum grip from the pooled studies, usually the best of up to six squeezes (three per hand), on several dynamometer models (Jamar, Smedley, Harpenden, Nottingham electronic, Takei), seated or standing depending on the study.
Licence
Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies (Dodds et al., PLOS ONE), reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY).

By age

The median grip at every age

The median climbs through childhood and the teens. In this survey it is highest at 30 to 39 for both men and women, and lower in every older age group after that.

020406051525354555657585
men, medianwomen, medianage in years · kgOne line per table, never joined: NHANES 2011 to 2014, ages 18 and over; NHANES 2011 to 2014, ages 6 to 17.

How the test is done

The protocol behind the numbers

As the sources behind these numbers ran it

  1. 1

    Instrument

    A Takei T.K.K.5401 digital grip dynamometer, with the grip size adjusted to the hand.

  2. 2

    Position

    Standing, with the elbow straight and fully extended at the side and the dynamometer at thigh level, not touching the body. People who could not stand were tested seated.

  3. 3

    Trials

    Two hand warm-ups and one practice squeeze, then three squeezes with each hand, hands alternated, with 60 seconds of rest between squeezes on the same hand.

  4. 4

    Reading kept

    Every squeeze is recorded. Our tables keep each person's highest of the six readings, from either hand. The survey's own combined score adds the best right hand to the best left hand instead.

Grip tables only compare when the tests match, and three choices move the number more than most people expect.

Which reading. Some sources keep your single best squeeze. Others add your best right hand to your best left hand and report the sum, which comes out at roughly twice the size. The US survey publishes both. We use the best single squeeze, because that is the number a dynamometer in a gym or a clinic shows you. If you see an "average grip" near double the figures on this page, check whether it is a two-hand total.

Position. Standing with the arm straight down at your side and sitting with the elbow bent at a right angle are both in common use. They are different tests, so every table here names the one it used.

The instrument. Hydraulic, digital and spring dynamometers all measure squeezing force, but they are built differently and their handles fit hands differently. Treat a reading on your gym's device as close to a survey reading, not identical to it. Set the handle so the second joints of your fingers sit square on the bar.

Attempts and rest. The best of several tries beats a single go, and a rested hand beats a tired one. Take three squeezes with each hand, a minute apart on the same hand, and keep the highest. Squeeze steadily for a few seconds instead of snatching at the handle.

What the number is linked to

What research connects it with

These are associations measured across groups of people. They do not show that changing your own number changes your risk.

  • Each 5 kg lower grip was linked to a higher death rate from any cause over a median of 4 years: a hazard ratio of 1.16 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.20) after adjustment for other factors. It compares people with each other and does not show what gaining grip would do.

    Measured among 139,691 adults aged 35 to 70 in 17 countries in the PURE study, enrolled 2003 to 2009

  • Each 5 kg lower best single grip reading (the same reading as the NHANES table on this page) was linked to a higher risk of death by the end of 2019: a hazard ratio of 1.34 for men (95% CI 1.24 to 1.46) and 1.45 for women (95% CI 1.27 to 1.66), fully adjusted. Over a median of 6.75 years, 805 people died.

    Measured among 9,583 US adults aged 20 and over measured in NHANES 2011 to 2014 (Chai et al. 2024)

  • The European sarcopenia consensus counts a grip below 27 kg in men or below 16 kg in women as low muscle strength. Low strength makes sarcopenia probable; the diagnosis also needs a measurement showing low muscle quantity or quality.

    Measured among older adults assessed for sarcopenia (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, revised definition published 2019)

Claims and measurements

What people say, against what was measured

"Grip strength tells you how strong you are overall."
Partly
The 2019 European sarcopenia consensus says grip correlates moderately with strength in other parts of the body, which is why clinics use it as a stand-in for arm and leg strength. It is a proxy, not a full-body strength test.
"Grip strength predicts how long you will live."
Partly
Among 139,691 adults aged 35 to 70 in the PURE study, lower grip went with a higher death rate (hazard ratio 1.16 for each 5 kg lower). That ranks risk across groups. It does not forecast one person's lifespan, and the authors called for tests of whether getting stronger lowers mortality.
"Your dominant hand is always 10% stronger."
Does not hold up
In 310 students, faculty and staff at a US college (Petersen et al. 1989), the dominant hand was 12.72% stronger on average among right-handers, but among left-handers the difference was minus 0.08%, so the 10% rule did not fit them.
"A grip under 27 kg for men or 16 kg for women means you are weak for your age."
Does not hold up
Those are the European sarcopenia consensus cut-offs for low strength. They were set 2.5 standard deviations below the young-adult peak average in British data (Dodds et al. 2014), not at a percentile of people your own age, so they say nothing about where you rank among your peers.
"Your grip peaks in your 20s."
Does not hold up
In NHANES 2011 to 2014 the median grip is highest at 30 to 39 for both US men (51.3 kg) and US women (32.0 kg), against 48.2 kg and 30.9 kg at 18 to 29. This is a snapshot of different people at different ages, not people followed as they aged.

Questions people ask

Grip strength: questions, answered

What is the average grip strength for a man?

Among US men aged 18 and over in NHANES 2011 to 2014, the median best squeeze with either hand is about 47 kg103 lb, and the middle half of them squeezed between 41 kg90 lb and 53 kg116 lb. The mean is about 47 kg103 lb. The table by age group shows how it changes with age.

What is the average grip strength for a woman?

Among US women aged 18 and over in NHANES 2011 to 2014, the median best squeeze with either hand is about 29 kg65 lb, and the middle half of them squeezed between 26 kg57 lb and 33 kg73 lb. The mean is about 29 kg65 lb. The table by age group shows how it changes with age.

What is a good grip strength for my age?

There is no single cut-off, so we rank instead. Among US men aged 18 and over, a grip of 53 kg116 lb beats about three in four; 59 kg129 lb beats about nine in ten. For US women aged 18 and over the same marks are 33 kg73 lb and 37 kg82 lb. Use the tool above to rank your own reading against your age group.

Is grip strength measured in kg or lb?

Most dynamometers read in kilograms, and research tables use kilograms. One kilogram is 2.2 pounds, so a 40 kg grip is about 88 lb. Every table on this page switches between the two.

Is grip strength measured in psi or kg?

Usually in kilograms. A hand dynamometer, like the Takei model NHANES used, measures squeezing force in kilograms. Psi is a unit of pressure, force spread over an area, so a psi reading can't be turned into kilograms just by changing the unit. A 2017 study of 339 patients needed device-specific conversion factors to compare a Martin-Vigorimeter with a Jamar dynamometer. We found no population average in psi.

Sources: NHANES Muscle Strength Procedures Manual (2011) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 2011) · Comparison of the grip strength using the Martin-Vigorimeter and the JAMAR-Dynamometer: establishment of normal values (Neumann et al., In Vivo) (In Vivo, 2017) · NIST Guide to the SI, Chapter 4: The two classes of SI units and the SI prefixes (Table 3) (National Institute of Standards and Technology)

How can I test my grip strength at home?

You need a hand dynamometer; a spring gripper's rating is not a measurement of your squeeze. To compare with the NHANES table on this page, copy its method: stand with your arm straight at your side, squeeze as hard as you can, do three squeezes with each hand, alternating hands, wait 60 seconds between squeezes on the same hand, and keep your single best reading.

Sources: NHANES Muscle Strength Procedures Manual (2011) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 2011) · Captains of Crush Grippers FAQ: Choosing, Training, Care, Certification, Ratings (IronMind)

Why do some charts say the average man grips over 200 pounds?

Those charts add the two hands together. Perna and colleagues' analysis of NHANES 2011 to 2012 summed each hand's best squeeze, which put US men aged 30 to 39 at an average of 216.4 lb and women at 136.5 lb. The NHANES table on this page keeps the single best squeeze from either hand instead, so its numbers are much smaller and can't be compared with a two-hand sum.

Population: US adults aged 30 to 39 in NHANES 2011 to 2012 (Perna et al. 2016).

Sources: Muscular grip strength estimates of the U.S. population from NHANES 2011-2012 (Perna et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research) (CDC Stacks (author manuscript), 2016)

Should I count my best squeeze or the average of several?

Use whatever rule the table you compare with used. NHANES recorded three squeezes per hand, and the table on this page keeps the best of all six. Perna's NHANES charts add the best squeeze of each hand together instead. The same person can therefore have several valid scores, and changing the rule changes the number even on the same device.

Sources: NHANES Muscle Strength Procedures Manual (2011) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 2011) · Muscular grip strength estimates of the U.S. population from NHANES 2011-2012 (Perna et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research) (CDC Stacks (author manuscript), 2016)

Does a grip below average mean I have sarcopenia?

No. Being below the median for your age is not a diagnosis. The European sarcopenia consensus uses fixed cut-offs instead: a grip under 27 kg for men or 16 kg for women flags low strength, and sarcopenia is confirmed only when a scan or similar test also shows low muscle quantity or quality.

Population: older adults assessed for sarcopenia (EWGSOP2, 2019).

Sources: Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis (Cruz-Jentoft et al., Age and Ageing) (Age and Ageing, 2019)

Can I convert a Captains of Crush gripper rating into kilograms?

No. A gripper's poundage is a rating of the spring, not a reading of your squeeze. IronMind, which makes Captains of Crush grippers, says ratings from different makers come from different test systems, so its 195 lb gripper can be harder to close than another brand's '300 lb' one. We found no validated conversion from closing a gripper to a dynamometer reading.

Sources: Captains of Crush Grippers FAQ: Choosing, Training, Care, Certification, Ratings (IronMind)

How we calculate

Where these numbers come from

Updated October 2026. We show the method so you can judge it.

Two kinds of table. Some tables we compute ourselves from a public survey's own records, using the survey's sample weights so the percentiles describe the population it was drawn to represent, not only the people who were tested. The rest we copy as their source printed them. Every table says which it is, who was measured, when, how many and how.

Percentiles, not levels. Stronger scores lifts on its own six-level scale. There is no such scale for grip, so this page never gives you a level. It ranks your result against people of your sex and age in a named source.

Your result. Where we computed a full curve, we place your result at the nearest whole percentile. Where a source printed only some percentiles, we say which two printed percentiles your result falls between and never estimate in between. Outside the outermost printed or reliable point we say so instead of guessing further. Where no measured group matches your age and sex, the tool says so and shows the nearest groups.

Never averaged. Two sources measure different people with different rules. Averaging them would describe nobody, so each is shown on its own, and each answer in the tool names its source.

Tables on this page

  • NHANES 2011 to 2014 · computed by us · main tableUS adults aged 18 and over, 2011 to 2014, 10,609 people
  • NHANES 2011 to 2014 · computed by us · main tableUS children and teens aged 6 to 17, 2011 to 2014, 4,375 people
  • Dodds et al. 2014 (UK) · as published · cross-checkpeople in Great Britain measured in twelve British studies between 1990 and 2012, pooled (49,964 participants, 60,803 measurements); centiles shown at exact ages 25 to 90, 1990 to 2012, 49,964 people

Sources

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Median among US men aged 18 and over: 47 kg103 lb. Median among US women aged 18 and over: 29 kg65 lb.