The figures below come from Dodds et al. (PLOS ONE 2014), a pooled analysis of 12 British studies. It covers 60,803 grip measurements from 49,964 participants aged 4 to 90 and over. Of those participants, 26,687 were female. The data are observational. Median grip peaked at 51 kg in males (ages 29 to 39) and 31 kg in females (ages 26 to 42) and then fell with age. A sourced summary of grip and health figures is on the dead hang statistics page.
Median grip strength by age, men and women
The chart plots the 50th centile (median) from Table 2 of Dodds 2014 for every fifth year from 20 to 90. The shaded bands run from the 10th to the 90th centile. About 80 in 100 people of that age and sex fell inside them.
Grip strength norms table in kg
This is Table 2 of Dodds 2014 as printed. It gives model estimates at each age in kg with the mean and standard deviation. The centile columns show how wide normal is. At age 40 the male 10th centile is 38 kg and the 90th is 63 kg. Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see the women columns.
| Age | Men | Women | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 50th | 90th | Mean (SD) | 10th | 50th | 90th | Mean (SD) | |
| 20 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 41.5 (7.3) | 21 | 28 | 36 | 28.4 (5.1) |
| 25 | 36 | 48 | 61 | 48.8 (8.7) | 23 | 30 | 38 | 30.6 (5.6) |
| 30 | 38 | 51 | 64 | 51.6 (9.6) | 24 | 31 | 39 | 31.4 (6.0) |
| 35 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 51.6 (10.1) | 23 | 31 | 39 | 31.3 (6.2) |
| 40 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 50.3 (10.3) | 23 | 31 | 39 | 30.7 (6.3) |
| 45 | 36 | 49 | 61 | 48.8 (10.3) | 22 | 30 | 38 | 29.9 (6.4) |
| 50 | 35 | 48 | 60 | 47.6 (10.1) | 21 | 29 | 37 | 28.7 (6.4) |
| 55 | 34 | 47 | 59 | 46.2 (9.8) | 19 | 28 | 35 | 27.5 (6.4) |
| 60 | 33 | 45 | 56 | 44.6 (9.2) | 18 | 27 | 34 | 26.5 (6.2) |
| 65 | 31 | 43 | 53 | 42.3 (8.6) | 17 | 25 | 33 | 25.3 (6.0) |
| 70 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 39.1 (8.1) | 16 | 24 | 31 | 23.5 (5.7) |
| 75 | 26 | 35 | 45 | 35.6 (7.6) | 14 | 21 | 28 | 21.4 (5.4) |
| 80 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 32.2 (7.3) | 13 | 19 | 26 | 19.1 (5.1) |
| 85 | 19 | 29 | 38 | 28.5 (7.0) | 11 | 17 | 23 | 16.6 (4.7) |
| 90 | 16 | 25 | 33 | 24.7 (6.8) | 9 | 14 | 20 | 14.2 (4.4) |
Read the row for your age and the column for your sex. A value near the 50th centile is typical for that age in these studies; it is not a target. Grip also varies with hand size, height and the device used.
Men versus women: the sex split
Men had a higher median than women at every age in the table. The bars below set the two medians side by side at four ages on the same kg scale from 0 to 70.
Within each sex the spread is wide and the ranges overlap: at age 40 the female 90th centile is 39 kg and the male 10th centile is 38 kg. Compare yourself with your own sex and age row instead of across sexes.
How grip strength changes after the peak
In the Dodds table the male median falls from 51 kg at age 30 to 39 kg at age 70. The female median falls from 31 kg to 24 kg. That is an average difference between younger and older groups measured at one time. It is not a measured loss within individuals. The same paper found weak grip (2.5 SD or more below the sex-specific peak mean) in 23.0% of males and 26.6% of females by age 80.
Large cohort studies have linked lower grip with higher mortality risk. The Lancet's PURE analysis (Leong et al. 2015) followed 139,691 adults aged 35 to 70 in 17 countries. Each 5 kg lower grip strength was associated with a 16% higher risk of death from any cause. That is an association in observational data. It is not proof that raising grip strength lengthens life.
What counts as weak grip strength
The European consensus on sarcopenia (EWGSOP2; Cruz-Jentoft et al. 2019 in Age and Ageing) lists low grip strength as below 27 kg for men and below 16 kg for women. The cut-offs are referenced to the Dodds data. Clinicians use these as screening cut-offs. They are not a diagnosis. A single low reading can reflect pain, fatigue, arthritis or poor technique.
Mention it to a GP or physiotherapist if a reading is below these values and you have noticed weakness, dropping things or difficulty with daily tasks. This page is not medical advice.
Other large grip strength datasets
Different studies use different devices and protocols. Their numbers do not line up exactly with Dodds. Three others are worth knowing:
- International, 2025. A systematic review of 100 observational studies covered 2,405,863 adults (51.9% female) aged 20 to 100 and over from 69 countries and regions tested from 2000 onward. Absolute grip peaked at ages 30 to 39: 49.7 kg in males and 29.7 kg in females (Tomkinson et al. in J Sport Health Sci 2025).
- United States, NIH Toolbox, 2018. In 1,232 US adults aged 18 to 85, mean grip ranged from 49.7 kg (dominant hand, men aged 25 to 29) to 18.7 kg (non-dominant hand, women aged 75 to 79) (Wang et al., JOSPT 2018).
- United States, NHANES 2011 to 2014. In 13,676 participants aged 6 to 80, mean grip ranged from 50.3 kg (dominant hand, men aged 30 to 34) to 10.0 kg (non-dominant hand, girls aged 6) (Wang et al., J Hand Ther 2019).
The broad pattern agrees: a peak in the 30s and men above women at every age group. Each source is a different population. Use one table at a time rather than mixing them.
Grip strength test: how to do it and what counts as weak
A grip strength test is a hand dynamometer reading in kg. Two cut-offs on this page tell you what counts as weak: below 27 kg for men and below 16 kg for women (EWGSOP2 2019, see what counts as weak grip strength). They are screening cut-offs, not a diagnosis, and a single low reading can reflect pain, fatigue or poor technique.
Clinics and research studies use a hand dynamometer. The norms above were collected that way. Only a dynamometer reading can be compared with them. A bathroom scale, a dead hang or a bar hold cannot.
- Use a calibrated hand dynamometer and follow the manufacturer's instructions for grip width and posture.
- Sit in a chair with your back supported and your arm in the same position each time.
- Squeeze as hard as you can, without jerking, and read the peak value in kg. Allow a rest between attempts.
- Test both hands, make several attempts, and note the best reading for each.
- Repeat at the same time of day with the same device if you are tracking change.
- Compare your best reading with the row for your age and sex in the table above, and with the 27 kg and 16 kg cut-offs.
Need a device? Browse hand dynamometers on Amazon (affiliate link: DeadHangs.com earns from qualifying purchases). Check that the listing gives readings in kg, and note that different devices may not read identically.
The Dodds figures use the maximum across trials and both hands, so compare your best reading, not your average. A reading from a different device or protocol may not be directly comparable.
A dead hang tests something different: how long you can support your bodyweight. Both depend on grip, but the two measures are not interchangeable. See dead hang time by age for the timed version and the grip strength training guide for building grip.
Grip strength by age: frequently asked questions
What is the average grip strength by age?
Dodds et al. pooled 12 British studies (2014; 49,964 participants). Median grip peaked at 51 kg in males and 31 kg in females. The full table on this page gives the 10th, 50th and 90th centile for every five years from 20 to 90. These are dynamometer measurements of grip force, not dead hang seconds.
What is a good grip strength for a 60 year old?
In the Dodds 2014 table the median at age 60 is 45 kg for men (10th centile 33 kg; 90th centile 56 kg) and 27 kg for women (10th centile 18 kg; 90th centile 34 kg). A reading near the median is typical for that age in those British studies. It is not a pass mark.
What is normal grip strength for women?
In Dodds 2014 (12 British studies), median grip for women is 28 kg at 20, 31 kg at 30 to 40, 27 kg at 60, 24 kg at 70 and 19 kg at 80, measured on a hand dynamometer. Women peaked at a median of 31 kg between roughly ages 26 and 42.
What grip strength is considered weak?
The EWGSOP2 sarcopenia guideline (2019) lists low grip strength as below 27 kg for men and below 16 kg for women. The cut-offs are referenced to Dodds 2014. This is a screening cut-off used by clinicians. It is not a diagnosis. Dodds found weak grip in 23.0% of males and 26.6% of females by age 80. Weak grip was defined as 2.5 SD or more below the sex-specific peak mean.
Does grip strength decline with age?
Yes. That holds in cross-sectional data. In the Dodds 2014 table the male median falls from 51 kg at age 30 to 39 kg at 70. The female median falls from 31 kg to 24 kg. Cross-sectional tables compare different people at different ages. They do not show how any one person will change.
Is grip strength the same as dead hang time?
No. Grip strength here means peak squeezing force on a hand dynamometer, in kg. A dead hang is a timed hold of your bodyweight. No study cited on this page converts one into the other. This page does not.
Sources
- Dodds RM et al. Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies. PLOS ONE 2014;9(12):e113637. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113637
- Tomkinson GR, Lang JJ, Rubin L, McGrath R, et al. International norms for adult handgrip strength: a systematic review of data on 2.4 million adults aged 20 to 100+ years from 69 countries and regions. J Sport Health Sci 2025;14:101014. doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2024.101014
- Wang YC, Bohannon RW, Li X, Sindhu B, Kapellusch J. Hand-grip strength: normative reference values and equations for individuals 18 to 85 years of age residing in the United States. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(9):685-693. doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2018.7851
- Wang YC et al. Summary of grip strength measurements obtained in the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. J Hand Ther 2019;32(4):489-496. doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2018.03.002
- Cruz-Jentoft AJ et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis (EWGSOP2). Age Ageing 2019;48(1):16-31, Table 3. doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169
- Leong DP et al. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet 2015;386(9990):266-273. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6