How Tall Is Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Quick Answer

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Arnold Schwarzenegger's Height │ │ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ │ │ 📏 6'0.5" (184 cm) barefoot (peak) │ │ 📋 Claims: 6'2" (188 cm) │ │ ⚖️ Weight: ~235 lbs (107 kg) at peak │ │ 🎂 Born: July 30, 1947, Thal, Austria │ │ 🌍 Nationality: Austrian-American │ │ │ │ 🔗 Compare Your Height to Arnold → │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's Real Height Explained

Arnold Schwarzenegger stands at approximately 6'0.5" (184 cm) barefoot at his peak, according to CelebHeights{rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"}, despite consistently claiming to be 6'2" throughout his decades-long career. This discrepancy between his claimed height and his estimated real height has become one of the longest-running height debates in celebrity history.

At 6'0.5", Arnold is still well above the average American man's height of 5'9" (175 cm). That said, the gap between his claim of 6'2" and the widely accepted estimate of 6'0.5" — roughly 1.5 inches — has been a point of fascination for fans, bodybuilding historians, and celebrity height enthusiasts for decades.

Now at 78 years old, Arnold has almost certainly lost additional height due to the natural compression of the spine that occurs with aging. Multiple back surgeries and the wear on his body from decades of intense weightlifting have likely brought his current height down to somewhere around 5'11" to 6'0". Recent photos alongside other celebrities suggest this reduction is noticeable.

The Height Debate: What Does Arnold Really Measure?

Arnold Schwarzenegger's height controversy is arguably the most famous in all of bodybuilding and one of the most debated in Hollywood. The debate has raged since the 1970s, and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests the Austrian Oak is shorter than he's claimed.

The 6'2" Claim vs Reality

Arnold has consistently claimed 6'2" (188 cm) throughout his career — in bodybuilding competition records, Hollywood press materials, and political campaigns. This figure has been repeated so often that it has become accepted as fact in many mainstream sources, including his IMDb page{rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"} and Wikipedia entry{rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"}.

However, photographic evidence tells a different story. Fellow bodybuilders from Arnold's competitive era, including Lou Ferrigno (a legitimate 6'4.5"), have stood notably taller than Arnold in photos where both appear barefoot and on level ground. If Arnold were truly 6'2", the difference would be only about 2.5 inches — but it consistently appears larger.

What the Experts Say

CelebHeights{rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"} — the most respected independent celebrity height database — lists Arnold at 6'0.5" (184.2 cm) at his peak, which represents their best estimate based on decades of photographic comparisons. This is a full 1.5 inches below his claimed height.

Several bodybuilders who competed alongside Arnold during the 1970s golden era have publicly disputed his 6'2" claim. The bodybuilding community has long whispered that height inflation was common during this period, as a taller frame looks more impressive on stage and in competition photos.

Our Best Estimate

Taking into account photographic evidence, peer comparisons, and expert analyses, Arnold Schwarzenegger's peak height was most likely around 6'0.5" (184 cm) — a strong, above-average height, but not quite the imposing 6'2" he has maintained. Today, at age 78, he likely stands closer to 5'11" (180 cm).

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Height Compared to Other Celebrities

Table: Arnold vs Fellow Action Stars

→ See Arnold vs Sylvester Stallone side by side → See Arnold vs Dwayne Johnson side by side

Arnold vs Stallone: The Ultimate Action Rivalry

No height comparison discussion about Arnold would be complete without addressing his legendary rivalry with Sylvester Stallone. The two action icons dominated Hollywood throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and their height difference was always a subject of fascination.

Stallone stands at 5'9" (175 cm) — a full 3.5 inches shorter than Arnold's real height and 5 inches shorter than Arnold's claimed height. Despite this, Stallone's muscular build and the clever use of camera angles in his films often made the gap seem smaller on screen. In photos of the two together, however, the difference is evident: Arnold clearly has the height advantage.

Interestingly, both men have been accused of inflating their heights. Stallone has claimed 5'10" at various points, while Arnold holds firm at 6'2". The truth puts them about 3-4 inches apart — a meaningful gap that Arnold likely enjoyed during their competitive years.

Arnold vs Today's Action Stars

The modern generation of action stars tends to run taller than Arnold's real height. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at 6'2.5" (189 cm), Chris Hemsworth at 6'2.75" (190 cm), and Jason Momoa at 6'3.5" (192 cm) all have a few inches on Arnold. Even actors not known primarily for action, like Leonardo DiCaprio at 5'11.5" (182 cm) and Keanu Reeves at 6'0.75" (185 cm), are close to Arnold's real height. However, what Arnold may have conceded in height, he more than made up for in sheer mass during his prime — at 235 lbs of competition-ready muscle, his physical presence was unmatched.

Will Smith at 6'1.5" (187 cm) and Ben Affleck at 6'2.25" (189 cm) are both close to Arnold's claimed height, and photos of Arnold alongside similarly tall actors have been key evidence in the height debate.

How Tall Is Arnold Schwarzenegger Compared to You?

Wondering how you'd look standing next to the Terminator himself? Our free height comparison tool lets you enter your own height and see a visual side-by-side comparison with Arnold Schwarzenegger. You can even share your result — imagine posting "I'm taller than the Terminator!" on social media.

Even at his likely real height of 6'0.5", Arnold would tower over the average person. If you're a man of average height at 5'9", Arnold would have about 3.5 inches on you. If you're an average-height woman at 5'4", you'd be looking up at him by 8.5 inches — before accounting for his famously imposing posture and build.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger: Height in Context

Arnold's height — whether 6'0.5" or his claimed 6'2" — was just one component of what made him one of the most physically iconic humans of the 20th century. As a seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, his physique was the real story, not his stature. At his competition peak, Arnold carried approximately 235 lbs on his frame with just 6.5% body fat, creating proportions that made precise height estimation difficult because his sheer muscle mass distorted the visual references people normally use to gauge height.

In Hollywood, Arnold's physical presence transcended inches. Films like The Terminator, Predator, and Total Recall used his imposing build to maximum effect. Directors frequently shot him from low angles to emphasize his size, and his broad shoulders and barrel chest created the illusion of being even larger than he was. Standing next to average-sized actors, Arnold looked enormous regardless of whether he was truly 6'0.5" or 6'2".

His political career as Governor of California (2003-2011) brought renewed scrutiny to his height. Standing alongside other politicians and public figures provided fresh data points for height researchers. Photos with Barack Obama, who stands at approximately 6'1", showed the two men at similar heights — further supporting the 6'0.5" estimate over Arnold's 6'2" claim.

The height inflation is understandable in context. In the hypermasculine worlds of 1970s bodybuilding and 1980s action cinema, every inch counted. A 6'2" bodybuilder sounds considerably more imposing than a 6'0" one, and in an era before the internet made fact-checking easy, the claim went largely unchallenged for decades.

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Quick Facts About Arnold Schwarzenegger

Frequently Asked Questions

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Related Celebrity Heights

• Sylvester Stallone Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
• Dwayne Johnson Height: 6'2.5" (189 cm)
• Chris Hemsworth Height: 6'2.75" (190 cm)
• Jason Momoa Height: 6'3.5" (192 cm)
• Tom Cruise Height: 5'7.75" (172 cm)
• Hugh Jackman Height: 6'1.5" (187 cm)
• Bruce Willis Height: 5'11.5" (182 cm)