Average grip strength for a 65–69 year old male

The median grip strength for men aged 65–69 is 40.1 kg (88.4 lb), from the Tomkinson 2025 international norms. Low for this group is below 31.5 kg (69.4 lb), the 20th percentile on this ladder. High is 48.8 kg (107.6 lb) and above.

The short answer

The median grip strength for men aged 65–69 is 40.1 kg (88.4 lb), from the Tomkinson 2025 international norms. Low for this group is below 31.5 kg (69.4 lb), the 20th percentile on this ladder. High is 48.8 kg (107.6 lb) and above.

This page covers ages 65, 66, 67, 68, and 69.

Percentile ladder for men aged 65–69

Handgrip strength percentiles for men aged 65–69 (Tomkinson et al., 2025)
Percentilekglb
P523.752.2
P1027.260.0
P2031.569.4
P3034.776.5
P4037.582.7
P5040.188.4
P6042.894.4
P7045.6100.5
P8048.8107.6
P9053.2117.3
P9556.8125.2

What counts as low, average, and high at this age

The authors of the norms classify five bands. On this ladder those bands are real kilogram ranges, not slogans:

BandGrip at this age
lowbelow 31.5 kg (69.4 lb)
somewhat lowfrom 31.5 kg (69.4 lb), which is the lower edge of the band, through 37.5 kg (82.7 lb)
moderatefrom 37.5 kg (82.7 lb), which is the lower edge of the band, through 42.8 kg (94.4 lb)
somewhat highfrom 42.8 kg (94.4 lb), which is the lower edge of the band, through 48.8 kg (107.6 lb)
high48.8 kg (107.6 lb) and above

How wide the spread is

The gap between the 20th and 80th percentile here is 17.3 kg (38.1 lb). Comparing yourself to a single “average” hides most of the distribution. Two healthy men in the same five-year band can differ by more than that spread without either being unusual.

How this group compares to the peak

The median here is 9.6 kg (21.2 lb, 19.3%) below the peak at ages 30–34 (49.7 kg (109.6 lb)).

What to expect over the next ten years

Ten years on, the population median for men aged 75–79 is 35.1 kg (77.4 lb) — 5.0 kg (11.0 lb) lower than this group. That is a cross-section of different people, not a forecast for you.

Where the clinical cut-off falls here

27.0 kg (59.5 lb) sits at about the 10th percentile for men in this age group.

The 27.0 kg (59.5 lb) EWGSOP2 figure is a screening threshold used by clinicians, not a self-diagnosis. A reading near it means a professional would look further, nothing more. If your number concerns you, that is a conversation with your doctor or physiotherapist — not with a table on the internet. Source: Cruz-Jentoft et al., Age Ageing, 2019.

What a normal left–right difference looks like at this level

At this group's median, an 8.1% left–right difference is about 3.2 kg (7.1 lb). That is one derived number from the pooled figure used sitewide — not a diagnosis, and not a full symmetry analysis. Full breakdown: grip strength symmetry.

The same age band for women has a median of 25.0 kg (55.1 lb).

Grip strength percentile calculator

Prefills this age band and sex. Enter a dynamometer reading to see where it sits on this ladder.

Your reading is placed on the published percentile ladder for your five-year age group — the same international norms tabulated below (Tomkinson et al., 2025; 2,405,863 adults, 69 countries). Those norms are harmonised to a reference protocol: hydraulic dynamometer, seated, elbow flexed, three squeezes per hand, best result. Test differently and your percentile shifts. Ages under 20 are compared with the 20–24 group, which the source does not cover. Orientation only, not a medical assessment.

FAQ

What is the average grip strength for a 67 year old man?

The median grip strength for men aged 65–69 is 40.1 kg (88.4 lb), from international norms covering 2.4 million adults.

What is a good grip strength at ages 65–69?

Against this group's ladder, below 31.5 kg (69.4 lb) counts as low for this age band. High starts at 48.8 kg (107.6 lb). The 40th–59th percentile is moderate.

Is 27.0 kg (59.5 lb) a weak grip for men aged 65–69?

27.0 kg (59.5 lb) sits at about the 10th percentile for men in this age group. The 27.0 kg (59.5 lb) figure is a clinical screening cut-off (EWGSOP2), not a diagnosis and not a self-assessment.

Method and limitations

These numbers are the published percentile ladder from Tomkinson GR et al., 2025 — 2,405,863 adults, 69 countries, Table 2, absolute handgrip strength in kg. The norms are harmonised to a reference protocol: hydraulic dynamometer, seated, elbow flexed, three squeezes per hand, best result. Test differently and your percentile shifts. Ages under 20 are compared with the 20–24 group, which the source does not cover. Orientation only, not a medical assessment.

The cross-age chart, why published charts disagree, and where the 27 kg (59.5 lb) / 16 kg (35.3 lb) cut-off comes from stay on the average grip strength by age guide. This page does not repeat them.

MrGripper app icon

Use the calculator, then track your trend

One reading is a snapshot. MrGripper logs grip tests per hand and charts the trend, free on the App Store.