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Children's international size conversion chart

Children's sizing is the one category where Europe is unambiguous and everyone else guesses. A European label is the child's height in centimetres. A US, UK or Australian label is an age, and children of the same age vary by 15 cm or more. Measure the height, then read across.

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UK
EU
Australia
Updated Free, no sign-upCompiled by the DesignerBox team

Children's clothing: the quick answer

European children's sizes are the child's height in centimetres, in 6 cm steps, so a EU 116 fits a child up to 116 cm tall. US and UK sizes use age instead, and Australia numbers by age too. Measure the height first and take the next size up, because age is the least reliable of the four.

Quick converter

Convert your size in one step

Pick the system you know and the size you take. Every other system appears below, and the matching row is highlighted in the chart.

Children's clothing by height and age

Read from the height column. European sizes are the height in centimetres at the top of each 6 cm band, so that column doubles as the measurement.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Children's clothing by height and age: Children's International Size Conversion Chart
AgeHeight (cm)Height (in)USUKEUAustralia
Newborn50–5620–22NBNewborn560000
0–3 m56–6222–243M0–3 m62000
3–6 m62–6824–276M3–6 m6800
6–9 m68–7427–299M6–9 m740
9–12 m74–8029–3112M9–12 m800
12–18 m80–8631–3418M12–18 m861
18–24 m86–9234–3624M18–24 m922
2–3 y92–9836–392T / 3T2–3 y983
3–4 y98–10439–414T3–4 y1044
4–5 y104–11041–4354–5 y1105
5–6 y110–11643–4665–6 y1166
6–7 y116–12246–486X (girls) / 76–7 y1227
7–8 y122–12848–507 / 87–8 y1288
8–9 y128–13450–5388–9 y1349
9–10 y134–14053–55109–10 y14010
10–11 y140–14655–571210–11 y14611
11–12 y146–15257–6012 / 1411–12 y15212
12–13 y152–15860–621412–13 y15813
13–14 y158–16462–651613–14 y16414
Age is the least reliable column here and is given only because US, UK and Australian labels use it. Where age and height disagree, follow the height. The US numeric ladder is 4, 5, 6, 6X, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, with no 9, 11 or 13, and 6X exists only in girls' clothing: boys go straight from 6 to 7. Australian brands split on the under-twos. Some number by whole years, so size 1 covers 12 to 24 months; others use six-month bands, where 12 to 18 months is a 1 and 18 to 24 months is a 2. Buy on the height.
How the systems relate

Why the numbers differ

The table below is anchored on height rather than age for that reason. If you know the child is 110 cm tall you can buy correctly in every system on this page. If all you know is that they are five, you are choosing between three sizes and hoping.

European sizing steps in 6 cm increments, and the number is the TOP of a bracket rather than a point value. A child measuring 113 cm wears a 116, not a 113. The ladder runs to 164 and then continues to 170 and 176, which cover ages 15 and 16, before most brands move to adult XS and S. The US uses months for the first two years, then T sizes for toddlers, then plain numbers. The UK uses age ranges throughout. Australia numbers by age from 0000 for a newborn upward.

The overlap around age two is where most mistakes happen, and it is not only about the cut. US month sizes run about one European step small through the second year: a US 24M is cut for roughly 83 to 86 cm, where the European 92 on the same row is cut for 86 to 92. A US 24M is also cut wider through the seat for a nappy where a 2T is not. If the child is out of nappies, or at the top of a height band, take the size above.

Growing room is the other adjustment worth making deliberately. Children gain roughly 6 to 7 cm a year between two and eight, which is one European size. Buying one size up buys about a year, and buying two sizes up buys a garment that does not fit now.

How to measure

Take the measurements yourself

A conversion is only as good as the size you start from. Use a soft tape, and measure over skin or light clothing rather than over a jumper.

Height

  1. Stand the child against a wall with their shoes off and their heels touching the skirting board.
  2. Keep their back straight, their heels together and their eyes looking straight ahead.
  3. Rest a flat book on the top of their head, level with the floor, and mark the wall at the underside.
  4. Measure from the floor to the mark in centimetres, then take the next size up in the table. European sizes exist only in 6 cm steps, so a child measuring 113 cm wears a 116, not a 113.

Chest

  1. Run the tape around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms.
  2. Keep it level and flat across the back.
  3. Leave it snug rather than tight, with the child's arms down.
  4. Read the number while the child is breathing normally.

Waist and inside leg

  1. For the waist, measure around the narrowest point, usually just above the belly button.
  2. For the inside leg, measure from the top of the inner thigh down to the ankle bone.
  3. Take both with the child standing straight and their feet slightly apart.
  4. Use the inside leg to pick trouser length once the height has picked the size.
Buying tips

Shopping across sizing systems

Six rules that matter more than the conversion itself once you are ordering from another country.

Buy on height, not on age

Two children of the same age can differ by 15 cm. The European number is a measurement and the others are a guess, so measure once and convert from that.

Take the size above your measurement

European sizes are the top of a 6 cm bracket, not a point value. A child measuring 113 cm wears a 116.

One size up buys about a year

Children gain roughly 6 to 7 cm a year from two to eight, and European sizes step in 6 cm. One size up is a season or two of growing room; two sizes up is a garment that does not fit today.

Take the T size once they are out of nappies

US 24M and 2T cover a similar height, but 24M is cut wider through the seat for a nappy. The T size is the right one after potty training.

Check the sleeve and leg length separately

Height sets the body of the garment. A tall, slim child often needs the length of one size and the width of the one below, which is what adjustable waistbands exist for.

Outerwear needs a layer of room

A coat sized to the exact height leaves no space for a jumper underneath. Size up for anything worn over other clothes.

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Children's clothing sizing, answered

The questions that come up most often when buying clothing or footwear across borders.

What does a EU size 116 mean for children?
It fits a child up to 116 cm tall, which is typically five to six years old. European children's sizes are the height in centimetres at the top of a 6 cm band, which makes them the most precise of the four systems on this page.
What is a US size 5 in European children's sizing?
A EU 110, which fits a child up to about 110 cm, typically four to five years old.
What is the difference between 24M and 2T?
They cover a similar height, but 24M is cut wider through the seat to fit over a nappy and 2T is not. US month sizes also run about one European step small through the second year, so a child at the top of a band should take the size above.
How do Australian children's sizes work?
Australia numbers by age, starting at 0000 for a newborn and running 000, 00, 0, then 1 upward. Brands split on the under-twos: some make size 1 cover the whole 12 to 24 month year, others use six-month bands where 12 to 18 months is a 1 and 18 to 24 months is a 2. Buy on the height.
Should I size up for children to allow for growth?
One size up is sensible and buys about a year of wear, because European sizes step in 6 cm and children grow 6 to 7 cm a year at this age. Two sizes up gives you a garment that does not fit now and will be out of season by the time it does.
How do I measure a child for clothing?
Height first, taken against a wall with shoes off and a flat book on the head, then take the next size up because European sizes come in 6 cm steps. Then chest around the fullest part under the arms, waist at the narrowest point, and inside leg from the top of the thigh to the ankle bone.
What is a 6X size?
A girls-only size between 6 and 7, roughly 116 to 122 cm. Boys' ranges have no 6X and go straight from 6 to 7.
At what size does children's clothing become adult clothing?
European childrenswear continues past 164 to 170 and 176, which cover ages 15 and 16. Above 176 most brands move to adult XS and S.
Are UK and US children's sizes the same?
They use the same idea and not the same numbers. Both label by age, but the US numeric ladder skips 9, 11 and 13, so US sizes drift against UK ages through the middle of the range. Convert through the height column rather than the age.

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