At least in the United States, the average height for a female adult is about 5' 4", and about 5' 10", if that, for a male adult. It may be that tall people are more noticeable. For an interesting site, check out www.shortsupport.org You would be amazed at how many famous people, and not just females, are, or were, not at all tall. All that said, I thought I was very small for my age, but today my height is about 5' 9", which is not all that far off the average. Height is one of my special interests, and I can really get wrapped up looking up height information, especially about famous people.
Not too long ago, I came across a paper from school where I talked about how I wished I would grow. Well, my arms certainly did not grow much, as I have very short arms, and rather large hands. I am sensitive to how people are proportioned, how much leg they have for how much torso, and the like. This information can be useful if you can't use the face to indentify people. Knowledge of human dimensions is crucial if you a designer, but it can be an obsession if parents feel cheated if their children aren't super tall.