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IS 5391:1992 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for anthropometric dimensions for school children age group 5-17 years. This standard provides anthropometric dimensions (body measurements) for Indian school children aged 5 to 17 years. The data is categorized by age groups, gender, and statistical percentiles to aid in the ergonomic design of school furniture and educational equipment.
Anthropometric dimensions for school children age group 5-17 years
EN 1729-1:2015CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Europe
HighCurrent
Furniture - Chairs and tables for educational institutions - Part 1: Functional dimensions
Specifies functional dimensions for school furniture derived from anthropometric data of European children.
ISO 5970:1979ISO (International Organization for Standardization), International
HighWithdrawn
Furniture — Chairs and tables for educational institutions — Functional sizes
Provided internationally recognized functional sizes for school furniture based on body measurements.
ISO/TR 7250-2:2010ISO (International Organization for Standardization), International
MediumCurrent
Basic human body measurements for technological design — Part 2: Statistical summaries of anthropometric data from national populations
Compiles anthropometric data from various countries, including data similar to that in IS 5391.
BS 5873-1:1980BSI (British Standards Institution), UK
HighWithdrawn
Educational furniture. Specification for functional and dimensional requirements for chairs and tables for educational institutions
UK national standard specifying furniture dimensions based on British children's anthropometry.
Key Differences
≠IS 5391 is based on anthropometric data of Indian children, whereas standards like EN 1729 are based on European children, leading to different dimensional outputs.
≠IS 5391 presents raw anthropometric data tables (stature, sitting height, etc.) grouped by age. EN 1729-1 directly specifies furniture dimensions (e.g., chair height) for size categories based on stature ranges, not age.
≠The Indian standard uses chronological age (5-17 years) as the primary grouping variable. The European standard uses stature ranges, which is considered more ergonomically accurate as height can vary significantly within an age group.
≠IS 5391 was published in 1992 and reaffirmed in 2017; its base data is older than the data used for the current EN 1729-1:2015, which may not reflect secular trends in growth.
Key Similarities
≈Both IS 5391 and its international counterparts share the fundamental goal of creating ergonomic learning environments by matching furniture and equipment dimensions to children's body sizes.
≈The standards are all founded on the same core anthropometric measurements, such as stature, popliteal height (for seat height), and sitting elbow height (for table height).
≈All standards cover the full range of compulsory school ages, from early primary school (around age 5) to the end of secondary school (age 17-18).
≈They implicitly or explicitly use statistical distributions (e.g., 5th to 95th percentiles) to define dimensional ranges that accommodate the majority of the student population.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Primary Grouping Method
Chronological Age (e.g., 10, 11, 12 years)
Stature Range (e.g., 133-159 cm)
EN 1729-1:2015
Recommended Seat Height for a 145cm tall child
Approx. 37 cm (derived from mean popliteal height of 12-year-old boy)
38 cm (Size Mark 4: stature 133-159 cm)
EN 1729-1:2015
Recommended Table Height for a 145cm tall child
Approx. 57 cm (derived from popliteal and elbow height)
64 cm (Size Mark 4: stature 133-159 cm)
EN 1729-1:2015
Stature (95th percentile, 17-year-old male)
178.6 cm
Approx. 189 cm
ISO/TR 7250-2:2010 (summarized European data)
Seat Depth for a 145cm tall child
Approx. 35.8 cm (derived from buttock-popliteal length of 12-year-old boy)
36 cm (Size Mark 4: stature 133-159 cm)
EN 1729-1:2015
Number of Size Categories
13 (one for each age from 5-17)
8 (Size Marks 0-7)
EN 1729-1:2015
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values5
Quick Reference Values
Target age group5 to 17 years
Statistical percentiles reported5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles
Primary determinant for seat heightPopliteal height
Primary determinant for seat depthButtock-popliteal length
Primary determinant for desk clearanceKnee height and thigh clearance
Tables & Referenced Sections
Key Tables
Table 1 - Anthropometric dimensions for boys (5-17 years)
Table 2 - Anthropometric dimensions for girls (5-17 years)
Key Clauses
Clause 3 - Terminology and Definitions of Body Dimensions
What percentiles are used for designing school furniture?+
Generally, the 5th percentile is used for reach and access (like seat height), while the 95th percentile is used for clearance (like knee room under a desk).
What is the primary application of this standard?+
It is primarily used by furniture designers and architects to design ergonomically correct classroom chairs, desks, and laboratory tables.
Are the dimensions separated by gender?+
Yes, the standard provides separate anthropometric data tables for boys and girls across the specified age groups.