Blood Pressure Chart for Women by Age

Average blood pressure for women by age

mmHg, systolic/diastolic. Calculated by us from CDC NHANES August 2021–August 2023 (6,084 adults, pregnant participants excluded, CDC survey weights). How the averages were calculated.

An average is not a target. Older women average higher because high blood pressure becomes more common with age, not because higher numbers are healthy. To check your own reading, use the blood pressure categories or the calculator.

How women's blood pressure changes with age

• Younger women average about 10 mmHg lower systolic than men of the same age (107 vs 117 at 18–29).
• From midlife, women's averages climb faster. Average systolic rises 11 mmHg between 40–49 and 60–69 for women (115 to 126), compared with 7 mmHg for men.
• From their 70s, women average higher than men (131 vs 129 at 70–79, 140 vs 129 at 80 and over).

These years overlap with menopause, which is linked to rising blood pressure and heart disease risk. Keep having your blood pressure checked through and after menopause, at least once a year from age 40. Source: HHS Office on Women's Health.

Blood pressure in pregnancy

The chart above excludes pregnant women, and pregnancy blood pressure needs its own care. High blood pressure affects 5% to 10% of pregnancies. It can be present before pregnancy, start during pregnancy (gestational hypertension), or come with preeclampsia, a serious condition that develops after 20 weeks. Go to all prenatal checkups, and if you're told to check your blood pressure at home, follow your care team's targets rather than this chart.

Source: CDC, High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy.

Birth control and blood pressure

If you have high blood pressure, birth control that contains estrogen (the combined pill, patch or ring) is usually not recommended. CDC guidance rates it as a method whose risks usually outweigh the benefits, even when blood pressure is well controlled, and as unacceptable at 160/100 or higher. Other methods are available, so tell your healthcare provider about your blood pressure when choosing one.

Source: CDC, US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use.

Low blood pressure in women

A reading below 90/60 mmHg is usually called low, for women and men alike. Low blood pressure often causes no problems. See a doctor if you keep having symptoms such as dizziness or fainting.

Source: NHS, Low blood pressure.

When to get help

A reading above 180/120 is severely high. If you also have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, a change in vision or difficulty speaking, call emergency services now. If you are pregnant, contact your care team right away about a high reading or any warning signs they have told you to watch for.

Sources: AHA · CDC.

Sources

• NHANES August 2021–August 2023 public-use data (DEMO_L, BPXO_L), CDC National Center for Health Statistics
• 2025 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (Circulation 2025;152(11):e114–e218): top things to know, American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology
• Menopause and Heart Health, HHS Office on Women's Health
• High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use: combined hormonal contraceptives, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Low blood pressure (hypotension), NHS
• When to call 911 about high blood pressure, American Heart Association