Mount Everest is 8,848.86 metres (29,031.7 feet) high. Nepal and China announced this figure together in December 2020, after separate surveys in 2019 and 2020. It is the height of the snow cap above mean sea level, and it is the number now used in Nepal.
The official figure
The agreed height is 8,848.86 m, or about 29,032 feet. Nepal and China announced it jointly in December 2020. Earlier, the commonly quoted figure was 8,848 m, from an Indian survey of the 1950s, and you will still see it in older books and websites.
Why older numbers differ
Two things changed the number. First, a Chinese survey in 2005 gave a rock height of 8,844.43 m, which is the height of the rock under the snow, not the snow itself. Second, newer satellite positioning and better ways of measuring the geoid, which is the shape of sea level, give a more accurate result than the old methods.
Snow height and rock height
The summit is capped with snow and ice, so the top moves a little with the seasons and with snowfall. The 2020 figure is a snow height. Nepal had long used the snow height, and China had used the rock height. The joint announcement ended that difference.
How it was measured
Surveyors from both countries climbed to the summit with satellite receivers and radar for measuring the snow depth. They combined these readings with gravity data to tie the height to sea level. The 2020 Chinese team and the 2019 Nepali team both reached the top.
Is it still growing?
The Himalaya are still rising, because India continues to push into Asia. The movement is measured in millimetres a year, which is far less than the changes caused by snow and measurement error. Do not expect the official figure to change soon.
Height for trekkers
Few people climb to 8,848 m. Most trekkers go to Everest Base Camp at about 5,364 m, and to Kala Patthar at about 5,550 m. That is already a serious altitude, and it is where acclimatisation matters most. See how hard Everest Base Camp is.
Everest compared with other mountains
Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, but not the tallest measured from base to peak. Mauna Kea in Hawaii rises more than 10,000 m from the sea floor, and Chimborazo in Ecuador has the summit farthest from the centre of the Earth. Everest wins on one measure only: the height of its summit above the sea.
Heights of the neighbouring peaks
Lhotse is 8,516 m, Makalu is 8,485 m and Cho Oyu is 8,188 m. Nuptse, beside Everest, is 7,861 m, and Ama Dablam, the famous peak on the trek, is 6,812 m. Kala Patthar at about 5,550 m is the high point of most trekking itineraries.
Height in feet and why you may see different numbers
8,848.86 m is 29,031.7 ft. Many sources round this to 29,032 ft or 29,029 ft, which was an older figure. If a page quotes 8,848 m or 8,850 m, it is using an older survey. The 2020 figure is now the standard.
Common questions
Is Everest the same height from both sides? Yes, it is one summit. Do climbers reach the exact top? Yes, the summit is a small snow ridge about the size of a table. Can I see the height marker? No, there is no marker, only prayer flags and the snow.
Plan it
Read where Mount Everest is and how cold it gets, then the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp.
