EN ISO 15535:2023

• Abstract:

  This document specifies general requirements for anthropometric databases and their associated reports that contain measurements taken in accordance with ISO 7250-1.; It provides necessary information, such as characteristics of the user population, sampling methods, measurement items and statistics, to make international comparison possible among various population segments. The population segments specified in this document are people who are able to hold the postures specified in ISO 7250-1.; NOTE The traditional anthropometry defined in ISO 7250-1 is considered to be a necessary complement to 3-D methods, which are used in some countries. Scanned data are verified according to the definitions given in ISO 7250-1 (see ISO 20685-1). State-of-the-art software allows integration of traditional anthropometric measures with those obtained by 3-D imaging.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 19-Sep-2023
• ICS: 13.180 - Ergonomics
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 122 - Ergonomics
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 122/WG 1 - Anthropometry
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 20-Sep-2023
• Completion Date: 20-Sep-2023
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 15535:2024 - General requirements for establishing anthropometric databases (ISO 15535:2023)

• Replaces: EN ISO 15535:2012 - General requirements for establishing anthropometric databases (ISO 15535:2012)
• Effective Date: 14-Jul-2021
• Refers: ISO/IEC 8859-1:1998 - Information technology — 8-bit single-byte coded graphic character sets — Part 1: Latin alphabet No. 1
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: ISO 8601-1:2019 - Date and time — Representations for information interchange — Part 1: Basic rules
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: ISO 7250-1:2017 - Basic human body measurements for technological design — Part 1: Body measurement definitions and landmarks
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: ISO 3166-1:2020 - Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country code
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: EN 14516:2006/FprA1 - Baths for domestic purposes
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: CEN/TS 17249-5:2022 - Intelligent transport systems - eSafety - Part 5: eCall for UNECE category L1 and L3 powered two-wheeled vehicles
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN ISO 15877-3:2009/A2:2021 - Plastics piping systems for hot and cold water installations - Chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C) - Part 3: Fittings - Amendment 2 (ISO 15877-3:2009/Amd 2:2021)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN ISO 128-1:2020 - Technical product documentation (TPD) - General principles of representation - Part 1: Introduction and fundamental requirements (ISO 128-1:2020)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Consolidated By: ISO 15535:2023 - General requirements for establishing anthropometric databases
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026

Overview

EN ISO 15535:2023 (ISO 15535:2023) defines general requirements for creating and reporting anthropometric databases based on measurements taken in accordance with ISO 7250-1. The standard aims to make anthropometric studies internationally comparable by specifying how to describe the user population, sampling methods, measurement procedures, database formats and basic statistical processing. It updates and supersedes the 2012 edition and clarifies terminology (for example, “participant” and “gender”).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Data collection design
  • Use ISO 7250-1 measurement definitions and landmarks; document measurement techniques and posture conditions.
• Sampling and sample size
  • Define population segments, sampling techniques and include guidance (Annex A) for estimating necessary sample sizes to support valid comparisons.
• Measurement quality
  • Requirements for instrument accuracy, measurer training, detection and treatment of measurement errors, and clothing conditions during measurement.
• Database structure and contents
  • Prescribed database format, required and recommended background fields (demographics, country codes, decimal-notation dates), anthropometric data items and complementary data; sample formats and data sheets provided (Annexes B–G).
• Statistical processing
  • Minimum reporting of statistics to enable international comparison (means, standard deviations, percentiles), plus procedures for preparing datasets (Annex F).
• Interoperability with 3‑D methods
  • Notes on verification of scanned data per ISO 20685-1 and integration of traditional measures with 3‑D imaging outputs.

Practical applications and who uses it

EN ISO 15535:2023 is essential for professionals and organizations that create, manage or use anthropometric data:

• Ergonomists and human factors teams building human models and manikins
• Product designers (furniture, vehicles, consumer goods) requiring representative body dimensions
• Clothing and PPE manufacturers developing sizing systems and safety equipment
• Standards bodies and researchers compiling datasets for international comparison
• Healthcare and biomechanics researchers creating growth or population studies

Using a database conforming to ISO 15535 improves reproducibility, supports regulatory compliance, and enables effective cross-country and cross-study comparisons.

Related standards

• ISO 7250-1 - body measurement definitions and landmarks (normative reference)
• ISO 20685-1 - verification of scanned anthropometric data
• ISO 3166-1, ISO 8601-1, ISO/IEC 8859-1 - for country codes, date/time representation and character encoding
• Related application standards: ISO 15534 series, ISO 14738 (design and safety contexts)

Keywords: EN ISO 15535:2023, ISO 15535:2023, anthropometric databases, anthropometry, ISO 7250-1, ergonomics, data collection, sampling, 3‑D imaging, database format, statistical processing.