There are 12 pairs of ribs, 24 in all
There are 12 pairs of ribs, 24 in all, and men and women have the same number. Ribs 1 to 7 are true ribs that join the sternum directly, ribs 8 to 10 are false ribs that reach it through the cartilage above, and ribs 11 and 12 are floating ribs whose front ends are free. All twelve pairs join the 12 thoracic vertebrae at the back to form the rib cage.
Frequently asked questions
Do men and women have different numbers of ribs?
No. Both have 12 pairs, 24 ribs. A few people have a small extra rib on C7 or L1, but this has nothing to do with sex.
Are all the ribs the same length?
No. The ribs grow longer from the 1st to the 7th and then shorten again below it. The 1st rib is short, broad and the most curved.
Where do the ribs attach at the front?
Through their costal cartilages to the sternum in the middle of the chest: ribs 1 to 7 directly, ribs 8 to 10 through the cartilage above, and ribs 11 and 12 not at all.
The bones counted
Related counts
Other bone counts
- Bones in the human body
- Bones of the skull
- Bones of the spine
- Cervical vertebrae
- Lumbar vertebrae
- Bones of the arm
- Bones of the hand
- Carpal bones
- Bones of the leg
- Bones of the foot
- Tarsal bones
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes
- Bones of the pelvis
Skeleton
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Related reading
- Sarcopenia: what to measure, and what to do, when muscle and strength decline
- What getting up from a chair says about how your body is ageing
- Why ageing bone marrow turns to fat, and a PEMF study in mice
- PEMF and whole-body vibration: two rhythms that reach the body
- Myokines: the signals working muscle sends to the body
- Ageing parents: the changes families notice first
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