How many bones are in the adult human body?

Newborns have extra separate bones — particularly in the skull and spine — that gradually fuse into single, stronger bones during childhood and adolescence. By the time skeletal growth finishes, typically in the early twenties, the count settles at 206 for most adults.

How the 206 bones break down

• Skull: 22 bones (8 cranial, 14 facial)
• Spine: 26 bones (vertebrae, including the fused sacrum and coccyx)
• Rib cage: 25 bones (24 ribs + sternum)
• Arms and hands: 64 bones (32 per side)
• Legs and feet: 62 bones (31 per side)
• Hyoid (throat): 1 bone
• Ear ossicles: 6 bones (3 per ear)

Small variations are common and normal — some people have extra small bones called sesamoid bones (besides the kneecap, which everyone has), or an extra rib, without any health impact.