Summary: No, you’re not just imagining it: average seat sizes have shrunk over the past 20 years. According to FlyersRights.org, a nonprofit advocating for passengers’ rights, the average economy-class seat is 17 inches wide, compared to 18.5 inches in the early 2000s. The average space between a seat and the seat in front of it, also known as a seat’s pitch, has also decreased from 35 inches to 31 inches, with some airlines even decreasing legroom to 28 inches.
