Average Height by Country
Average height varies more than most people expect. The gap between the world's tallest and shortest populations spans nearly 24 cm for men and 21 cm for women. This page compares average human height around the world for both sexes, from the Netherlands at the top to Timor-Leste at the foot, drawing on data from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and World Population Review. Men and women follow the same broad geographic pattern, with Northern Europe at the top and parts of South and Central Asia at the lower end.
Average Height by Country (Global Table)
The table below shows average male height by country, average female height, and combined average across 46 nations. Click any column header to sort. Use the search field to find a specific country.
Rank | Country | Avg Male | Avg Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Netherlands | 183.8 cm | 170.4 cm |
| 2 |  Montenegro | 183.3 cm | 170 cm |
| 3 |  Estonia | 182.8 cm | 168.7 cm |
| 4 |  Bosnia & Herz. | 182.5 cm | 167.5 cm |
| 5 |  Iceland | 182.1 cm | 168.9 cm |
| 6 |  Denmark | 181.9 cm | 169.5 cm |
| 7 |  Czechia | 181.2 cm | 168 cm |
| 8 |  Latvia | 181.2 cm | 168.8 cm |
| 9 |  Slovakia | 181 cm | 167.1 cm |
| 10 |  Ukraine | 181 cm | 166.6 cm |
| 11 |  Croatia | 180.8 cm | 166.8 cm |
| 12 |  Serbia | 180.7 cm | 168.3 cm |
| 13 |  Lithuania | 180.7 cm | 167.6 cm |
| 14 |  Poland | 180.7 cm | 165.8 cm |
| 15 |  Finland | 180.6 cm | 166.5 cm |
| 16 |  Norway | 180.5 cm | 166.5 cm |
| 17 |  Sweden | 180.5 cm | 166.7 cm |
| 18 |  Germany | 180.3 cm | 166.2 cm |
| 19 |  Greece | 179.3 cm | 165.8 cm |
| 20 |  Belgium | 179.1 cm | 163.4 cm |
| 21 |  Ireland | 179 cm | 164.5 cm |
| 22 |  Australia | 178.8 cm | 164.7 cm |
| 23 |  Canada | 178.8 cm | 164.7 cm |
| 24 |  France | 178.6 cm | 164.5 cm |
| 25 |  United Kingdom | 178.2 cm | 163.9 cm |
| 26 |  New Zealand | 177.7 cm | 164.7 cm |
| 27 |  Russia | 176.7 cm | 164.5 cm |
| 28 |  USA | 176.9 cm | 163.3 cm |
| 29 |  Turkey | 176.4 cm | 161.8 cm |
| 30 |  Spain | 176.1 cm | 162 cm |
| 31 |  Brazil | 175.7 cm | 162.4 cm |
| 32 |  China | 175.7 cm | 163.5 cm |
| 33 |  Iran | 175.6 cm | 161.2 cm |
| 34 |  South Korea | 175.5 cm | 163.2 cm |
| 35 |  Japan | 170.8 cm | 158 cm |
| 36 |  Mexico | 169 cm | 158 cm |
| 37 |  India | 166.5 cm | 152.6 cm |
| 38 |  Sri Lanka | 166 cm | 153 cm |
| 39 |  Pakistan | 166.9 cm | 154.2 cm |
| 40 |  Indonesia | 163.6 cm | 152.8 cm |
| 41 |  Philippines | 163.2 cm | 149.6 cm |
| 42 |  Bangladesh | 163 cm | 152.1 cm |
| 43 |  Nepal | 163 cm | 150.9 cm |
| 44 |  Guatemala | 163.4 cm | 149.4 cm |
| 45 |  Laos | 162 cm | 153 cm |
| 46 |  Timor-Leste | 159.8 cm | 152.3 cm |
Tallest Countries in the World
Top 10 tallest nations — Average male height (cm)
Netherlands men average 183.8 cm, the highest recorded national average globally. Eight of the top ten tallest nations for men are European.
The Netherlands has topped global male height rankings for decades, with men averaging 183.8 cm, just under 6'1". Denmark sits at 181.9 cm, Germany at 180.3 cm, and Norway at 180.5 cm.
Three factors reinforce each other across this cluster: generous dairy consumption from early childhood, strong public healthcare that reduces illness during growth years, and long-term genetic selection in well-nourished populations.
Montenegro and Estonia have recently overtaken many traditionally tall Western European nations, reflecting rapid improvements in living standards following the post-Soviet period.
Shortest Countries in the World
10 shortest nations — Average male height (cm)
Timor-Leste men average 159.8 cm, the shortest male average of any tracked nation. Six of the ten shortest countries for men are in South or Southeast Asia.
The shortest populations sit predominantly in South and Southeast Asia and Central America. Timor-Leste records the lowest combined average globally, followed closely by Guatemala and Laos.
In Guatemala, chronic malnutrition affects nearly a third of children under five, directly stunting skeletal development. Bangladesh and Nepal face similar constraints: protein-scarce diets, limited healthcare access, and structural poverty that limits growth potential from birth.
These figures are not genetic ceilings. They are largely markers of historical underdevelopment, reversible, as South Korea and China demonstrated across the 20th century.
Tallest and Shortest Countries by Average Height
10 countries spanning the full global height range — male (blue) and female (teal)
Across all populations, men are taller than women by 12–15 cm. This gap holds consistent regardless of overall height level , it is nearly identical in the Netherlands and in Bangladesh.
Average height varies widely due to genetics, diet quality, childhood health, and economic development. Northern European populations consistently rank among the tallest, while some South Asian and Central American countries show shorter averages shaped by historical nutritional limitations.
Average Male Height by Country
The average height of a man worldwide is approximately 171 cm (5'7"). This figure masks a wide spread, from Dutch men at 183.8 cm down to Timor-Leste at 159.8 cm. Northern and Eastern European men are the tallest group globally, averaging 178 to 184 cm. North Americans and Australians sit in the 176 to 179 cm band.
Japan at 170.8 cm sits noticeably shorter than South Korea at 175.5 cm : a gap that has widened as South Korean diets and healthcare improved faster following the 1960s economic boom. Iran at 175.6 cm sits mid-table. India at 166.5 cm and Bangladesh at 163 cm sit at the lower end of the Asian cohort. Guatemala at 163.4 cm and Timor-Leste at 159.8 cm reflect the most severe documented nutritional constraints on record.
Average Female Height by Country
The average height of a woman worldwide is approximately 159 cm (5'3"). Netherlands and Montenegrin women, averaging 170.4 cm and 170.0 cm respectively, are the tallest female populations on record. Russia at 164.5 cm consistently appears in global lists alongside Eastern European countries that make up most of the top ten.
South Korean women at 163.2 cm stand notably taller than Japanese women at 158.0 cm, a gap that has grown over the past half-century. Filipino women average 149.6 cm and Guatemalan women 149.4 cm, the lowest verified female average in the Americas. The average height for women in Japan was around 148 cm in the 1950s and has since climbed by a full ten centimetres, one of the steepest documented rises for any female population.
Average Male and Female Height
Average male height (cm)
Average female height (cm)
Across virtually every population, men are taller than women by 12 to 15 centimetres. This gap holds consistent across very different absolute height ranges, the difference in the Netherlands is roughly the same as in Bangladesh. It reflects hormonal differences during adolescence: testosterone drives a longer growth spurt in males, while earlier oestrogen onset in females closes growth plates sooner. The sex gap is not meaningfully affected by nutrition or economic development.
Average Height in Selected Countries
Netherlands
Netherlands men have topped global rankings for decades. Dairy-rich diets and universal healthcare drive the result.
United Kingdom
UK sits mid-table in Europe. Heights vary by region — northern England and Scotland tend to average slightly taller.
Japan
Japanese heights have risen sharply since the 1950s. South Korean men at 175.5 cm have since overtaken their Japanese neighbours.
Bangladesh
High rates of childhood malnutrition have historically limited growth. Urban populations show modest gains over recent decades.
Iran
One of the fastest documented rises in the Middle East — average male height has increased an estimated 5 to 6 cm over 40 years.
Canada
Canada's figures mirror Australia's closely, reflecting a well-nourished, high-income population profile. Growth has plateaued since the 1990s.
Ireland
Ireland sits in the upper quarter of European rankings. Heights have risen steadily since the mid-20th century.
Sri Lanka
Urban populations in Colombo show measurable height gains over two generations. Rural areas have lagged due to food insecurity.
South Korea
One of the largest documented generational height increases ever recorded — men gained around 6 cm across two generations post-war.
India
India's national average masks large regional variation. Men in Punjab average around 172 to 174 cm. Urban areas show consistent gains.
USA
The US was once third tallest globally. It now sits around 47th for men, reflecting diet quality diverging from European peers after the 1970s.
Denmark
Denmark consistently ranks in the global top five. Strong public healthcare and high dairy consumption from early childhood contribute.
Average Height Chart for Men
The chart below shows how male height benchmarks stack up across major world regions, from Northern Europe at the top to Central America at the foot. Country-level data varies within each region.
Approximate regional average male height (cm)
Regional figures are weighted averages. Individual countries within each region may sit above or below the band shown. Source: NCD-RisC and World Population Review.
Global Average Height
Colour scale — average male height by region
The World Health Organization and NCD Risk Factor Collaboration place the global average male height at approximately 171 cm and the global average female height at approximately 159 cm. These weighted figures pull lower than most Western country averages because they account for the large populations of South and Southeast Asia.
The global figure has been rising since the early 20th century, with the most dramatic gains in East Asia. South Korea and China gained around 5 to 8 cm per generation since the 1950s. Gains in Western Europe, which started earlier, have largely plateaued since the 1980s.
Tallest Man in the World
Robert Wadlow of Alton, Illinois remains the tallest person in documented human history at 272 cm (8'11"). His pituitary gland produced unchecked growth hormone from birth, and his height had not yet peaked when he died in 1940 aged 22. The Guinness record for the tallest living man belongs to Turkey's Sultan Kösen at 251 cm (8'3"), whose pituitary tumour was treated surgically, halting further growth.
Shortest Man in the World
Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Nepal, verified by Guinness World Records in 2012, was the shortest adult male ever documented at 54.6 cm (1'9"). He lived to 75, working as a farmer and craftsman. He was measured for the first time by Guinness when already in his seventies, remarkable given the health complications often associated with severe growth disorders.
Tallest Female in the World
Zeng Jinlian of Hunan Province, China holds the record for the tallest woman in verified medical history at 246.3 cm (8'1"). Born in 1964, she grew rapidly due to pituitary gigantism and died at 17 in 1982. The current living record belongs to Turkey's Rumeysa Gelgi at 215.2 cm (7'1"), a web developer and disability advocate holding multiple Guinness titles.
Shortest Female in the World
Jyoti Amge of Nagpur, India has held the Guinness World Record for the shortest living woman since 2011 at 62.8 cm (2'1"). Her condition is achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. She is also a working Bollywood actress who appeared in the US television series American Horror Story.
Human Height Distribution
Data sources: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), "A century of trends in adult human height," eLife 2016. · World Population Review, Average Height by Country 2026. · World Health Organization (WHO), Global Health Observatory.
Human height follows a normal distribution. When plotted across a large population, the data forms a near-perfect bell curve, most individuals fall close to the mean, with fewer people at either extreme. Roughly 68% of men fall within one standard deviation of the global mean, approximately 164 to 178 cm. The standard deviation for male height globally is approximately 7 cm. A man at 185 cm sits roughly two standard deviations above the global mean, taller than approximately 97.5% of the world's male population.
For women it is slightly smaller at around 6 cm.
| −2 SD | −1 SD | Global Avg | +1 SD | +2 SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 cm | 164 cm | 171 cmMale | 178 cm | 185 cm |
| 147 cm | 153 cm | 159 cmFemale | 165 cm | 171 cm |
Global male height distribution · SD ≈ 7 cm
Global female height distribution · SD ≈ 6 cm
Sources : NCD -RisC
Why Average Height Differs by Country
Height is shaped by both genetics and environment. Genetics sets the theoretical ceiling, tall parents tend to produce taller children but whether a child reaches that ceiling depends almost entirely on what happens during the first two decades of life.
Nutrition is the single strongest environmental determinant of adult height. Adequate protein and micronutrients during the first 1,000 days of life are critical to skeletal development. Dairy and meat availability in childhood consistently predicts national height rankings.
Healthcare access determines whether childhood illnesses divert energy away from growth. Countries with strong vaccination rates and low disease burdens consistently rank taller.
Economic development underpins both nutrition and healthcare. GDP per capita correlates strongly with average height because wealth enables better food, cleaner water, and medical care.
The United States is the most telling case study: in 1914, American men ranked third tallest in the world. Today they sit around 47th globally, not because their genetics changed but because diet quality declined relative to European peers after the 1970s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scientific insights into your development
The global average height for adult men is approximately 171 cm (5'7"). This weighted figure draws from NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and WHO data. It is pulled lower by the large populations of South and Southeast Asia, where averages fall between 160 and 168 cm. Men in high-income European countries average significantly more, often 178 to 184 cm.
The global average height for adult women is approximately 159 cm (5'3"). Netherlands and Montenegrin women average around 170 cm. Women in Guatemala and the Philippines average closer to 149 to 150 cm. Most women in Western countries fall between 162 and 168 cm.
The Netherlands holds the top spot for both men and women in most recent datasets. Netherlands men average 183.8 cm (approximately 6'0") and Netherlands women average 170.4 cm (5'7"). Montenegro and Estonia follow closely. The Netherlands has held this position for several decades, attributed to dairy-rich diets, strong public health infrastructure, and genetic factors in the population.
Yes, substantially. Average height has risen sharply over the past 150 years in almost every country, driven by improvements in nutrition, sanitation, vaccination, and healthcare. The most dramatic recent gains occurred in East Asia: South Korean men gained around 6 cm across two generations following rapid economic development. Gains in Western Europe have largely plateaued since the 1980s.
Timor-Leste records the lowest combined average globally, with men averaging 159.8 cm and women 152.3 cm. Guatemala and Laos follow closely. These low averages reflect historical nutritional constraints and limited healthcare access rather than genetic limits on growth potential.
Primary Data Sources
- NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). A century of trends in adult human height. eLife, 2016. Vol. 5, e13410. doi: 10.7554/eLife.13410.
https://elifesciences.org/articles/13410 - Rodriguez-Martinez A, Zhou B, Sophiea MK et al. (NCD-RisC). Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories. The Lancet, 2020. Vol. 396, pp. 1511–1524. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31859-6.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31859-6/fulltext - World Health Organization. Child Growth Standards — Length/Height-for-Age, Weight-for-Age. WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. Geneva, 2006.
https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards - World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory — Nutrition and Body Mass Index Data. WHO Global Health Observatory. Ongoing.
https://www.who.int/data/gho - de Onis M, Garza C, Onyango AW, Martorell R (eds). WHO Child Growth Standards. Acta Paediatrica, 2006. Suppl 450:1–101. PMID: 16817523.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16817523/
US Government — CDC and NIH
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Clinical Growth Charts, 2000 (Revised 2022). National Center for Health Statistics.
https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm - Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS et al. 2000 CDC Growth Charts for the United States: Methods and Development. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 11, No. 246, 2002. PMID: 15190009.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_246.pdf - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — NCHS. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) — Anthropometric Data. Ongoing survey cycles.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm - Fryar CD, Gu Q, Ogden CL, Flegal KM. Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2011–2014. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 3, No. 39, August 2016. PMID: 29446336.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_039.pdf - National Institutes of Health — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Classification of Overweight and Obesity by BMI. NIH Publication No. 98-4083, 1998.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi-m.htm
Peer-Reviewed Research Papers
- Devine BJ. Gentamicin therapy. Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy, 1974. Vol. 8, pp. 650–655. (Original publication of the Devine ideal body weight formula.)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Devine+BJ+gentamicin+1974+ideal+body+weight - Robinson JD, Lupkiewicz SM, Palenik L, Lopez LM, Ariet M. Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 1983. Vol. 40, pp. 1016–1019. PMID: 6869387.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6869387/ - Pai MP, Paloucek FP. The origin of the "ideal" body weight equations. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2000. Vol. 34, No. 9, pp. 1066–1069. doi: 10.1345/aph.19381. PMID: 10981254.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10981254/ - Janmahasatian S, Duffull SB, Ash S, Ward LC, Byrne NM, Green B. Quantification of lean bodyweight. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 2005. Vol. 44, No. 10, pp. 1051–1065. doi: 10.2165/00003088-200544100-00004. PMID: 16176118.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16176118/ - Stulp G, Buunk AP, Pollet TV. Human height is positively related to interpersonal dominance in dyadic interactions. PLOS ONE, 2013. Vol. 8, Issue 2. PMID: 23382931.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23382931/ - Flegal KM, Ogden CL, Wei R, Kuczmarski RL, Johnson CL. Prevalence of obesity in US adults by age and sex. JAMA, 2002. Vol. 288, pp. 1723–1727. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.14.1723. PMID: 12365955.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12365955/
United Nations and International Bodies
- UNICEF / WHO / World Bank. Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates — Levels and Trends. Edition 2023.
https://data.unicef.org/topic/nutrition/malnutrition/ - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023. FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, WHO. Rome, 2023. doi: 10.4060/cc3017en.
https://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/