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Average height by country

Mean height of 19-year-old men and women in 200 countries — the age at which most people reach their adult height.

Tallest men

Netherlands

183.8 cm · 6′ 0″

Tallest women

Netherlands

170.4 cm · 5′ 7″

Shortest men

Timor-Leste

160.1 cm · 5′ 3″

Shortest women

Guatemala

150.9 cm · 4′ 11″

World average

Men: 170.8 cm · 5′ 7″

Women: 158.6 cm · 5′ 2″

#Since 1985Compare
1Netherlands183.8 cm6′ 0″170.4 cm5′ 7″+3.2 / +2.2
2Montenegro183.3 cm6′ 0″170.0 cm5′ 7″+5.5 / +2.6
3Estonia182.8 cm6′ 0″168.7 cm5′ 6″+1.8 / +2.4
4Bosnia & Herzegovina182.5 cm6′ 0″167.5 cm5′ 6″+2.8 / +0.9
5Iceland182.1 cm6′ 0″168.9 cm5′ 6″+1.6 / +0.8
6Denmark181.9 cm6′ 0″169.5 cm5′ 7″+4.0 / +2.6
7Czechia181.2 cm5′ 11″168.0 cm5′ 6″+1.6 / +1.0
8Latvia181.2 cm5′ 11″168.8 cm5′ 6″+1.5 / +1.1
9Slovenia181.0 cm5′ 11″167.2 cm5′ 6″+2.9 / +1.8
10Slovakia181.0 cm5′ 11″167.1 cm5′ 6″+2.6 / +1.8
11Ukraine181.0 cm5′ 11″166.6 cm5′ 6″+1.4 / +1.4
12Croatia180.8 cm5′ 11″166.8 cm5′ 6″+3.2 / -0.2
13Lithuania180.7 cm5′ 11″167.6 cm5′ 6″+3.1 / +2.0
14Poland180.7 cm5′ 11″165.8 cm5′ 5″+4.5 / +1.9
15Serbia180.7 cm5′ 11″168.3 cm5′ 6″+2.7 / +2.4
16Finland180.6 cm5′ 11″166.5 cm5′ 6″+2.5 / +1.1
17Norway180.5 cm5′ 11″166.4 cm5′ 6″+0.9 / +0.5
18Sweden180.5 cm5′ 11″166.7 cm5′ 6″+1.7 / +1.1
19Germany180.3 cm5′ 11″166.2 cm5′ 5″+1.3 / +0.8
20Dominica180.2 cm5′ 11″166.9 cm5′ 6″+5.7 / +4.4
21Bermuda179.7 cm5′ 11″166.1 cm5′ 5″+3.5 / +2.4
22Puerto Rico179.5 cm5′ 11″163.1 cm5′ 4″+5.6 / +4.5
23Greece179.3 cm5′ 11″165.8 cm5′ 5″+3.0 / +3.8
24Belgium179.1 cm5′ 11″163.4 cm5′ 4″+3.5 / -0.3
25Ireland179.0 cm5′ 10″164.5 cm5′ 5″+1.9 / +2.1
26Lebanon179.0 cm5′ 10″163.7 cm5′ 4″+4.4 / +3.2
27Andorra178.8 cm5′ 10″165.5 cm5′ 5″+2.5 / +1.6
28Antigua & Barbuda178.8 cm5′ 10″165.7 cm5′ 5″+3.9 / +2.8
29Australia178.8 cm5′ 10″164.7 cm5′ 5″+1.7 / +1.4
30Belarus178.7 cm5′ 10″166.9 cm5′ 6″+3.1 / +2.4
31Canada178.7 cm5′ 10″164.7 cm5′ 5″+2.0 / +1.7
32Switzerland178.7 cm5′ 10″164.3 cm5′ 5″+1.9 / +0.5
33Grenada178.7 cm5′ 10″166.0 cm5′ 5″+3.7 / +3.0
34France178.6 cm5′ 10″164.5 cm5′ 5″+2.5 / +1.3
35Austria178.5 cm5′ 10″166.9 cm5′ 6″+1.1 / +1.8
36Luxembourg178.5 cm5′ 10″165.1 cm5′ 5″+1.8 / +0.8
37Cook Islands178.3 cm5′ 10″167.3 cm5′ 6″+4.0 / +3.9
38French Polynesia178.3 cm5′ 10″166.5 cm5′ 6″+2.5 / +3.1
39United Kingdom178.2 cm5′ 10″163.9 cm5′ 5″+1.8 / +1.2
40Romania177.8 cm5′ 10″164.7 cm5′ 5″+3.1 / -0.3
41New Zealand177.7 cm5′ 10″164.7 cm5′ 5″-0.3 / +0.3
42St. Vincent & Grenadines177.5 cm5′ 10″165.3 cm5′ 5″+4.1 / +3.5
43Niue177.2 cm5′ 10″167.0 cm5′ 6″+3.6 / +4.2
44American Samoa177.1 cm5′ 10″167.6 cm5′ 6″+1.8 / +2.9
45Barbados177.0 cm5′ 10″165.7 cm5′ 5″+3.8 / +3.1
46Jamaica177.0 cm5′ 10″164.3 cm5′ 5″+3.4 / +3.1
47Tunisia176.9 cm5′ 10″161.7 cm5′ 4″+5.4 / +3.7
48United States176.9 cm5′ 10″163.3 cm5′ 4″+1.2 / +0.3
49Hungary176.6 cm5′ 10″162.5 cm5′ 4″+2.2 / +0.6
50Russia176.6 cm5′ 10″164.5 cm5′ 5″+1.6 / +1.3
51St. Lucia176.4 cm5′ 9″165.5 cm5′ 5″+3.6 / +3.0
52Libya176.4 cm5′ 9″162.6 cm5′ 4″+4.7 / +4.2
53Morocco176.4 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+4.0 / +4.0
54North Macedonia176.4 cm5′ 9″160.9 cm5′ 3″+2.4 / +0.4
55Türkiye176.4 cm5′ 9″161.8 cm5′ 4″+4.0 / +5.7
56Cape Verde176.3 cm5′ 9″163.1 cm5′ 4″+0.2 / +1.0
57Senegal176.2 cm5′ 9″163.9 cm5′ 5″-0.7 / +1.3
58Spain176.1 cm5′ 9″162.0 cm5′ 4″+2.7 / +0.5
59Tokelau176.1 cm5′ 9″166.1 cm5′ 5″+2.9 / +3.9
60Georgia176.0 cm5′ 9″163.2 cm5′ 4″+2.4 / +2.5
61Israel176.0 cm5′ 9″162.2 cm5′ 4″+0.6 / +0.6
62Trinidad & Tobago176.0 cm5′ 9″163.4 cm5′ 4″+5.1 / +3.8
63Seychelles175.9 cm5′ 9″162.5 cm5′ 4″+3.0 / +1.6
64Brazil175.7 cm5′ 9″162.4 cm5′ 4″+4.6 / +4.4
65China175.7 cm5′ 9″163.5 cm5′ 4″+8.1 / +6.1
66Iran175.6 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+4.9 / +4.3
67Moldova175.6 cm5′ 9″163.0 cm5′ 4″+2.2 / +1.9
68South Korea175.5 cm5′ 9″163.2 cm5′ 4″+6.8 / +6.1
69Kazakhstan175.5 cm5′ 9″161.7 cm5′ 4″+2.2 / +2.5
70Tonga175.1 cm5′ 9″166.1 cm5′ 5″+2.1 / +2.7
71Algeria175.0 cm5′ 9″162.3 cm5′ 4″+4.6 / +3.8
72Kuwait175.0 cm5′ 9″160.1 cm5′ 3″+3.9 / +3.1
73Mali175.0 cm5′ 9″162.0 cm5′ 4″-1.8 / +0.2
74Palestinian Territories175.0 cm5′ 9″161.3 cm5′ 4″+3.3 / +3.6
75Argentina174.8 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+2.7 / +3.1
76Hong Kong SAR China174.8 cm5′ 9″160.6 cm5′ 3″+5.1 / +3.2
77Jordan174.8 cm5′ 9″159.5 cm5′ 3″+2.2 / +1.8
78North Korea174.7 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+4.9 / +3.5
79Dominican Republic174.6 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+5.1 / +4.5
80Egypt174.6 cm5′ 9″160.9 cm5′ 3″+0.3 / +3.4
81Suriname174.5 cm5′ 9″162.3 cm5′ 4″+4.3 / +2.9
82Bahamas174.4 cm5′ 9″163.5 cm5′ 4″+4.1 / +3.4
83Italy174.4 cm5′ 9″161.8 cm5′ 4″-0.7 / -0.1
84Malta174.4 cm5′ 9″163.0 cm5′ 4″+1.6 / +0.4
85Portugal174.4 cm5′ 9″161.2 cm5′ 3″+5.2 / +2.0
86Turkmenistan174.4 cm5′ 9″162.8 cm5′ 4″+2.1 / +3.5
87Samoa174.4 cm5′ 9″163.8 cm5′ 4″+4.3 / +3.5
88Uruguay174.3 cm5′ 9″161.6 cm5′ 4″+4.1 / +2.6
89Bulgaria174.2 cm5′ 9″164.6 cm5′ 5″+0.8 / +0.8
90United Arab Emirates174.1 cm5′ 9″160.5 cm5′ 3″+3.5 / +2.1
91Albania174.1 cm5′ 9″162.2 cm5′ 4″+0.8 / +0.6
92Azerbaijan174.0 cm5′ 9″161.4 cm5′ 4″+2.5 / +3.9
93Costa Rica174.0 cm5′ 9″160.4 cm5′ 3″+5.7 / +4.4
94Fiji174.0 cm5′ 9″164.3 cm5′ 5″+0.7 / +3.9
95Greenland173.8 cm5′ 8″161.4 cm5′ 4″+1.3 / +1.3
96Iraq173.8 cm5′ 8″158.7 cm5′ 2″+3.8 / +1.7
97Paraguay173.8 cm5′ 8″159.8 cm5′ 3″+3.7 / +3.5
98Armenia173.7 cm5′ 8″159.9 cm5′ 3″+3.0 / +3.4
99St. Kitts & Nevis173.7 cm5′ 8″162.8 cm5′ 4″+3.8 / +3.5
100Cuba173.6 cm5′ 8″160.1 cm5′ 3″+4.5 / +2.5
101Singapore173.5 cm5′ 8″161.3 cm5′ 4″+2.4 / +2.9
102Taiwan173.5 cm5′ 8″160.7 cm5′ 3″+4.3 / +2.4
103Venezuela173.5 cm5′ 8″160.0 cm5′ 3″+4.2 / +4.1
104Qatar173.3 cm5′ 8″160.7 cm5′ 3″+3.3 / +2.1
105Botswana173.2 cm5′ 8″162.1 cm5′ 4″+0.6 / +0.7
106Mauritius173.0 cm5′ 8″158.9 cm5′ 3″+2.9 / +0.6
107Chile172.9 cm5′ 8″159.4 cm5′ 3″+3.6 / +3.3
108Bahrain172.8 cm5′ 8″158.3 cm5′ 2″+4.5 / +2.0
109Cyprus172.7 cm5′ 8″160.6 cm5′ 3″+3.1 / +2.3
110Guyana172.2 cm5′ 8″159.6 cm5′ 3″+3.1 / +2.7
111Haiti172.2 cm5′ 8″160.6 cm5′ 3″+4.1 / +2.9
112Cameroon172.1 cm5′ 8″160.4 cm5′ 3″+0.5 / 0.0
113Japan172.1 cm5′ 8″158.5 cm5′ 2″+1.7 / +1.2
114Sudan172.1 cm5′ 8″160.4 cm5′ 3″+0.6 / +0.2
115Burkina Faso171.9 cm5′ 8″161.3 cm5′ 4″-1.9 / -0.3
116Colombia171.9 cm5′ 8″158.0 cm5′ 2″+4.5 / +3.6
117Chad171.8 cm5′ 8″162.1 cm5′ 4″-1.0 / -0.1
118Kyrgyzstan171.7 cm5′ 8″160.2 cm5′ 3″+1.3 / +2.7
119Oman171.7 cm5′ 8″158.4 cm5′ 2″+2.9 / +3.9
120Nigeria171.6 cm5′ 8″158.1 cm5′ 2″-0.8 / -0.2
121Syria171.6 cm5′ 8″159.4 cm5′ 3″+3.1 / +2.9
122Thailand171.6 cm5′ 8″159.4 cm5′ 3″+5.8 / +4.8
123Tuvalu171.3 cm5′ 7″163.6 cm5′ 4″+3.5 / +5.0
124Congo - Brazzaville171.2 cm5′ 7″158.8 cm5′ 3″+2.0 / +0.4
125Somalia171.2 cm5′ 7″159.9 cm5′ 3″+1.2 / +0.3
126Uzbekistan170.9 cm5′ 7″160.3 cm5′ 3″+1.1 / +1.3
127Djibouti170.8 cm5′ 7″159.8 cm5′ 3″+1.4 / +0.3
128Guinea170.7 cm5′ 7″158.8 cm5′ 3″-0.8 / +0.7
129Mongolia170.7 cm5′ 7″159.9 cm5′ 3″+2.6 / +2.8
130Saudi Arabia170.7 cm5′ 7″158.8 cm5′ 3″+7.7 / +6.2
131El Salvador170.7 cm5′ 7″156.4 cm5′ 2″+3.2 / +4.0
132Zimbabwe170.7 cm5′ 7″159.8 cm5′ 3″0.0 / +0.4
133Eritrea170.6 cm5′ 7″157.6 cm5′ 2″+2.2 / +1.3
134Palau170.6 cm5′ 7″159.5 cm5′ 3″+1.9 / +3.1
135Belize170.5 cm5′ 7″158.1 cm5′ 2″+3.0 / +2.1
136Gabon170.5 cm5′ 7″160.0 cm5′ 3″+1.9 / +1.9
137Kenya170.5 cm5′ 7″159.4 cm5′ 3″+0.8 / -0.3
138São Tomé & Príncipe170.4 cm5′ 7″159.8 cm5′ 3″-1.4 / +0.5
139Ghana170.3 cm5′ 7″158.9 cm5′ 3″0.0 / +0.6
140Mexico170.3 cm5′ 7″157.9 cm5′ 2″+4.2 / +4.1
141Niger170.3 cm5′ 7″159.8 cm5′ 3″-1.0 / -0.4
142Panama170.2 cm5′ 7″158.2 cm5′ 2″+2.7 / +3.3
143Kiribati170.1 cm5′ 7″161.0 cm5′ 3″+2.3 / +4.0
144Togo170.1 cm5′ 7″159.1 cm5′ 3″-0.8 / +0.7
145Nicaragua169.9 cm5′ 7″155.6 cm5′ 1″+3.5 / +2.3
146Namibia169.7 cm5′ 7″160.3 cm5′ 3″-0.9 / +0.2
147Micronesia169.6 cm5′ 7″159.7 cm5′ 3″+0.4 / +2.6
148Honduras169.6 cm5′ 7″155.2 cm5′ 1″+3.9 / +3.2
149Nauru169.6 cm5′ 7″157.8 cm5′ 2″+1.6 / +1.9
150South Africa169.6 cm5′ 7″158.6 cm5′ 2″+1.9 / +0.2
151Eswatini169.4 cm5′ 7″158.9 cm5′ 3″0.0 / +0.4
152Malaysia169.2 cm5′ 7″157.1 cm5′ 2″+3.3 / +2.2
153Central African Republic169.0 cm5′ 7″159.7 cm5′ 3″+0.6 / +0.8
154Vietnam168.9 cm5′ 6″158.4 cm5′ 2″+5.1 / +5.4
155Ethiopia168.8 cm5′ 6″157.2 cm5′ 2″+0.3 / +0.5
156Uganda168.7 cm5′ 6″158.5 cm5′ 2″-0.5 / +0.2
157Congo - Kinshasa168.6 cm5′ 6″156.3 cm5′ 2″+0.1 / -0.1
158Afghanistan168.5 cm5′ 6″156.1 cm5′ 1″+3.2 / +1.9
159Angola168.5 cm5′ 6″158.1 cm5′ 2″+1.8 / +1.3
160Benin168.4 cm5′ 6″158.4 cm5′ 2″-1.4 / +0.3
161Gambia168.4 cm5′ 6″161.7 cm5′ 4″+0.1 / +1.2
162Tajikistan168.4 cm5′ 6″158.1 cm5′ 2″+1.4 / +1.3
163Vanuatu168.3 cm5′ 6″160.5 cm5′ 3″+1.1 / +3.5
164Côte d’Ivoire168.2 cm5′ 6″158.7 cm5′ 2″-1.0 / -0.5
165Equatorial Guinea168.2 cm5′ 6″158.0 cm5′ 2″+1.0 / +0.6
166Guinea-Bissau168.2 cm5′ 6″158.7 cm5′ 2″-0.5 / +0.4
167Bolivia168.1 cm5′ 6″155.6 cm5′ 1″+3.8 / +4.5
168Sri Lanka168.1 cm5′ 6″155.9 cm5′ 1″+4.8 / +3.2
169Lesotho167.9 cm5′ 6″156.7 cm5′ 2″+0.3 / -0.2
170Maldives167.9 cm5′ 6″154.3 cm5′ 1″+6.8 / +3.8
171Comoros167.7 cm5′ 6″156.5 cm5′ 2″+0.9 / +1.4
172Zambia167.6 cm5′ 6″157.3 cm5′ 2″+0.7 / -0.7
173Burundi167.3 cm5′ 6″155.1 cm5′ 1″+0.6 / -0.3
174Ecuador167.3 cm5′ 6″155.2 cm5′ 1″+3.1 / +4.3
175Pakistan167.3 cm5′ 6″154.8 cm5′ 1″0.0 / +0.8
176Bhutan167.0 cm5′ 6″155.2 cm5′ 1″+4.5 / +2.9
177Tanzania167.0 cm5′ 6″156.9 cm5′ 2″+3.3 / +0.6
178Peru166.8 cm5′ 6″154.4 cm5′ 1″+2.5 / +3.7
179Myanmar (Burma)166.7 cm5′ 6″154.7 cm5′ 1″+3.4 / +2.2
180India166.5 cm5′ 6″155.2 cm5′ 1″+4.6 / +3.7
181Sierra Leone166.4 cm5′ 6″157.3 cm5′ 2″-1.0 / -0.1
182Brunei166.3 cm5′ 5″154.9 cm5′ 1″+4.4 / +3.4
183Indonesia166.3 cm5′ 5″154.4 cm5′ 1″+4.0 / +4.1
184Rwanda166.0 cm5′ 5″156.7 cm5′ 2″-0.5 / -0.9
185Malawi165.7 cm5′ 5″156.1 cm5′ 1″+1.5 / 0.0
186Liberia165.5 cm5′ 5″156.5 cm5′ 2″-0.7 / +0.3
187Mauritania165.5 cm5′ 5″160.1 cm5′ 3″-2.0 / +0.1
188Cambodia165.3 cm5′ 5″154.7 cm5′ 1″+3.8 / +2.0
189Marshall Islands165.3 cm5′ 5″154.8 cm5′ 1″+0.5 / +3.2
190Madagascar165.2 cm5′ 5″153.1 cm5′ 0″+1.2 / -0.2
191Philippines165.2 cm5′ 5″154.1 cm5′ 1″+2.9 / +3.8
192Bangladesh165.1 cm5′ 5″152.4 cm5′ 0″+2.5 / +2.4
193Guatemala164.4 cm5′ 5″150.9 cm4′ 11″+2.2 / +2.5
194Nepal164.4 cm5′ 5″152.4 cm5′ 0″+2.6 / +2.0
195Yemen164.4 cm5′ 5″154.8 cm5′ 1″+0.8 / +1.9
196Mozambique164.3 cm5′ 5″155.4 cm5′ 1″+0.3 / +0.4
197Papua New Guinea163.1 cm5′ 4″156.9 cm5′ 2″-2.5 / +2.6
198Solomon Islands163.1 cm5′ 4″156.8 cm5′ 2″-2.5 / +2.5
199Laos162.8 cm5′ 4″153.1 cm5′ 0″+3.2 / +2.4
200Timor-Leste160.1 cm5′ 3″152.7 cm5′ 0″+3.2 / +2.8

What the data shows

The Netherlands has the tallest young adults in the world: men average 183.8 cm (6′0″) and women 170.4 cm (5′7″). The shortest averages are found in Timor-Leste for men (160.1 cm) and Guatemala for women (150.9 cm).

Worldwide, men average 170.8 cm (5′7″) and women 158.6 cm (5′2″). The gap between the tallest and shortest countries is more than 20 cm.

Height is shaped by genetics, but differences between countries mostly reflect childhood nutrition, health and living conditions. That is why average height has risen by several centimeters in many countries since 1985.

About the data

Figures are NCD-RisC estimates of mean height at age 19 for the latest available year, pooled from population-based measurement studies (not self-reported heights). Values are rounded to 0.1 cm.

Source: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), Lancet 2020 — mean height of 19-year-olds, latest estimates. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the tallest people?

The Netherlands, with an average of 183.8 cm for men and 170.4 cm for women.

Which country has the shortest people?

Timor-Leste has the shortest average for men (160.1 cm) and Guatemala for women (150.9 cm).

What is the average height in the world?

About 170.8 cm (5′7″) for men and 158.6 cm (5′2″) for women.

Why use 19-year-olds?

Most people have reached their adult height by 19, and using one age makes countries directly comparable across generations.

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