In this 2025 world ranking of average heights by country, we break down the numbers for men and women, highlight the tallest and shortest regions, and explain what's driving global height changes today. Whether you're a parent tracking your child's growth or simply curious, this guide offers a clear look at how height varies around the world and why these patterns continue to evolve.
Key Takeaways
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The height gap between the tallest and shortest countries is nearly 12 inches for men and 8 inches for women.
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Northern and Eastern Europe continue to rank as the tallest regions for both men and women.
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The U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and Brazil fall into the mid-range of global height averages.
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Southeast Asia, South Asia, and parts of Latin America have the shortest average heights.
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Childhood nutrition is a major driver of height potential.
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Socioeconomic development leads to taller generations through better healthcare, sanitation, income, and education.
Average Height Men By Country
The tallest men in the world average almost 12 inches (about 30 centimeters) more than the shortest populations. Here's a clear breakdown of where men stand tallest, where they fall in the middle, and which regions have the shortest average heights.
Top 10 countries with the tallest men
The 2025 data from World Population Review shows that the tallest men in the world are overwhelmingly concentrated in Northern and Eastern Europe.
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Men in the Netherlands rank first at an impressive 6'0" (184 cm). Following closely behind are Montenegro and Estonia, both averaging 6'0" (183 cm).
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Next on the list are Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland, and Denmark, where average male heights reach 5'11.5" (182 cm).
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Rounding out the top 10 are Czechia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, all averaging 5'11" (181 cm).
These countries form a remarkably tight group, with less than 1.18 inches (3 centimeters) separating first place from tenth. This demonstrates how genetics, nutrition, and long-time favorable living conditions contribute to producing some of the tallest populations on the planet.
Mid-range countries
While Northern Europe dominates the top of the rankings, a large group of developed nations sits comfortably in the middle. They are taller than the global average but not exceptionally tall.
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United States: Men typically average 5'9" to 5'10" (175-177 cm). Despite being one of the wealthiest nations, the U.S. ranks lower than many European countries
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Canada: The average male height is around 5'10.5" (179 cm), slightly taller than their southern neighbors.
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Australia: Australian men also average approximately 5'10.5" (179 cm), similar to Canadians despite being on opposite sides of the globe.
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United Kingdom: The typical male height is about 5'10" (178 cm), placing British men between American and Northern European averages.
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Brazil: Men generally average 5'9.5" (176 cm). As Latin America's largest economy, Brazil shows significant internal height variation reflecting stark socioeconomic inequalities.
Shortest-height regions
At the opposite end of the spectrum, several areas consistently report much shorter average male heights, typically ranging from 5'3" to 5'7" (160-170 cm). These patterns often reflect long-standing challenges in nutrition, healthcare access, sanitation, and socioeconomic stability, which influence growth far more than genetics alone.
In many countries across Southeast Asia and parts of Latin America, average male height ranges between 5'3" and 5'7" (160-170 cm). Some of the shortest include:
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Timor-Leste: Men have an average height of about 5'3" (160 cm), one of the world's shortest, reflecting decades of conflict and poverty.
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Laos: The average male height is approximately 5'4" (163 cm).
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Solomon Islands: Men also average around 5'4" (163 cm).
Across other Southeast Asian countries, average male height typically ranges from 5'4" to 5'7" (162-170 cm), including nations like Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
In several Latin American nations, especially Guatemala, Bolivia, Honduras, and Ecuador, men average 5'5" to 5'7" (165-170 cm), often linked to indigenous populations with limited historical access to balanced nutrition and healthcare.
Average Height Women By Country
While men's rankings often make headlines, women's height patterns reveal equally fascinating insights into global health, nutrition, and long-term development. The height gap between the tallest and shortest women spans nearly 20 centimeters (8 inches), a powerful reflection of differences in childhood nutrition, prenatal care, and healthcare access.
Top 10 countries with the tallest women
As with men, the tallest women in the world are found in Northern and Eastern Europe. The 2025 global data shows that many of the same countries producing the tallest men also rank highest for women, though the female height distribution reveals some subtle differences.
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Women in the Netherlands and Montenegro share the top spot, with an impressive average height of 5'7" (170 cm). Close behind are Denmark and Iceland, where women average around 5'7" (169 cm).
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Several other European nations follow in quick succession including Latvia, Estonia, Serbia, Czechia, and Lithuania, all with average female heights of 5'6" (168-169 cm).
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Rounding out the top 10 is Bosnia & Herzegovina, where women stand at approximately 5'6" (167 cm).
This tight cluster, with less than 1.18 inches (3 centimeters) separating first from tenth place, highlights how genetics, nutrition, and stable living conditions have shaped Europe's exceptionally tall female populations over generations.
Mid-range countries
Moving away from Europe's upper tier, many nations fall into a mid-range bracket, typically between 5'3" and 5'5" (162-165 cm). This broad middle category demonstrates that economic development alone does not guarantee exceptional height, especially when historical nutrition and healthcare access were inconsistent.
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United States: Women average about 5'4" to 5'4.5" (163-164 cm). American women rank notably lower than Northern European counterparts despite comparable wealth.
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Canada: Canadian women average roughly 5'5" (165 cm), slightly taller than Americans.
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Australia: Women average around 5'5" (165 cm), following similar trends seen in other English-speaking developed nations.
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United Kingdom: The average height for women is about 5'4" (164 cm), placing British women between American and Northern European standards.
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Brazil: Women average approximately 5'3.5" (162 cm), with significant variation depending on region and socioeconomic background.
Why do wealthy nations like the U.S., UK, and Australia still fall below the Netherlands or Denmark? The answer may lie in healthcare access disparities, dietary patterns, and socioeconomic inequality creating "height gaps" within nations that bring down national averages.
Shortest-height regions
At the shortest end of the global spectrum, women in several Asian, African, and Latin American regions average between 4'11" and 5'2" (150-158 cm).These patterns reflect historical maternal malnutrition, limited healthcare access, and ongoing nutritional challenges.
When women grow up malnourished, they face higher risks during pregnancy and may struggle to provide optimal nutrition for their children, creating an intergenerational cycle of stunted height.
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Timor-Leste: Women average around 4'11" (150 cm), among the world's shortest.
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Bangladesh, Nepal, and Laos: Women often average 5'0" to 5'1" (152-155 cm).
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Across Southeast Asia, many countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar average 5'0"-5'2" (152-158 cm).
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In parts of Latin American nations, especially Central America, women often average 5'1"-5'2" (155-158 cm). Countries like Guatemala, Bolivia, Honduras, and Ecuador consistently show some of the shortest averages in the region.
Taken together, these variations underscore how early-life nutrition, maternal health, and resource availability shape women's height outcomes around the world.
Why Some Countries Are Getting Taller Over Time
The average human is significantly taller today than just 100 years ago [1]. This rise in height is not due to genetic evolution, though human genetics have remained largely unchanged over the past century. What has changed is the environmental conditions in which children grow up. The story of why some countries are getting taller is really the story of how nutrition, healthcare, and socioeconomic development shape human potential across entire populations.
Impact of childhood nutrition
If there's one factor that explains height increases more than any other, it is childhood nutrition, specifically consistent access to adequate calories, protein, calcium, and essential micronutrients from birth through adolescence [2].
When nutrition is optimal, children reach their full genetic height potential. When it falls short, growth slows, and unlike weight, height lost during critical growth periods often cannot be regained. This makes early-life nutrition one of the strongest and most permanent determinants of adult height.
Key nutritional factors that contribute to height gains include:
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Adequate protein intake: Essential for bone and muscle growth.
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Calcium, vitamin D, and other micronutrients: Support bone density and development.
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Reduced childhood malnutrition: Even small improvements can dramatically raise average height within one generation.
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Improved prenatal nutrition: Healthier pregnancies lead to healthier babies, shaping growth trajectories from the very beginning.
Countries like South Korea and Japan are textbook examples of nutrition-driven height gains. In the mid-20th century, both nations had significantly shorter populations due to food scarcity following World War II. As diets became richer in protein, dairy, and overall calories, average heights increased by 8-15 cm within just a few decades.
Japanese grew approximately 15 cm between 1900 and 1990, one of the fastest sustained increases in modern history. South Korean women gained over 20 cm, the largest documented height increase for any population as the country transitioned from post-war poverty to global economic powerhouse.
Impact of socioeconomic development
While nutrition acts as the biological engine of height, socioeconomic development provides the structural support that allows this engine to run. Economic growth doesn't just make countries wealthier; it improves the environments in which children grow, often with dramatic effects on adult height.
The correlation between GDP and height is especially strong for countries transitioning from low-income to middle-income status, where improvements in living conditions can be rapid and far-reaching.
How socioeconomic gains translate into taller generations:
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Better access to healthcare: Fewer childhood illnesses allow the body to use nutrients for growth rather than fighting infections.
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Improved sanitation and clean water: Reduces disease burden and nutritional deficiencies.
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Higher household incomes: Families can afford more diverse, nutrient-dense foods.
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Urbanization and education: Parents with higher education levels tend to invest more in children's nutrition, healthcare, and well-being.
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Declining child labor: Children today experience less physical stress and have more consistent access to nutritious meals.
These improvements do not happen in isolation; they compound over time. A healthier generation produces healthier mothers, giving birth to healthier babies, who then grow into healthier adults. This intergenerational cycle steadily raises national height averages.
Below are examples of rapid height growth due to socioeconomic change:
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South Korea: Gained approximately 8 cm in just two generations as the country transformed from post-war devastation to economic powerhouse [3].
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China and Vietnam: Show steady increases directly linked to economic reforms, improved living standards, and investments in healthcare infrastructure.
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Europe (post-World War II): Experienced major height gains as economies stabilized, nutrition improved, and universal healthcare systems were established.
These dramatic changes in the past naturally raise an important question: what will height trends look like in the future? Keep scrolling to know!
Can Height Rankings Change in the Future?
Yes. Global height rankings are highly dynamic, and many countries may rise, or level off, depending on how their living conditions evolve. Height is not a fixed genetic trait at the population level; instead, it responds to improvements or setbacks in environments where children grow.
Historical data shows that human height has increased dramatically over the last century [1]. However, the pace and direction of this growth vary widely around the world. Environmental quality, nutrition, sanitation, and public-health policy play decisive roles in determining whether a population continues to grow taller or reaches a plateau.
Long-term studies tracking adult height from 1810 to the present reveal an average global increase of 10-20 cm, largely due to better nutrition, cleaner environments, and reduced disease exposure. But these gains are not uniform.
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In high-income countries, height increases have slowed since the 1980s, suggesting these populations may be approaching their biological height potential under optimal conditions.
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In developing and newly industrialized nations, the story is different. Continued improvements in food quality, healthcare access, and sanitation are still producing measurable increases in average height, indicating room for further growth in the coming generations.
Because of these differences, future height rankings are almost certain to shift. Countries that currently rank lower may climb significantly as their living conditions improve, while nations already near the upper biological limits of height may see little further change.
Final Thoughts,
Global height rankings reveal far more than genetics; they reflect how well societies nourish and care for their children. While Europe still leads with the tallest averages, many developing regions remain shorter due to historical nutritional and economic challenges.
But these rankings are far from permanent. As countries improve food quality, healthcare systems, sanitation, and overall living conditions, new generations grow noticeably taller. When societies invest in children's health, entire populations rise literally.
References
[1] NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) (2016) A century of trends in adult human height eLife 5:e13410. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13410
[2] Lassi Z, Moin A, Bhutta Z. Nutrition in Middle Childhood and Adolescence. In: Bundy DAP, Silva Nd, Horton S, et al., editors. Child and Adolescent Health and Development. 3rd edition. Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2017 Nov 20. Chapter 11. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525242/
[3] Kottke J. Why Did South Koreans Get So Much Taller in the Past 100 Years? Kottke.org. Published February 2023. Available from: https://kottke.org/23/02/why-did-south-koreans-get-so-much-taller-in-the-past-100-years
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