Average Height by Country (2019) — All 200 Countries, Ranked

The tallest national average for men is 183.8 cm in Netherlands; for women it's 170.4 cm, also in Netherlands. Across 200 countries, men's averages span a 23.7-cm gap, from 183.8 down to 160.1 in Timor-Leste. Worldwide, men average about 12.2 cm taller than women.

Tallest men, on average

183.8

Netherlands · cm

Tallest women, on average

170.4

Netherlands · cm

Global spread

23.7

cm apart, tallest vs shortest country (men)

Where people are tallest, country by country

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Color = average height for the selected sex (darker means taller). Hover any country for its exact figure.

source: NCD-RisC (Lancet 2020)data year: 2019geo: 200 countriesmeasured, age-19 cohort

About this data

method: mean measured height, age-19 cohort, men & women (NCD-RisC pooled studies)

page updated: 2026-07-21

This is the age-19 COHORT — the mean measured height of people who were 19 years old as of the data year. It is not "the average adult alive today": it is one specific generation, the last one NCD-RisC can confidently report before the pooled model's data coverage thins out. Average height moves slowly across generations, so it reads as a rough proxy for a population's childhood health history, not a live snapshot of everyone.

These are MEASURED figures, not self-reported ones. Self-reported height is well known to run higher than measured height because people round up, so a measured, pooled standard is meaningfully stronger. The numbers come from actual physical-measurement studies, harmonized by researchers into one figure per country.

The world figures on this page (173.1 cm for men, 161.0 cm for women) are the UNWEIGHTED mean of the 200 country averages — every country counts once, regardless of population. They are NOT a population-weighted global average, so they sit a little higher than a true head-count mean would.

Men and women are reported separately. Worldwide, men average about 12.1 cm taller than women; the gap varies by country. Use the toggle to switch the map and ranking between men and women.

License: CC BY 4.0 (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, NCD-RisC).

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Compared to

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e.g. 180 cm · male · taller than 67% of men in United States

Top 10 tallest countries

The ten countries with the highest national average height. Switch between men and women — the order shifts a little.

Top 10 tallest countries

Show:

Every country in the world, ranked

The full list, sortable by any column. Search to jump to a country. The height columns are colored by a continuous ramp: darker means a taller average.

Rank	Country	Men, cm ▼	Women, cm	Gap ♂−♀	vs world	Region
1	Netherlands	183.8	170.4	+13.4	+10.7	Europe & Central Asia
2	Montenegro	183.3	170.0	+13.3	+10.2	Europe & Central Asia
3	Estonia	182.8	168.7	+14.1	+9.7	Europe & Central Asia
4	Bosnia and Herzegovina	182.5	167.5	+15.0	+9.4	Europe & Central Asia
5	Iceland	182.1	168.9	+13.2	+9.0	Europe & Central Asia
6	Denmark	181.9	169.5	+12.4	+8.8	Europe & Central Asia
7	Czechia	181.2	168.0	+13.2	+8.1	Europe & Central Asia
8	Latvia	181.2	168.8	+12.4	+8.1	Europe & Central Asia
9	Slovakia	181.0	167.1	+13.9	+7.9	Europe & Central Asia
10	Slovenia	181.0	167.2	+13.8	+7.9	Europe & Central Asia
11	Ukraine	181.0	166.6	+14.4	+7.9	Europe & Central Asia
12	Croatia	180.8	166.8	+14.0	+7.7	Europe & Central Asia
13	Lithuania	180.7	167.6	+13.1	+7.6	Europe & Central Asia
14	Poland	180.7	165.8	+14.9	+7.6	Europe & Central Asia
15	Serbia	180.7	168.3	+12.4	+7.6	Europe & Central Asia
16	Finland	180.6	166.5	+14.1	+7.5	Europe & Central Asia
17	Norway	180.5	166.4	+14.1	+7.4	Europe & Central Asia
18	Sweden	180.5	166.7	+13.8	+7.4	Europe & Central Asia
19	Germany	180.3	166.2	+14.1	+7.2	Europe & Central Asia
20	Dominica	180.2	166.9	+13.3	+7.1	Latin America & Caribbean
21	Bermuda	179.7	166.1	+13.6	+6.6	North America
22	Puerto Rico	179.5	163.1	+16.4	+6.4	Latin America & Caribbean
23	Greece	179.3	165.8	+13.5	+6.2	Europe & Central Asia
24	Belgium	179.1	163.4	+15.7	+6.0	Europe & Central Asia
25	Ireland	179.0	164.5	+14.5	+5.9	Europe & Central Asia
26	Lebanon	179.0	163.7	+15.3	+5.9	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
27	Andorra	178.8	165.5	+13.3	+5.7	Europe & Central Asia
28	Antigua and Barbuda	178.8	165.7	+13.1	+5.7	Latin America & Caribbean
29	Australia	178.8	164.7	+14.1	+5.7	East Asia & Pacific
30	Belarus	178.7	166.9	+11.8	+5.6	Europe & Central Asia
31	Canada	178.7	164.7	+14.0	+5.6	North America
32	Grenada	178.7	166.0	+12.7	+5.6	Latin America & Caribbean
33	Switzerland	178.7	164.3	+14.4	+5.6	Europe & Central Asia
34	France	178.6	164.5	+14.1	+5.5	Europe & Central Asia
35	Austria	178.5	166.9	+11.6	+5.4	Europe & Central Asia
36	Luxembourg	178.5	165.1	+13.4	+5.4	Europe & Central Asia
37	Cook Islands	178.3	167.3	+11.0	+5.2	East Asia & Pacific
38	French Polynesia	178.3	166.5	+11.8	+5.2	East Asia & Pacific
39	United Kingdom	178.2	163.9	+14.3	+5.1	Europe & Central Asia
40	Romania	177.8	164.7	+13.1	+4.7	Europe & Central Asia
41	New Zealand	177.7	164.7	+13.0	+4.6	East Asia & Pacific
42	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	177.5	165.3	+12.2	+4.4	Latin America & Caribbean
43	Niue	177.2	167.0	+10.2	+4.1	East Asia & Pacific
44	American Samoa	177.1	167.6	+9.5	+4.0	East Asia & Pacific
45	Barbados	177.0	165.7	+11.3	+3.9	Latin America & Caribbean
46	Jamaica	177.0	164.3	+12.7	+3.9	Latin America & Caribbean
47	Tunisia	176.9	161.7	+15.2	+3.8	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
48	United States	176.9	163.3	+13.6	+3.8	North America
49	Hungary	176.6	162.5	+14.1	+3.5	Europe & Central Asia
50	Russia	176.6	164.5	+12.1	+3.5	Europe & Central Asia
51	Libya	176.4	162.6	+13.8	+3.3	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
52	North Macedonia	176.4	160.9	+15.5	+3.3	Europe & Central Asia
53	Morocco	176.4	161.2	+15.2	+3.3	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
54	Saint Lucia	176.4	165.5	+10.9	+3.3	Latin America & Caribbean
55	Turkey	176.4	161.8	+14.6	+3.3	Europe & Central Asia
56	Cabo Verde	176.3	163.1	+13.2	+3.2	Sub-Saharan Africa
57	Senegal	176.2	163.9	+12.3	+3.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
58	Spain	176.1	162.0	+14.1	+3.0	Europe & Central Asia
59	Tokelau	176.1	166.1	+10.0	+3.0	East Asia & Pacific
60	Georgia	176.0	163.2	+12.8	+2.9	Europe & Central Asia
61	Israel	176.0	162.2	+13.8	+2.9	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
62	Trinidad and Tobago	176.0	163.4	+12.6	+2.9	Latin America & Caribbean
63	Seychelles	175.9	162.5	+13.4	+2.8	Sub-Saharan Africa
64	Brazil	175.7	162.4	+13.3	+2.6	Latin America & Caribbean
65	China	175.7	163.5	+12.2	+2.6	East Asia & Pacific
66	Iran	175.6	161.2	+14.4	+2.5	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
67	Moldova	175.6	163.0	+12.6	+2.5	Europe & Central Asia
68	Kazakhstan	175.5	161.7	+13.8	+2.4	Europe & Central Asia
69	South Korea	175.5	163.2	+12.3	+2.4	East Asia & Pacific
70	Tonga	175.1	166.1	+9.0	+2.0	East Asia & Pacific
71	Algeria	175.0	162.3	+12.7	+1.9	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
72	Kuwait	175.0	160.1	+14.9	+1.9	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
73	Mali	175.0	162.0	+13.0	+1.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
74	Occupied Palestinian Territory	175.0	161.3	+13.7	+1.9	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
75	Argentina	174.8	161.2	+13.6	+1.7	Latin America & Caribbean
76	Hong Kong	174.8	160.6	+14.2	+1.7	East Asia & Pacific
77	Jordan	174.8	159.5	+15.3	+1.7	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
78	North Korea	174.7	161.2	+13.5	+1.6	East Asia & Pacific
79	Dominican Republic	174.6	161.2	+13.4	+1.5	Latin America & Caribbean
80	Egypt	174.6	160.9	+13.7	+1.5	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
81	Suriname	174.5	162.3	+12.2	+1.4	Latin America & Caribbean
82	Bahamas	174.4	163.5	+10.9	+1.3	Latin America & Caribbean
83	Italy	174.4	161.8	+12.6	+1.3	Europe & Central Asia
84	Malta	174.4	163.0	+11.4	+1.3	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
85	Portugal	174.4	161.2	+13.2	+1.3	Europe & Central Asia
86	Samoa	174.4	163.8	+10.6	+1.3	East Asia & Pacific
87	Turkmenistan	174.4	162.8	+11.6	+1.3	Europe & Central Asia
88	Uruguay	174.3	161.6	+12.7	+1.2	Latin America & Caribbean
89	Bulgaria	174.2	164.6	+9.6	+1.1	Europe & Central Asia
90	Albania	174.1	162.2	+11.9	+1.0	Europe & Central Asia
91	United Arab Emirates	174.1	160.5	+13.6	+1.0	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
92	Azerbaijan	174.0	161.4	+12.6	+0.9	Europe & Central Asia
93	Costa Rica	174.0	160.4	+13.6	+0.9	Latin America & Caribbean
94	Fiji	174.0	164.3	+9.7	+0.9	East Asia & Pacific
95	Greenland	173.8	161.4	+12.4	+0.7	Europe & Central Asia
96	Iraq	173.8	158.7	+15.1	+0.7	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
97	Paraguay	173.8	159.8	+14.0	+0.7	Latin America & Caribbean
98	Armenia	173.7	159.9	+13.8	+0.6	Europe & Central Asia
99	Saint Kitts and Nevis	173.7	162.8	+10.9	+0.6	Latin America & Caribbean
100	Cuba	173.6	160.1	+13.5	+0.5	Latin America & Caribbean
101	Singapore	173.5	161.3	+12.2	+0.4	East Asia & Pacific
102	Taiwan	173.5	160.7	+12.8	+0.4	East Asia & Pacific
103	Venezuela	173.5	160.0	+13.5	+0.4	Latin America & Caribbean
104	Qatar	173.3	160.7	+12.6	+0.2	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
105	Botswana	173.2	162.1	+11.1	+0.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
106	Mauritius	173.0	158.9	+14.1	−0.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
107	Chile	172.9	159.4	+13.5	−0.2	Latin America & Caribbean
108	Bahrain	172.8	158.3	+14.5	−0.3	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
109	Cyprus	172.7	160.6	+12.1	−0.4	Europe & Central Asia
110	Guyana	172.2	159.6	+12.6	−0.9	Latin America & Caribbean
111	Haiti	172.2	160.6	+11.6	−0.9	Latin America & Caribbean
112	Cameroon	172.1	160.4	+11.7	−1.0	Sub-Saharan Africa
113	Japan	172.1	158.5	+13.6	−1.0	East Asia & Pacific
114	Sudan	172.1	160.4	+11.7	−1.0	Sub-Saharan Africa
115	Burkina Faso	171.9	161.3	+10.6	−1.2	Sub-Saharan Africa
116	Colombia	171.9	158.0	+13.9	−1.2	Latin America & Caribbean
117	Chad	171.8	162.1	+9.7	−1.3	Sub-Saharan Africa
118	Kyrgyzstan	171.7	160.2	+11.5	−1.4	Europe & Central Asia
119	Oman	171.7	158.4	+13.3	−1.4	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
120	Nigeria	171.6	158.1	+13.5	−1.5	Sub-Saharan Africa
121	Syria	171.6	159.4	+12.2	−1.5	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
122	Thailand	171.6	159.4	+12.2	−1.5	East Asia & Pacific
123	Tuvalu	171.3	163.6	+7.7	−1.8	East Asia & Pacific
124	Congo	171.2	158.8	+12.4	−1.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
125	Somalia	171.2	159.9	+11.3	−1.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
126	Uzbekistan	170.9	160.3	+10.6	−2.2	Europe & Central Asia
127	Djibouti	170.8	159.8	+11.0	−2.3	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
128	El Salvador	170.7	156.4	+14.3	−2.4	Latin America & Caribbean
129	Guinea	170.7	158.8	+11.9	−2.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
130	Mongolia	170.7	159.9	+10.8	−2.4	East Asia & Pacific
131	Saudi Arabia	170.7	158.8	+11.9	−2.4	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
132	Zimbabwe	170.7	159.8	+10.9	−2.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
133	Eritrea	170.6	157.6	+13.0	−2.5	Sub-Saharan Africa
134	Palau	170.6	159.5	+11.1	−2.5	East Asia & Pacific
135	Belize	170.5	158.1	+12.4	−2.6	Latin America & Caribbean
136	Gabon	170.5	160.0	+10.5	−2.6	Sub-Saharan Africa
137	Kenya	170.5	159.4	+11.1	−2.6	Sub-Saharan Africa
138	Sao Tome and Principe	170.4	159.8	+10.6	−2.7	Sub-Saharan Africa
139	Ghana	170.3	158.9	+11.4	−2.8	Sub-Saharan Africa
140	Mexico	170.3	157.9	+12.4	−2.8	Latin America & Caribbean
141	Niger	170.3	159.8	+10.5	−2.8	Sub-Saharan Africa
142	Panama	170.2	158.2	+12.0	−2.9	Latin America & Caribbean
143	Kiribati	170.1	161.0	+9.1	−3.0	East Asia & Pacific
144	Togo	170.1	159.1	+11.0	−3.0	Sub-Saharan Africa
145	Nicaragua	169.9	155.6	+14.3	−3.2	Latin America & Caribbean
146	Namibia	169.7	160.3	+9.4	−3.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
147	Honduras	169.6	155.2	+14.4	−3.5	Latin America & Caribbean
148	Micronesia	169.6	159.7	+9.9	−3.5	East Asia & Pacific
149	Nauru	169.6	157.8	+11.8	−3.5	East Asia & Pacific
150	South Africa	169.6	158.6	+11.0	−3.5	Sub-Saharan Africa
151	Swaziland	169.4	158.9	+10.5	−3.7	Sub-Saharan Africa
152	Malaysia	169.2	157.1	+12.1	−3.9	East Asia & Pacific
153	Central African Republic	169.0	159.7	+9.3	−4.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
154	Vietnam	168.9	158.4	+10.5	−4.2	East Asia & Pacific
155	Ethiopia	168.8	157.2	+11.6	−4.3	Sub-Saharan Africa
156	Uganda	168.7	158.5	+10.2	−4.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
157	DR Congo	168.6	156.3	+12.3	−4.5	Sub-Saharan Africa
158	Afghanistan	168.5	156.1	+12.4	−4.6	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
159	Angola	168.5	158.1	+10.4	−4.6	Sub-Saharan Africa
160	Benin	168.4	158.4	+10.0	−4.7	Sub-Saharan Africa
161	Gambia	168.4	161.7	+6.7	−4.7	Sub-Saharan Africa
162	Tajikistan	168.4	158.1	+10.3	−4.7	Europe & Central Asia
163	Vanuatu	168.3	160.5	+7.8	−4.8	East Asia & Pacific
164	Côte d'Ivoire	168.2	158.7	+9.5	−4.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
165	Equatorial Guinea	168.2	158.0	+10.2	−4.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
166	Guinea-Bissau	168.2	158.7	+9.5	−4.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
167	Bolivia	168.1	155.6	+12.5	−5.0	Latin America & Caribbean
168	Sri Lanka	168.1	155.9	+12.2	−5.0	South Asia
169	Lesotho	167.9	156.7	+11.2	−5.2	Sub-Saharan Africa
170	Maldives	167.9	154.3	+13.6	−5.2	South Asia
171	Comoros	167.7	156.5	+11.2	−5.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
172	Zambia	167.6	157.3	+10.3	−5.5	Sub-Saharan Africa
173	Burundi	167.3	155.1	+12.2	−5.8	Sub-Saharan Africa
174	Ecuador	167.3	155.2	+12.1	−5.8	Latin America & Caribbean
175	Pakistan	167.3	154.8	+12.5	−5.8	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
176	Bhutan	167.0	155.2	+11.8	−6.1	South Asia
177	Tanzania	167.0	156.9	+10.1	−6.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
178	Peru	166.8	154.4	+12.4	−6.3	Latin America & Caribbean
179	Myanmar	166.7	154.7	+12.0	−6.4	East Asia & Pacific
180	India	166.5	155.2	+11.3	−6.6	South Asia
181	Sierra Leone	166.4	157.3	+9.1	−6.7	Sub-Saharan Africa
182	Brunei	166.3	154.9	+11.4	−6.8	East Asia & Pacific
183	Indonesia	166.3	154.4	+11.9	−6.8	East Asia & Pacific
184	Rwanda	166.0	156.7	+9.3	−7.1	Sub-Saharan Africa
185	Malawi	165.7	156.1	+9.6	−7.4	Sub-Saharan Africa
186	Liberia	165.5	156.5	+9.0	−7.6	Sub-Saharan Africa
187	Mauritania	165.5	160.1	+5.4	−7.6	Sub-Saharan Africa
188	Cambodia	165.3	154.7	+10.6	−7.8	East Asia & Pacific
189	Marshall Islands	165.3	154.8	+10.5	−7.8	East Asia & Pacific
190	Madagascar	165.2	153.1	+12.1	−7.9	Sub-Saharan Africa
191	Philippines	165.2	154.1	+11.1	−7.9	East Asia & Pacific
192	Bangladesh	165.1	152.4	+12.7	−8.0	South Asia
193	Guatemala	164.4	150.9	+13.5	−8.7	Latin America & Caribbean
194	Nepal	164.4	152.4	+12.0	−8.7	South Asia
195	Yemen	164.4	154.8	+9.6	−8.7	Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
196	Mozambique	164.3	155.4	+8.9	−8.8	Sub-Saharan Africa
197	Papua New Guinea	163.1	156.9	+6.2	−10.0	East Asia & Pacific
198	Solomon Islands	163.1	156.8	+6.3	−10.0	East Asia & Pacific
199	Laos	162.8	153.1	+9.7	−10.3	East Asia & Pacific
200	Timor-Leste	160.1	152.7	+7.4	−13.0	East Asia & Pacific

The complete list: 200 countries with 2019 NCD-RisC average heights (age-19 cohort). "Men" and "women" are the measured averages; "gap" is men minus women; "vs world" compares the men's figure to the world mean of 173.1 cm.

Five numbers worth remembering

The same dataset, boiled down to the facts people actually repeat.

Netherlands tops both lists — the tallest men (183.8 cm) and the tallest women (170.4 cm)

The only country #1 for both sexes · age-19 cohort, 2019

Men's national averages span 23.7 cm, from Netherlands down to Timor-Leste

183.8 vs 160.1 cm · 2019

Worldwide, men average about 12.2 cm taller than women — a gap that holds in almost every country

Widest in Puerto Rico (16.4 cm), narrowest in Mauritania (5.4 cm)

20 of 200 countries average 180 cm or more for men; 8 are still under 165

Mean measured height, men, age-19 cohort

The global median country averages 173.6 cm for men and 160.6 cm for women

Median of all 200 national averages

What this number really means

A "national average height" summarizes measured-height studies of a country's young adults, pooled and harmonized by researchers into a single figure. It is not a self-reported survey number: self-reported height is well known to run higher than measured height, because people round up. The figures here come from actual physical measurement, which is a meaningfully stronger standard.

The number is also a snapshot of a specific birth cohort, not a live measurement of "people today." This page uses the age-19 cohort as of 2019 — the last group NCD-RisC could confidently report before the pooled model's coverage thins out. Average height moves slowly across generations: a 23.7-cm gap between the tallest and shortest country averages (men) reflects decades of difference in childhood nutrition, disease burden and healthcare — not a change in gene pool.

Within any single country, the spread between individuals dwarfs the gap between country averages. Genetics sets an individual's ceiling, but at the population level, childhood nutrition and disease are the dominant drivers of how close a cohort gets to that ceiling — which is why average height has risen for many countries over the 20th century with no change in genes. Read height as a rough proxy for a population's health history, not a verdict on any individual or a ranking of "better" and "worse" nations.

Known limitations: some countries rely on smaller or older underlying surveys than others, extrapolation fills gaps between actual survey years, and small island nations and territories can carry wider uncertainty than large countries with dense health-survey infrastructure. The world figures here are an unweighted mean of country averages, not a population-weighted global mean. Treat single-country figures as well-estimated averages, not precise measurements of every individual.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the tallest average height?

Netherlands has the tallest national average for both men (about 183.8 cm) and women (about 170.4 cm), based on NCD-RisC's pooled measured-height data for the age-19 cohort as of 2019. Montenegro is close behind for men at about 183.3 cm.

What is the average height for men worldwide?

Country averages for men range from roughly 160.1 cm to 183.8 cm. The unweighted mean of all 200 country averages is about 173.1 cm. Note that this counts every country once, so it is not a population-weighted world average.

What is the average height for women worldwide?

Country averages for women range from about 150.9 cm to 170.4 cm, with Northern and Central European countries clustering at the top. The unweighted mean across all 200 countries is about 161.0 cm.

Is height genetic?

Individual height is strongly influenced by genetics, but population-level average height changes mostly reflect childhood nutrition, disease burden and healthcare access. Genetics sets an individual's potential; environment determines how close a whole population gets to it — which is why average height has risen in many countries within a few generations, with no change in the gene pool.

Are people getting taller over time?

In many countries, yes — average height has risen across generations as childhood nutrition and health improved, though the trend has flattened or even reversed in a handful of countries in recent decades. Because this page reports a single cohort year rather than a time series, it shows where each country stands now, not its trajectory.

Which countries have the shortest average height?

In this dataset, Timor-Leste has the shortest average for men (about 160.1 cm) and Guatemala the shortest for women (about 150.9 cm). The shortest national averages are concentrated in South and South-East Asia and parts of Latin America.

How many countries are in this ranking?

This page ranks 200 countries for which NCD-RisC reports a 2019 average height for the age-19 cohort — using one consistent, measured source so the ranking is comparable.