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Average height by country
The Dutch, the tallest people on Earth, were short 150 years ago. The table compares the average height of men and women in 42 countries, using NCD-RisC data.
| Country | Men (cm) | Women (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 183.8 | 170.4 |
| Montenegro | 183.3 | 170.0 |
| Estonia | 181.6 | 168.7 |
| Denmark | 181.9 | 169.5 |
| Iceland | 182.1 | 168.0 |
| Serbia | 182.0 | 167.7 |
| Norway | 182.4 | 167.1 |
| Germany | 181.0 | 166.6 |
| Croatia | 180.5 | 166.5 |
| Sweden | 181.5 | 166.7 |
| Czechia | 181.2 | 167.9 |
| Slovenia | 181.3 | 167.2 |
| Belgium | 181.0 | 165.5 |
| Finland | 180.6 | 166.5 |
| Poland | 178.7 | 165.8 |
| Australia | 179.2 | 165.8 |
| Ireland | 178.9 | 165.1 |
| Canada | 178.1 | 164.7 |
| France | 179.7 | 164.9 |
| United Kingdom | 178.2 | 164.4 |
| United States | 177.1 | 163.5 |
| Russia | 176.7 | 164.5 |
| Greece | 177.3 | 165.4 |
| Italy | 177.8 | 165.4 |
| Spain | 176.1 | 162.9 |
| Iran | 177.1 | 161.0 |
| Turkey | 176.0 | 161.9 |
| Argentina | 174.5 | 161.0 |
| China | 175.7 | 163.5 |
| South Korea | 175.5 | 163.2 |
| Portugal | 173.9 | 161.3 |
| Brazil | 173.6 | 160.9 |
| Japan | 172.1 | 158.5 |
| Mexico | 170.0 | 157.6 |
| Nigeria | 167.2 | 157.8 |
| India | 166.5 | 155.0 |
| Indonesia | 166.0 | 154.4 |
| Vietnam | 165.7 | 155.6 |
| Philippines | 165.2 | 154.4 |
| Peru | 165.3 | 152.9 |
| Guatemala | 165.3 | 150.9 |
| Timor-Leste | 160.1 | 152.7 |
Why we grew taller in the 20th century (and the Dutch puzzle)
A country average height is almost a thermometer of its childhood health. Across the 20th century, entire populations grew several centimeters in a few generations, and the main explanation is not genetic but environmental: better nutrition in early childhood, fewer infectious diseases, clean water and access to healthcare. Where children eat well and rarely fall ill in the first years, the body reaches almost its full stature potential; where that is missing, height stays below what the genes would allow.
The Dutch case is the most famous. In the 19th century, the Dutch were among the shortest people in Europe, shorter than Americans of the time. In little more than a hundred years they became the tallest people on the planet, with men close to 184 cm, a jump researchers credit to prosperity, a dairy rich diet and a universal healthcare system. At the other end of the table, Timor-Leste and Guatemala reflect a history of childhood undernutrition; Guatemalan women are among the shortest in the world.
Brazil sits in the middle of the table, with men around 173.6 cm and women near 160.9 cm, a result that rose alongside improving social indicators over recent decades. Source: the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), height data by birth cohort published under a CC BY license; the values refer to the generation born around 1996, measured in young adulthood.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources