Average male and female height for 40+ countries. Click a column header to sort.
Last updated: April 2026
Data sourced from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), a global network of health scientists producing estimates of adult height trends. Values represent the most recent available adult cohort estimates.
| Country ↕ | Men (cm) ↕ | Men (ft/in) | Women (cm) ↕ | Women (ft/in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 182.9 | 6′0″ | 170.7 | 5′7″ |
| Montenegro | 183.2 | 6′0″ | 169.4 | 5′7″ |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 182.5 | 5′11″ | 167.5 | 5′6″ |
| Denmark | 181.4 | 5′11″ | 167.2 | 5′6″ |
| Norway | 179.7 | 5′11″ | 166.6 | 5′6″ |
| Sweden | 179.9 | 5′11″ | 166.6 | 5′6″ |
| Czech Republic | 180.1 | 5′11″ | 167.2 | 5′6″ |
| Germany | 179.9 | 5′11″ | 166.3 | 5′5″ |
| Finland | 178.9 | 5′10″ | 165.9 | 5′5″ |
| Belgium | 178.6 | 5′10″ | 165.5 | 5′5″ |
| Poland | 178.7 | 5′10″ | 165.1 | 5′5″ |
| Ireland | 177.0 | 5′10″ | 163.5 | 5′4″ |
| Ukraine | 177.0 | 5′10″ | 164.2 | 5′5″ |
| Hungary | 177.3 | 5′10″ | 164.1 | 5′5″ |
| New Zealand | 177.0 | 5′10″ | 164.5 | 5′5″ |
| Greece | 177.0 | 5′10″ | 164.7 | 5′5″ |
| Russia | 176.5 | 5′9″ | 163.0 | 5′4″ |
| United States | 175.9 | 5′9″ | 162.1 | 5′4″ |
| Australia | 175.6 | 5′9″ | 161.8 | 5′4″ |
| France | 175.6 | 5′9″ | 162.5 | 5′4″ |
| Canada | 175.1 | 5′9″ | 162.3 | 5′4″ |
| United Kingdom | 175.3 | 5′9″ | 161.9 | 5′4″ |
| Italy | 174.5 | 5′9″ | 162.2 | 5′4″ |
| Argentina | 174.5 | 5′9″ | 161.3 | 5′4″ |
| Spain | 174.4 | 5′9″ | 162.5 | 5′4″ |
| Turkey | 174.2 | 5′9″ | 161.4 | 5′4″ |
| South Korea | 173.5 | 5′8″ | 160.5 | 5′3″ |
| Romania | 173.2 | 5′8″ | 160.4 | 5′3″ |
| Portugal | 172.9 | 5′8″ | 161.5 | 5′4″ |
| China | 171.4 | 5′7″ | 158.9 | 5′3″ |
| Japan | 170.8 | 5′7″ | 158.0 | 5′2″ |
| Brazil | 170.7 | 5′7″ | 158.8 | 5′2″ |
| South Africa | 168.5 | 5′6″ | 158.7 | 5′2″ |
| Mexico | 167.6 | 5′6″ | 155.7 | 5′1″ |
| Ethiopia | 167.0 | 5′6″ | 155.5 | 5′1″ |
| Bangladesh | 165.0 | 5′5″ | 150.8 | 4′11″ |
| India | 165.3 | 5′5″ | 152.6 | 5′0″ |
| Vietnam | 164.5 | 5′5″ | 153.8 | 5′1″ |
| Nigeria | 163.8 | 5′4″ | 157.8 | 5′2″ |
| Philippines | 163.2 | 5′4″ | 151.8 | 4′11″ |
| Indonesia | 162.5 | 5′4″ | 152.8 | 5′0″ |
Northern and Central European countries dominate the top of the height rankings. The Netherlands, Montenegro, and Bosnia consistently rank among the tallest nations for both men and women. The gap between the tallest and shortest countries in this dataset is approximately 20 cm for men (183 cm vs 163 cm) and 20 cm for women (171 cm vs 151 cm).
South and Southeast Asian countries tend to rank at the lower end. Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines have the lowest averages in this dataset for both men and women. These differences reflect long-term differences in nutrition, healthcare access, and genetics across generations.
Average height is shaped by both genetics and environment. Nutrition in early childhood — particularly protein and calorie intake — has the largest environmental influence. Countries that industrialised earlier and achieved better childhood nutrition earlier (Northern Europe, North America, Australia) tend to have taller populations today. Countries where childhood nutrition improved more recently (East Asia) have seen faster height gains over the past two generations.
Montenegro and the Netherlands consistently rank as the tallest countries for men, both averaging around 182–183 cm (just over 6 feet). For women, the Netherlands leads at approximately 170.7 cm (5′7″). Northern and Central European countries dominate the top 10 for both sexes — the Netherlands, Montenegro, Bosnia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all rank highly.
The global average height for adult men is approximately 171 cm (5′7″), but this figure spans a wide range. Men in Northern Europe average 178–183 cm; men in South and Southeast Asia average 162–168 cm. The United States average is 175.9 cm (5′9″). Use the sortable table above to compare any two countries directly.
The global average height for adult women is approximately 159 cm (5′3″). Dutch women average 170.7 cm (5′7″) — the highest in this dataset. Women in Bangladesh and the Philippines average around 151 cm (4′11″). The United States average is 162.1 cm (5′4″), similar to Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Average height has risen substantially over the past 150 years in most countries due to better childhood nutrition, reduced disease burden, and improved living conditions. The most dramatic gains have been in East Asia — South Korean men have grown by roughly 15 cm since the early 1900s. In most developed Western countries, average height plateaued in the 1980s. In some countries, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, average height stagnated or even declined during periods of food insecurity.