How long are people in different countries? Which country has the average tallest and shortest people? You can find the answers to these questions in this article.
Europe
The tallest people in the world are in Europe. This can be explained by the living pattern of Europeans, which is better than in other continents. The tallest man in the world, Sultan Kösen, also comes from Europe, namely Turkey. However, his long height is not so much due to his healthy lifestyle, but to a growth disorder.
Below you will find a table with the average lengths in various European countries.
|
Country |
Average height men (in m.) |
Average height of women (in m.) |
|
Azerbaijan |
1.72 |
1.65 |
|
Belgium |
1.80 |
1.68 |
|
Bulgaria |
1.75 |
1.63 |
|
Germany |
1.78 |
1.65 |
|
Finland |
1.79 |
1.65 |
|
France |
1.74 |
1.65 |
|
Britain |
1.75 |
1.62 |
|
Hungary |
1.76 |
1.64 |
|
Ireland |
1.77 |
1.64 |
|
Italy |
1.76 |
1.65 |
|
Croatia |
1.81 |
1.65 |
|
Latvia |
1.81 |
1.68 |
|
The Netherlands |
1.80 |
1.68 |
|
Norway |
1.80 |
1.67 |
|
Austria |
1.79 |
1.66 |
|
Poland |
1.79 |
1.65 |
|
Slovakia |
1.79 |
1.66 |
|
Spain |
1.76 |
1.65 |
|
Czech Republic |
1.80 |
1.67 |
|
Turkey |
1.76 |
1.62 |
|
Sweden |
1.78 |
1.65 |
Asia
The smallest people in the world are in Southeast Asia. Although, according to the data from the table below, South Korea seems to be an exception to this fact. Pygmies live in Southeast Asia, a people whose adults do not grow taller than 1.50 meters. The pygmies live in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. This could be one of the explanations for the average short height in Southeast Asian countries.
|
Country |
Average height men (in m.) |
Average height of women (in m.) |
|
Bangladesh |
unknown |
1.51 |
|
Cambodia |
unknown |
1.52 |
|
China |
1.66 |
1.57 |
|
Philippines |
1.62 |
1.50 |
|
India |
1.65 |
1.52 |
|
Japan |
1.66 |
1.53 |
|
Malaysia |
1.65 |
1.53 |
|
Mongolia |
1.68 |
1.58 |
|
Singapore |
1.71 |
1.60 |
|
Thailand |
1.69 |
1.58 |
|
Vietnam |
1.66 |
1.55 |
|
South Korea |
1.74 |
1.61 |
Africa
Nothing is known about the average heights in many African countries. The countries for which the averages are known are included in the table below. Just like in Southeast Asia, pygmies live in Africa. They live in areas from Sierra Leone and Cameroon to the Congo region
|
Country |
Average height men (in m.) |
Average height of women (in m.) |
|
Congo |
unknown |
1.58 |
|
Ethiopia |
unknown |
1.58 |
|
Ghana |
unknown |
1.59 |
|
Cameroon |
1.71 |
1.61 |
|
Kenya |
1.70 |
1.58 |
|
Malawi |
1.66 |
1.55 |
|
Nigeria |
1.64 |
1.58 |
|
Senegal |
unknown |
1.63 |
|
South Africa |
1.69 |
1.59 |
South America
Average lengths in South America appear to vary. Peru and Mexico are, according to the table below, countries where the average height is very low. The average height in Argentina, on the other hand, is comparable to that in a European country.
|
Country |
Average height men (in m.) |
Average height of women (in m.) |
|
Argentina |
1.74 |
1.61 |
|
Brazil |
1.71 |
1.59 |
|
Bolivia |
unknown |
1.52 |
|
Chili |
1.70 |
1.56 |
|
Colombia |
unknown |
1.55 |
|
Mexico |
1.63 |
1.51 |
|
Peru |
1.64 |
1.51 |
Middle East
Unlike the other areas discussed in this article, the Middle East is not a continent but a historical and political region of Africa-Eurasia with vague borders. In the table below you will find the average lengths in the Middle East.
|
Country |
Average height men (in m.) |
Average height of women (in m.) |
|
Bahrain |
1.65 |
1.54 |
|
Egypt |
1.70 |
1.59 |
|
Iraq |
1.65 |
1.56 |
|
Iran |
1.70 |
1.57 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
1.73 |
1.56 |