The geographical distribution of the countries with the tallest and shortest people in the world really piqued my interest. The countries that are most blessed when it comes to height are all European nations while the less fortunate ones are present in Asia and South America. Some places just have it good it seems.
Of course, height has a lot to do with genetics which is why some nations continue to be the tallest while some remain at the other end of the spectrum. But how much? Interestingly, if you see a white man, his height, i.e., whether or not it’s above average, is about 80% determined by genetics while the rest is a direct impact of his environment, which includes nutrition, health and even social stature! While if you see a Chinese man, his “heritability” of height will probably be around 65%, as opposed to the white man’s 80%. Is it just me or is that fact totally intriguing? Some studies also suggest that fathers contribute more to their children’s height than a mother does: a mother has more effect on the weight of the baby. That has not held true as per my personal experience but who can argue with science?
F. JIMENEZ MECA/Shutterstock.com
Our agenda today is not to talk about height genetics though. It is to analyze countries by height. As I mentioned before, countries in Europe have the most average height. I mean the shortest country in Europe is Malta with an average male height of 169 cm (5.54 ft) and that of females, 159 cm (5.21 ft), yet the nation is far above all the 16 shortest countries on our list. Therefore, it is safe to say that the tallest people in the world by country are all European.
So, if you wish to know the country with the tallest women, the shortest country in the world or even just Netherlands’ average height (a nation known for its giant citizens), you have certainly come to the right place because we have compiled all these facts for you in one place. To formulate our list of countries with the tallest and shortest people in the world, we referred to AverageHeight, an all useful database for info on height and weight. We did not merely use the average height of males in the nation but took both male and female heights, ranked them separately and came up with an average ranking that took into account both genders. You can see how the rankings have changed over the past two years by comparing this new list to our old one of countries with highest average height in the world. However, be warned: there were a couple of countries namely Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro, which appeared to be one of the tallest when seen from the male perspective, but data for their female citizens was not available which is why these nations were excluded. The same was the case with Bangladesh and Guatemala in the short category.
Now that the technicalities are out of the way, let’s start naming the 16 countries with the tallest and the 16 countries with the shortest people in the world. Of course, this list will also give you a good idea of the tallest ethnic group or the shortest race in the world depending on the origins of the people of the following countries.
Tallest Countries
16. Poland
Average male height: 1.787m
Average female height: 1.651m
Poland kicks off our list of countries with the tallest people in the world, but since it is only the first entry, Polish people might not tower over you as the ones from the nations we have further on.
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15. Estonia
Average male height: 1.791m
Average female height: 1.65m
The beautiful beaches of Estonia coupled with its tall citizens present quite a gorgeous sight to behold.
Pixabay/Public Domain
14. Spain
Average male height: 1.78m
Average female height: 1.662m
Home to the beautiful cities of Barcelona and Madrid, Spain is another country with heights to be envied: its men averaging 5 feet 10 inches.
Valery Bareta/Shutterstock.com
13. Greece
Average male height: 1.783m
Average female height: 1.66m
Greeks stay true to the concept of Greek gods and goddesses, known for their beauty as well as their admirable heights.
Andrea Meling/Shutterstock.com
12. Lithuania
Average male height: 1.772m
Average female height: 1.675m
We are continuing our list of countries with the tallest people in the world with Lithuania that merely has 2.8 million people to its name, but it is safe to say that a majority of them, if not all, are definitely quite tall.
Pixabay/Public Domain
11. Slovakia
Average male height: 1.794m
Average female height: 1.656m
Slovakia is known for its bulk car producing but now you know: its citizens’ heights are also something to rave about!
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10. Germany
Average male height: 1.81m
Average female height: 1.65m
Germany’s men average a height of 5 feet 11.25 inches, and while its females haven’t done quite so well in our rankings, with 5 feet 5 inches to their name, the men were enough to pull the rankings in their favor.
Copyright: vadymvdrobot / 123RF Stock Photo
9. Belgium
Average male height: 1.786m
Average female height: 1.681m
As opposed to Germany, Belgium’s rankings were pulled by its women who average a height of 5 feet 6 inches, making the country the third tallest nationality in the world with respect to females.
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Croatia
Average male height: 1.805m
Average female height: 1.663m
Like most European Union countries, Croatia is well-developed and so is the height of its citizens! Therefore, it comes in at number 8 on our list of countries with the tallest people in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
7. Austria
Average male height: 1.792m
Average female height: 1.676m
Austrian citizens speak German, and that is not the only thing they have in common with their neighbor. Like the Germans, the citizens of Austria are also incredibly tall.
Pixabay/Public Domain
6. Czech Republic
Average male height: 1.803m
Average female height: 1.672m
Czech Republic’s beautiful capital of Prague, its castles, and its amazing beer are more than enough to make it breathtakingly beautiful. Its tall people, however, make the experience even better, or is that a weird thing to say?
Pixabay/Public Domain
5. Slovenia
Average male height: 1.803m
Average female height: 1.674m
At number 5 on our list of countries with the tallest people in the world we have Slovenia that is a minuscule nation when it comes to the size of its population with only a little above 2 million people residing within it. However, the literal size of the country’s people is not small at all.
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. Norway
Average male height: 1.824m
Average female height: 1.67m
Norway is the dream vacation spot, and its people are luckier in more ways than one with its men averaging a height of 5 feet 11.75 inches!
Pixabay/Public Domain
3. Iceland
Average male height: 1.81m
Average female height: 1.676m
Iceland neither ranks third in the male category, nor in the female, yet in the overall ranking, this island nation has managed to land on number 3.
Maridav/Shutterstock.com
2. Denmark
Average male height: 1.826m
Average female height: 1.687m
Bagging the second spot among countries with the tallest people in the world, Danish people are sure to make you feel dwarf-like in their presence!
Pixabay/Public Domain
1. Netherlands
Average male height: 1.838m
Average female height: 1.699
Netherlands ranks the best in both male and female heights, giving it the well-deserved number one spot on this list of countries with the tallest people in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Shortest Countries
16. Nigeria
Average male height: 1.638m
Average female height: 1.578m
One of two African nations on our list of countries with the shortest people in the world, the poverty-stricken Nigeria happens to have one of the lowest average heights in the world.
ariyo olasunkanmi/Shutterstock.com
15. Iraq
Average male height: 1.654m
Average female height: 1.558m
The troubled country of Iraq comes up next, with men averaging a height of 5 feet 5 inches here.
Rawpixel/Shutterstock.com
14. Malawi
Average male height: 1.66m
Average female height: 1.55m
Malawi is the second and last African country on our list of nations with the shortest people in the world. Further on, the list is peppered with Asian and South American countries.
Pixabay / Public Domain
13. North Korea
Average male height: 1.656m
Average female height: 1.549m
The famous dictatorship of North Korea doesn’t do so well in the height department either, coming in at number 13.
Astrelok / Shutterstock.com
12. Malaysia
Average male height: 1.663m
Average female height: 1.533m
We are continuing our list of countries with the shortest people in the world with Malaysia that is a mix of many cultures. However, that has not succeeded in escalating the average height of the country.
Pixabay/Public Domain
11. Bahrain
Average male height: 1.651m
Average female height: 1.542m
This rich Middle Eastern country, though Asian, is the odd one out amongst the cluster of Asian nations on our list that are all close to each other, as opposed to Bahrain.
Copyright: satura86 / 123RF Stock Photo
10. Panama
Average male height: 1.65m
Average female height: 1.52m
The only North American country to have found its way into the list of countries with the tallest and shortest people in the world is Panama.
Pixabay/Public Domain
9. Ecuador
Average male height: 1.635m
Average female height: 1.535m
Ecuador’s men are, for want of a better world, extremely tiny averaging merely 5 feet 4.25 inches!
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Peru
Average male height: 1.64m
Average female height: 1.51m
Peru marks the last South American nation on our list of countries with the shortest people in the world, as it is followed only by Asian states.
Pixabay/Public Domain
7. Sri Lanka
Average male height: 1.636m
Average female height: 1.514m
Sri Lanka’s women are quite short as they don’t even come up to the 5 feet mark, averaging 4 feet 11.5 inches.
Pixabay/Public Domain
6. Cambodia
Average male height: 1.625m
Average female height: 1.524m
Cambodia grabs the number six spot and neighbors Vietnam, which is incidentally the next entry on our list of countries with the shortest people in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
5. Vietnam
Average male height: 1.621m
Average female height: 1.522m
Vietnam’s cuisine and its Buddhist pagodas are quite famous. The height of its citizens is most certainly not though.
Stephen Bures / Shutterstock.com
4. Nepal
Average male height: 1.63m
Average female height: 1.508m
The shortest man ever to grace the Earth, Chandra Dangi, was also from Nepal. Sadly, he passed away in 2015, but Nepal still remains among the shortest countries.
Pixabay/Public Domain
3. Philippines
Average male height: 1.619m
Average female height: 1.502m
An island nation, Philippines, the next one on the list of countries with the shortest people in the world, enjoys numerous beaches and beautiful spots, yet its people seem to suffer a dearth in the height department.
Tony Magdaraog / Shutterstock.com
2. Indonesia
Average male height: 1.58m
Average female height: 1.47m
Indonesia has the shortest males in the world: they have an average height of 5 feet 2.25 inches, a height if seen in other countries is considered extremely short even for females!
Copyright: kzenon / 123RF Stock Photo
1. Bolivia
Average male height: 1.6m
Average female height: 1.422m
And, with the South American nation of Bolivia, we wrap up our list of countries with the tallest and shortest people in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
