The short answer
In the latest NCD-RisC estimates, 19-year-olds averaged 5 ft 7 in / 170.8 cm for young men and 5 ft 2 in / 158.6 cm for young women worldwide in 2019. The tallest young men live in Netherlands (6 ft / 183.8 cm), the shortest in Timor-Leste (5 ft 3 in / 160.1 cm) – a gap of 9.3 in / 23.7 cm.
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A short recording of our tool, without sound. Turn on captions for the steps in your language. The written instructions below cover the same process.
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Each step is also explained in writing.
- The country comparison opens with the average young men and women of several countries.
- In “Library” → “Countries”, filter “Women” and search for a country.
- Each tap adds that country’s average figure to the line-up.
- “Line-up” → “Sort by height” puts everyone in order.
- Tap a figure to see how far each average is above or below it.
Where the numbers come from
The NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) is a network of health scientists that pools population-based studies in which height was measured, not just asked. Its 2020 study in The Lancet combined 2,181 studies with 65 million participants and estimated height for every year and age from 5 to 19 in 200 countries and territories.
Height Studio uses the newest figure for each country: the mean height of 19-year-olds in 2019. At 19 almost everyone has reached adult height, and every country is estimated the same way – so the ranking compares like with like.
The tallest and the shortest countries
The five tallest countries for each sex, out of 199:
| Men | Height | Women | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 6 ft / 183.8 cm | Netherlands | 5 ft 7 in / 170.4 cm |
| Montenegro | 6 ft / 183.3 cm | Montenegro | 5 ft 7 in / 170 cm |
| Estonia | 6 ft / 182.8 cm | Denmark | 5 ft 7 in / 169.5 cm |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 6 ft / 182.5 cm | Iceland | 5 ft 6 in / 168.9 cm |
| Iceland | 6 ft / 182.1 cm | Latvia | 5 ft 6 in / 168.8 cm |
At the other end of the scale
The five shortest averages:
| Men | Height | Women | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timor-Leste | 5 ft 3 in / 160.1 cm | Guatemala | 4 ft 11 in / 150.9 cm |
| Laos | 5 ft 4 in / 162.8 cm | Nepal | 5 ft / 152.4 cm |
| Solomon Islands | 5 ft 4 in / 163.1 cm | Bangladesh | 5 ft / 152.4 cm |
| Papua New Guinea | 5 ft 4 in / 163.1 cm | Timor-Leste | 5 ft / 152.7 cm |
| Mozambique | 5 ft 5 in / 164.3 cm | Madagascar | 5 ft / 153.1 cm |
A century of change
Heights change faster than genes. In NCD-RisC’s study of a whole century (people born from 1896 to 1996), South Korean women gained 20.2 cm and Iranian men 16.5 cm – the largest gains of all.
Even within one generation the change is visible. Compared with 19-year-olds in 1985, young men grew most in China (+3.2 in / 8.1 cm), Saudi Arabia (+3 in / 7.7 cm), Maldives (+2.7 in / 6.8 cm), and young women in Saudi Arabia (+2.4 in / 6.2 cm), China (+2.4 in / 6.1 cm), South Korea (+2.4 in / 6.1 cm). A population cannot change its genes in a few decades, so researchers look to nutrition, health and living conditions in childhood to explain shifts like these.
Compare yourself with any country
Open the country comparison
It starts with the average young men and women of a few countries side by side.
Pick countries
In “Library”, choose “Countries”, filter “Men” or “Women” and search for a country. Each tap adds its average figure.
Add yourself and measure
Add your own height under “Add person”, then tap your figure: the comparisons show how far you are above or below each average.
Questions you might still have
Which country has the tallest people?
In the NCD-RisC data for 19-year-olds in 2019, Netherlands has both the tallest young men (6 ft / 183.8 cm) and the tallest young women (5 ft 7 in / 170.4 cm).
What is the average height of a man in the US?
Young American men average 5 ft 10 in / 176.9 cm and young women 5 ft 4 in / 163.3 cm (19-year-olds in 2019). The world average for young men is 5 ft 7 in / 170.8 cm.
Why do other websites give different averages?
They often use other years, other age groups or heights people reported themselves, which tend to come out taller. Height Studio uses one source for every country, so countries can be compared fairly.
Sources & useful details
- NCD Risk Factor Collaboration – height data downloads (country files)
- NCD-RisC (2020): Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories, The Lancet
- NCD-RisC (2016): A century of trends in adult human height, eLife
The screen recordings show LoschaZ tools using sample files created for these guides. They are demonstrations, not tests on every phone or promises of an identical result. Examples are not customer files.
