Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (2024)

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Bill Bostock

2019-06-26T11:59:27Z

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (1)

Height varies a lot around the world — and some countries have a definite lead.
Using medical data, INSIDER calculated average height figures for the 25 tallest countries — which skews heavily towards nations in Europe.
Scroll down to see the nations with the tallest people on earth.
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The world's tallest man clocks in at 251cm (8 feet 3 inches) and he's called Sultan Kösen, from Turkey.

But despite his commanding size, his compatriots don't quite make the list of countries with the tallest people on average.

INSIDER used average height data from a medical database run by NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a project linked to Imperial College London.

It lists separate figures for male and female height in each country — we took an average of these two figures to give a rough idea of how tall the average person is in the country, and also listed the separate male and female figures.

Scroll down to seethe 25 countries which (literally) came out on top.

25. New Zealand — 171.34cm (5 feet 7.45 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (2)

An average person from New Zealand is 171.34cm (5 feet 7.45 inches) tall on average.

The average Kiwi man is 177.73cm (5 feet 9.97 inches) tall, while the average woman is 164.94cm (5 feet 4.93 inches) tall.

24. Bulgaria — 171.52cm (5 feet 7.52 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (3)

An average Bulgarian is 171.52cm (5 feet 7.52 inches) tall.

A Bulgarian man is 178.24cm (5 feet 10.17 inches) tall on average.

A Bulgarian woman is 164.79cm (5 feet 4.88 inches) tall on average.

22. Montenegro —171.56cm (5 feet 7.54 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (4)

An average Montenegrins is 171.56cm (5 feet 7.54 inches) tall.

Men in Montenegro are on average 178.27cm (5 feet 10.18 inches) tall.

Women in Montenegro are on average 164.85cm (5 feet 4.90 inches) tall.

22. Ireland — 172.02cm (5 feet 7.72 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (5)

The average Irish person is 172.02cm (5 feet 7.72 inches) tall.

The average Irishman is 178.92cm (5 feet 10.44 inches) tall.

The average Irishwoman is 165.11cm (5 feet 5 inches) tall.

21. France — 172.31cm (5 feet 7.83 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (6)

The average person in France is 172.31cm (5 feet 7.83 inches) tall.

The average French man is 179.73cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.

The average French woman is 164.88cm (5 feet 4.91 inches) tall.

20. Belarus— 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (7)

The average person in Belarus is 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.

An average Belarusian man is 178.44cm (5 feet 10.25 inches) tall.

The average Belarusian woman is 166.35cm (5 feet 5.49 inches) tall.

19. Ukraine — 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (8)

Ukrainians are an average 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.

The average Ukrainian man is 178.45cm (5 feet 10.26 inches) tall, and the average Ukrainian woman is 166.33cm (5 feet 5.48 inches) tall.

18. Australia — 172.53cm (5 feet 7.92 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (9)

Australians are 172.53cm (5 feet 7.92 inches) tall on average.

Australian men are 179.20cm (5 feet 10.55 inches) tall on average.

Australian women are 165.85cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.

17. Norway — 172.65cm (5 feet 7.97 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (10)

An average Norwegian is 172.65cm (5 feet 7.97 inches) tall.

Norwegian men average out at 179.74cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.

The women measure out at 165.56cm (5 feet 5.18 inches) tall.

16. Sweden — 172.71cm (5 feet 7.99 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (11)

Swedish people are an average 172.71cm (5 feet 7.99 inches) tall.

Swedish men are 179.73cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall on average, while Swedish women are 165.6cm (5 feet 5.23 inches) tall.

15. Finland — 172.74cm (5 feet 8 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (12)

An average Finn is 172.74cm (5 feet 8 inches) tall.

Males in Finland are an average 179.59cm (5 feet 10.70 inches) tall.

Females in Finland are 165.89cm (5 feet 5.31 inches) tall.

14. Lithuania —172.82cm (5 feet 8.03 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (13)

The average Lithuanian is 172.82cm (5 feet 8.03 inches) tall.

An average Lithuanian man is 179.02cm (5 feet 10.48 inches) tall.

The average Lithuanian woman is 166.61cm (5 feet 5.69 inches) tall.

13. Germany — 172.87cm (5 feet 8.06 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (14)

The average German is 172.87cm (5 feet 8.06 inches) tall on average.

The average German man is 179.88cm (5 feet 8.81 inches) tall.

The average German woman is 165.86cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.

12. Slovenia — 172.92cm (5 feet 8.07 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (15)

The average Slovenian is172.92cm (5 feet 8.07 inches) tall.

The average Slovenian man is 179.80cm (5 feet 10.78 inches) tall.

The average Slovenian woman is 166.05cm (5 feet 5.37 inches) tall.

11. Croatia — 173.20cm (5 feet 8.18 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (16)

An average Croatian is 173.20cm (5 feet 8.18 inches) tall.

An average Croatian man is 180.78cm (5 feet 11.16 inches) tall.

The average Croatian woman is 165.63cm ( 5 feet 5.20 inches) tall.

10. Iceland — 173.21cm (5 feet 8.19 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (17)

Icelandic people have an average height of 173.21cm (5 feet 8.19 inches.)

Icelandic women are 165.94cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall on average, while Icelandic men are an average 180.49cm (5 feet 11.05 inches) tall.

9. Bosnia and Herzegovina — 173.35cm (5 feet 8.24 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (18)

Bosnians are 173.35cm (5 feet 8.24 inches) tall on average.

Bosnian men are 180.87cm (5 feet 11.20 inches) tall on average.

Bosnian women are 165.84cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall on average.

8. Slovakia — 173.48cm (5 feet 8.29 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (19)

Slovakians are 173.48cm (5 feet 8.29 inches) tall on average.

Slovakian men are 179.50cm (5 feet 10.66 inches) tall on average, while Slovakian women are 167.46cm (5 feet 5.92 inches) tall on average.

7. Belgium — 173.59cm (5 feet 8.34 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (20)

Belgians are 173.59cm (5 feet 8.34 inches) tall on average.

The average Belgian man is 181.69cm (5 feet 11.53 inches) tall.

The average Belgian woman is 165.49cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall.

6. Serbia — 174.13cm (5 feet 8.55 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (21)

Serbians are 174.13cm (5 feet 8.55 inches) tall on average.

Serbian men are 180.57cm (5 feet 11.09 inches) tall on average.

Serbian women are 167.69cm (5 feet 6.01 inches) tall on average.

5. Czech Republic — 174.28cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (22)

The average Czech measures an average 174.28cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.

Czech men measure an average 180.10cm tall (5 fet 10.9 inches) tall.

Czech women measure an average 168.45cm (5 feet 6.31 inches) tall.

4. Denmark — 174.29cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (23)

The average Dane is 174.29cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.

The average Danish man is 181.38cm (5 feet 11.40 inches) tall.

The average Danish woman is 167.21cm (5 feet 5.83 inches) tall.

3. Estonia — 175.13cm (5 feet 8.94 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (24)

An average Estonian is 175.13cm (5 feet 8.94 inches) tall.

Estonian males are an average 181.59cm tall (5 feet 11.49 inches) tall.

Estonian females are an average 168.67cm (5 feet 6.40 inches) tall.

2. Latvia — 175.61cm (5 feet 9.13 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (25)

Latvians are an average 175.61cm (5 feet 9.13 inches) tall.

Latvian men are an average 181.42cm tall (5 feet 11.42 inches) tall.

Latvian women are an average 169.79cm (5 feet 6.84 inches) tall.

1. The Netherlands — 175.62cm (5 feet 7.96 inches)

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (26)

Dutch people are the world's tallest, with an average height of 175.62cm (5 feet 7.96 inches.)

Dutch men are an average 182.53cm (5 feet 11.86 inches) tall.

Dutch women are an average 168.72cm (5 feet 6.42 inches) tall.

The world's tallest living man and woman, though, don't hail from any of those countries.

Ranked: The countries with the tallest people in the world (27)

The world's tallest living man, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the 251cm (8 feet 2.5 inches) Turkish giant Sultan Kösen.

The world's tallest living woman? Sun Fang, from China, measuring 221cm (7 feet 3 inches.)

Data source: Average Height, Guinness World Records.

FAQs

What country has the tallest people ranked? ›

Mar 24, 2023, 11:58 PM IST. 10 Countries with tallest people in the world. ...
The Netherlands. Dutch people are the tallest people in the world. ...
Montenegro. People in Montenegro are very tall with an average height of 171.56 cm (5 feet 7.54 inches). ...
Denmark. ...
Norway. ...
Serbia. ...
Germany. ...
Croatia.

More items...

Mar 24, 2023

Discover More Details ›

Who is the tallest person of country? ›

Sultan Kösen
Born	10 December 1982 Mardin, Turkey
Occupation	Farmer
Known for	Tallest living man 7th verified tallest person in history
Height	8 ft 2.82 in (251.00 cm)

2 more rows

Read The Full Story ›

What country has taller people? ›

The ten tallest countries, with the first one being the country with the tallest average human height in the world, include: The Netherlands 72.36 inches. Montenegro 72.13 inches. Denmark 71.89 inches.

Discover More Details ›

Which country has the tallest ladies? ›

Latvia is home to the tallest women in the world, figures show. Females born in 1996 in the Baltic state are, on average, 169.80cm — or around 5ft 7in. UK women, for comparison, measure 164.4cm, roughly 5ft 5in. This puts Britain 38th in the international league table.

Is 5 9 tall for a girl? ›

Is 5′9″ considered tall for a girl? Technically, yes as around the 5′ 6″ 5′ 4″ range is typical, but this means nothing, really. sometimes, a girl is hella tall, sometimes she's hella short, but all around girls are beautiful.

View Details ›

What is the average height for a girl? ›

The average height for women in the United States is about 5 foot 4 inches (or about 63.7 inches) tall. The average height has increased over time.

Find Out More ›

What countries have the tallest men? ›

Following the Netherlands, Belgium (181.70cm), Estonia (181.59cm), Latvia (181.42cm) and Denmark (181.39cm) round off the top five countries with the tallest men. At the other end of the scale, East Timor is home to the smallest men, who measure 159.79cm (5ft 2), on average.

Read On ›

Why are Dutch people so tall? ›

Scientists attribute this to a diet that is rich in milk and meat. The Dutch have grown so quickly in a short period of time that most of the growth is attributed to their changing environment. They are one of the world's largest producers and consumers of cheese and milk.

Explore More ›

Who is the tallest African American? ›

John Rogan

John "Bud" Rogan
Occupation(s)	Salesman, Artist, Sharecropper
Known for	Second tallest man in history, tallest African-American ever recorded.
Height	8 ft 9 in (267 cm)
Relatives	William Rogan (Father)

4 more rows

Keep Reading ›

How tall are Americans? ›

The average height in America is 5'9″ for men and 5'4″ for women. However, it may vary from state to state. For instance, Montana and Utah are the tallest states in America with an average height of 5'7.7″, while Hawaii has the lowest average height of 5'6″.

Read On ›

Are Asians getting taller? ›

Asian-Americans aren't the only ones getting taller than their overseas counterparts, but it may seem more pronounced because they're moving from shorter heights of, say, 5 feet 2, to 5 feet 7 in just a generation and a half. The reason: more protein and calcium in the diet.

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Why Europeans are taller in height? ›

In a paper published in Nature, the researchers show that northern Europeans seem to have a stronger genetic link to a particularly tall nomadic population from the Eurasian steppe who came to Europe around 4,500 years ago. Because of these genes, northern Europeans are still tall compared to others on the continent.

Which US state has the tallest girls? ›

The tallest adult men in America live in Iowa and Alabama, while the tallest women live in South Dakota. Hawaii, meanwhile, can lay claim to the shortest members of either sex.

See Details ›

Who are the tallest Africans? ›

Dinka are noted for their height, and, along with the Tutsi of Rwanda, they are believed to be the tallest people in Africa. Roberts and Bainbridge reported the average height of 182.6 cm (5 ft 11.9 in) in a sample of 52 Dinka Agaar and 181.3 cm (5 ft 11.4 in) in 227 Dinka Ruweng measured in 1953–1954.

Who is the biggest tall girl? ›

Rumeysa Gelgi is the tallest woman in the world. She's around 7 feet tall.

Tell Me More ›

Why are Scandinavians so tall? ›

Norwegians are often ranked among some of the tallest people in the world. Experts say natural selection, combined with a good animal protein diet, makes these Nordic locals taller than their counterparts elsewhere in the world.

Who are the tallest tribes in the world? ›

Get More Info ›

Is 5 7 tall for a woman? ›

As a 5'7 woman in California I'm considered tall. People regularly describe me as tall. In other areas of the US, I might just be above average. The average height is about 5'4 for a woman here, and a 5'7 woman is taller than about 85% of women still, so it's definitely not in the average range.

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What's the average height for a 14 year old? ›

What is considered a normal growth rate?

Age	Height - Females	Height - Males
12	55 to 64 inches	54 to 63.5 inches
14	59 to 67.5 inches	59 to 69.5 inches
16	60 to 68 inches	63 to 73 inches
18	60 to 68.5 inches	65 to 74 inches

7 more rows

Learn More ›