Scandinavian women are tall; Height Chart of Men and Women in Different Countries

If you are a well-traveled person, you might have noticed that the average woman in Scandinavia is taller than the average man in Asia.

Height Chart of Men and Women in Different Countries

» Calculators and Charts

By Disabled World - 2008-10-13

Growth and height have long been recognized as a measure of the health and wellness of individuals. This chart shows the average height of males and females in various world countries.

The study of human growth is known as auxology. Growth and height have long been recognized as a measure of the health and wellness of individuals, hence part of the reasoning for the use of growth charts.

Adult height between ethnic groups often differs significantly and the average height for each sex within a countries population is significantly different, with adult males being (on average) taller than adult females.

The only gene so far attributed with normal height variation is HMGA2. Genetically speaking, the heights of mother and son and of father and daughter correlate, suggesting that a short mother will more likely bear a shorter son, and tall fathers will have tall daughters.

Interestingly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Europeans in North America were far taller than those in Europe and were the tallest in the world. The original indigenous population of the Plains Native Americans was also among the tallest populations of the world at the time. Several nations, including many nations in Europe, have now surpassed the US, particularly the Netherlands, and Scandinavian nations.

In certain countries like the Philippines, younger generations are significantly shorter than those born in the 1970s and 1980s despite the economic growth and better standard of living. In Malaysia and Thailand, younger generations have experienced increased height.

Today the tallest race of humans is the Nilotic peoples of Sudan such as the Dinka they have been described as the tallest in the world, with the males in some communities having average heights of 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) and females at 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in).

The tallest person in recorded history was Robert Pershing Wadlow born in Alton, Illinois USA. And the current worlds shortest man is He Pingping from Mongolia. You may also be interested in our Height to Weight Ratio Chart for adults, and for babies to teenagers see Height to Weight - Babies to Teenagers

Chart showing the average height of males and females in various world countries.

Country Average male height Average female height
Argentina 174.46 cm (5 ft 8.6 in) 161.03 cm (5 ft 3.4 in)
Australia 178.4 cm (5' 10.2") 163.9 cm (5' 4.5")
Bahrain 165.1 cm (5' 5") 154.7 cm (5' 1")
Belgium 176.6 cm (5' 9.5") 163.3 cm (5' 4.3")
Brazil 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 158.0 cm (5' 2.2")
Cameroon 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 161.3 cm (5' 3.5")
Canada 174 cm (5' 8.5") 161.0 cm (5' 3.4")
China (PRC) 164.8 cm (5' 4.9") 154.5 cm (5' 0.8")
China 169.4 cm (5' 6.7") 158.6 cm (5' 2.5")
Colombia 170.64 cm (5' 7.2") 158.65 cm (5' 2.4")
Cote d'Ivoire 170.1 cm (5' 7") 159.1 cm (5' 2.7")
Czech Republic 180.3 cm (5' 11") 167.3 cm (5' 6.0")
Denmark 180.6 cm (5' 11.1")
Dinaric Alps 185.6 cm (6' 1.0") 171.0 cm (5' 7.2")
Estonia 179.1 cm (5' 10.5")
Finland 178.2 cm (5' 10") 164.7 cm (5' 4.7")
France 174.1 cm (5' 8.5") 161.9 cm (5' 3.7")
Ghana 169.46 cm (5' 6.7") 158.53 cm (5' 2.4")
Gambia 168.0 cm (5' 6.1") 157.8 cm (5' 2.2")
Germany 178.1 cm (5' 10") 165 cm (5' 4.9")
Guatemala (Maya people) 157.5 cm (5' 2") 142.2 cm (4' 6")
Hong Kong 170 cm (5' 7") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Hungary, Debrecen 179.14 cm (5' 10.4") 165.84 cm (5' 5.2")
Iceland 181.7 cm (5' 11.5") 167.6 cm (5' 6")
India 165.3 cm (5' 5") 165.3 cm (5' 5")
Indonesia 158.0 cm (5' 2.2") 147.0 cm (4' 10.0")
Indonesia, East Bali 162.4 cm (5' 3.9") 151.3 cm (4' 11.5")
Iran 174.24 cm (5' 8.6") 160.0 cm (5' 3")
Iraq 165.4 cm (5' 5.1") 155.8 cm (5' 1.3")
Israel 175.6 cm (5' 9.2") 162.7 cm (5' 4.1")
Italy - Middle & North 176.9 cm (5' 9.7") 163.2 cm (5' 4.2")
Italy - South 174.2 cm (5' 8.0") 160.8 cm (5' 3.3")
Japan 171.2 cm (5' 7.4") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Korea, South 175.26 cm (5' 9") 162.56 cm (5' 4")
Lithuania 176.3 cm (5' 9.4")
Malaysia 164.7 cm (5' 4.8") 153.3 cm (5' 0.4")
Malta 169 cm (5' 6.5") 159 cm (5' 2.6")
Malawi 166 cm (5' 5.3") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Mali 171.3 cm (5' 7.4") 160.4 cm (5' 3.2")
Mexico, State of Morelos 167 cm (5' 5.7") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Netherlands 184.8 cm (6' 0.8") 168.7 cm (5' 6.4")
New Zealand 177.0 cm (5' 9.7") 165.0 cm (5' 5")
Nigeria 163.8 cm (5' 4.5") 157.8 cm (5' 2.1")
Norway 179.9 cm (5' 10.8") 167.2 cm (5' 5.9")
Philippines 163.5 cm (5' 4.4") 151.8 cm (4' 11.8")
Portugal 172.8 cm (5' 8")
Singapore 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 160 cm (5' 3")
South Africa 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 159.0 cm (5' 2.5")
Spain 170 cm (5' 7") 161 cm (5' 3.3")
Sweden 180 cm (5' 10.9") 166.9 cm (5' 5.7")
Switzerland 175.5 cm (5' 9") 164.0 cm (5' 3.8")
Taiwan 171.45 cm (5' 7.5") 159.68 cm (5' 2.75")
Thailand 167.5 cm (5' 5.9") 157.3 cm (5' 1.9")
Turkey 173.74 cm (5' 8.4") 161.4 cm (5' 3.5")
United Kingdom 176.8 cm (5' 9.6") 163.7 cm (5' 4.4")
U.S. 178.2 cm (5' 10.2") 164.1 cm (5' 4.6")
Vietnam 167 cm 156 cm


"Height Chart of Men and Women in Different Countries"