People can’t grow as tall as they could if they don’t get enough to eat and get sick a lot as kids. So, in any country, there is a strong link between the average height of the population and the standard of living.
Historians carefully study information about people’s heights in order to figure out how people used to live in the past. This is why the average height in different parts of the world is so different.
This needs to be seen in the right light because average height isn’t the only thing that can be used as a measure of well-being. Most of the time, it also depends on genetics within a population.
Male and Female Average Heights Worldwide
There are many other environmental factors, like nutrition, urbanization, health, and climate, that affect how children and teens develop as a whole.
According to World Health Organization growth reference standards, the average height of a man should be 176.5 cm (5 ft 9.5 in) and the average height of a woman should be 163 cm (5 ft 4.3 in) (WHO).
But the actual average height of a woman around the world is only 159.5 cm (5 ft 2.8 in), while the average height of a man is 171 cm (5 ft 7.3 in), which is shorter than expected.
Men’s Average Height in the U.S.
According to the most recent data from the CDC, here are the average heights of U.S. men by age:
- 20–39 years old: 176.1 cm, or about 5 feet, 9 inches
- 40–59 years old: 175.8 centimeters, or about 5 feet, 9 inches
- Ages 60 and up: 173.4 cm, which is about 5 feet, 8 inches
- Here are the average heights of men in the U.S. by race:
- White people who are not Hispanic: 177.4 centimeters, or just under 5 feet, 10 inches
- Black people who are not Hispanic: 175.5 cm, or just over 5 feet, 9 inches
- Asians who are not Hispanic: 169.7 cm, or just under 5 feet, 7 inches
- Hispanic: 169.5 cm, or a little less than 5 feet, 7 inches
List of the Top 10 Men’s and Women’s Average Heights by Region:
| Continent | Men | Women |
| North America | 5 ft 9.7 in (177 cm) | 5 ft 4.6 in (164 cm) |
| South America | 5 ft 7.3 in (171 cm) | 5 ft 2.2 in (158 cm) |
| Central America | 5 ft 6.1 in (168 cm) | 5 ft 1.0 in (155 cm) |
| Africa | 5 ft 6.1 in (168 cm) | 5 ft 2.2 in (158 cm) |
| West, East, Central Asia | 5 ft 7.3 in (171 cm) | 5 ft 2.6 in (159 cm) |
| South, South-East Asia | 5 ft 4.6 in (164 cm) | 5 ft 0.2 in (153 cm) |
| Europe | 5 ft 10.9 in (180 cm) | 5 ft 5.7 in (167 cm) |
| Australia | 5 ft 10.5 in (179 cm) | 5 ft 5.0 in (165 cm) |
Europe has the tallest men and women in the world. The average height for men is 180 cm and the average height for women is 167 cm, which is above WHO standards. After this comes Australia.
South-Asians and people from South-East Asia were found to be the shortest, with an average height of 153 cm for women and 165 cm for men.
Over the Last Two Centuries, Human Height Has Grown
Based on research done by the University of Tuebingen, which looked at the height of men in different parts of the world from 1810 to 1980, it has been determined that people’s height has steadily grown over the past two hundred years. This trend is similar to the general improvements in health and nutrition that were seen around the same time.
Whose Heights Have Grown More Around the World: Men or Women?
In all areas, both men and women grew about 5 percent taller on average. Even though every country is very different.
In a few countries, the change was different for men and women. For example, the average height of women in South Korea went up by 14% while it only went up by 9% for men. In the Philippines, it was the other way around. Men’s height went up by about 5 percent, while women’s height went up by only 1 percent.
Top Ten Countries in the World With the Maximum Heights:
| Rank | Name of the country | Height |
| 1 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 6′ 0.5″ (183.9 cm) |
| 2 | The Netherlands | 6′ 0.5″ (183.8 cm) |
| 3 | Montenegro | 6′ 0″ (183.2 cm) |
| 4 | Denmark | 6′ 0″ (182.6 cm) |
| 5 | Norway | 5′ 11.75″ (182.4 cm) |
| 6 | Serbia | 5′ 11.5″ (182.0 cm) |
| 7 | Iceland | 5′ 11.5″ (182.0 cm) |
| 8 | Germany | 5′ 11.25″ (181.0 cm) |
| 9 | Croatia | 5′ 11″ (180.5 cm) |
| 10 | The Czech Republic | 5′ 11″ (180.3 cm) |
Average Height of Men Around the World
Men’s average heights around the world range from 6 feet in the Netherlands in Northwest Europe to 5 feet, 3 inches in Timor Leste in Southeast Asia. Here are the average heights of men in a few other countries, in feet and centimeters:
| Country | Height in Centimeters and Feet |
| Denmark | 181.4, or 5 feet, 11.5 inches |
| Germany | 179.9, or 5 feet, 11 inches |
| Norway | 179.7, or 5 feet, 11 inches |
| France | 179.7, or 5 feet, 11 inches |
| Australia | 179.2, or 5 feet, 10.5 inches |
| Canada | 178.1, or 5 feet, 10 inches |
| U.K. | 177.5, or 5 feet, 10 inches |
| U.S. | 177.1, or 5 feet, 9.5 inches |
| South Korea | 174.9, or 5 feet, 9 inches |
| Brazil | 173.6, or 5 feet, 8.5 inches |
| Singapore | 172.6, or 5 feet, 8 inches |
| China | 171.8, or 5 feet, 7.5 inches |
| Japan | 170.8, or 5 feet, 7 inches |
| Kenya | 169.6, or 5 feet, 7 inches |
| Mexico | 169, or 5 feet, 6.5 inches |
| Sudan | 166.6, or 5 feet, 5.5 inches |
| India | 164.9, or 5 feet, 5 inches |
| Yemen | 159.9, or 5 feet, 3 inches |
What Factors Affect a Man’s Height?
- How tall you get depends a lot on your genes and what you ate as a child.
- So far, scientists have found 697 genes that have an effect on height.
- Men are usually the same height as their dads and other male relatives, but this isn’t always the case. Men also get the genes that make them tall from their mothers. Even in the same family, men can be very different heights due to different gene combinations.
- The way you eat, especially when you are young, has a big effect on your height. Protein helps people grow and develop in a healthy way. And there is proof that kids who eat a lot of protein grow taller than kids who don’t.
- Eggs, dairy, red and white meat, and legumes such as beans and lentils are all high in protein.
How to Get the Right Height Measurement at Home
- Want to know where you stand? To find out your exact height, you’ll need help from someone. Here’s the right way to do it:
- Take your shoes off.
- Don’t stand on a rug or carpet. Instead, stand on a hard floor.
- Your back and heels should be pressed against a flat wall.
- Straighten your back. Try to look straight ahead and not move your chin up or down.
- Have someone put something flat and level on your head against the wall, like a book.
- Tell that person to draw a line on the wall where the flat object touches it.
- Use a tape measure to figure out how high the wall is from the floor.
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