16 Countries with the Tallest and Shortest People in the World

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.