Mean Male Height (cm) 1898

Discover mean male height data across 266+ countries. Compare rankings and explore historical trends with interactive maps.

200 data pointsโ€ขโ€ขGlobal Coverageโ€ขOur World in Dataโ€ข

Interactive Map

Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1
Sweden flag
Sweden
172.11
2
Norway flag
Norway
171.522
3
United States flag
United States
171.28
4
Estonia flag
Estonia
171.066
5
Iceland flag
Iceland
170.933
6
Canada flag
Canada
170.842
7
Tonga flag
Tonga
170.526
8
Denmark flag
Denmark
170.219
9
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
170.087
10
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
169.786
11
American Samoa flag
American Samoa
169.782
12
Latvia flag
Latvia
169.542
13
Cook Islands flag
Cook Islands
169.54
14
Samoa flag
Samoa
169.149
15
Australia flag
Australia
169.119
16
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
169.111
17
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
168.717
18
Fiji flag
Fiji
168.706
19
Niue flag
Niue
168.662
20
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
168.604
21
Croatia flag
Croatia
168.388
22
Austria flag
Austria
168.301
23
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
168.258
24
Tokelau flag
Tokelau
168.199
25
Finland flag
Finland
168.004
26
Belarus flag
Belarus
167.917
27
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
167.887
28
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
167.786
29
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
167.718
30
Serbia flag
Serbia
167.697
31
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
167.631
32
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
167.608
33
Germany flag
Germany
167.438
34
Belgium flag
Belgium
167.393
35
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
167.121
36
Russia flag
Russia
167.109
37
Senegal flag
Senegal
166.835
38
Kiribati flag
Kiribati
166.793
39
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
166.779
40
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
166.728
41
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
166.726
42
Hungary flag
Hungary
166.606
43
Ireland flag
Ireland
166.598
44
France flag
France
166.595
45
Botswana flag
Botswana
166.327
46
Kenya flag
Kenya
165.925
47
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
165.681
48
Seychelles flag
Seychelles
165.634
49
Tuvalu flag
Tuvalu
165.45
50
South Africa flag
South Africa
165.368
51
Mali flag
Mali
165.254
52
Barbados flag
Barbados
165.179
53
Chad flag
Chad
165.07
54
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
164.988
55
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
164.944
56
Grenada flag
Grenada
164.855
57
Nauru flag
Nauru
164.851
58
Italy flag
Italy
164.829
59
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
164.803
60
Dominica flag
Dominica
164.797
61
Georgia flag
Georgia
164.756
62
Micronesia (Fed. States of) flag
Micronesia (Fed. States of)
164.74
63
Namibia flag
Namibia
164.386
64
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
164.266
65
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
164.251
66
Palau flag
Palau
164.234
67
Romania flag
Romania
164.109
68
Niger flag
Niger
164.102
69
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
164.087
70
Poland flag
Poland
163.98
71
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
163.978
72
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
163.695
73
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
163.659
74
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
163.656
75
Israel flag
Israel
163.621
76
Albania flag
Albania
163.608
77
Andorra flag
Andorra
163.568
78
Guinea flag
Guinea
163.548
79
Brazil flag
Brazil
163.404
80
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
163.404
81
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
163.365
82
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
163.022
83
Togo flag
Togo
162.943
84
Singapore flag
Singapore
162.939
85
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
162.915
86
Gabon flag
Gabon
162.861
87
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
162.825
88
Greece flag
Greece
162.747
89
Benin flag
Benin
162.717
90
Argentina flag
Argentina
162.632
91
Ghana flag
Ghana
162.514
92
Spain flag
Spain
162.457
93
Uganda flag
Uganda
162.436
94
Zambia flag
Zambia
162.435
95
Marshall Islands flag
Marshall Islands
162.429
96
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
162.374
97
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
162.359
98
Angola flag
Angola
162.348
99
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
162.303
100
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
162.297
101
Armenia flag
Armenia
162.177
102
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
162.107
103
Bermuda flag
Bermuda
162.084
104
Congo flag
Congo
162.068
105
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
162.067
106
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
162.058
107
Suriname flag
Suriname
162.056
108
Antigua and Barbuda flag
Antigua and Barbuda
162.05
109
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
162.032
110
Haiti flag
Haiti
162.031
111
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
162.026
112
Malta flag
Malta
161.992
113
India flag
India
161.955
114
Burundi flag
Burundi
161.789
115
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
161.747
116
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
161.72
117
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
161.71
118
Sudan flag
Sudan
161.705
119
Somalia flag
Somalia
161.653
120
Libya flag
Libya
161.616
121
Taiwan flag
Taiwan
161.57
122
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
161.564
123
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
161.536
124
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
161.491
125
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
161.457
126
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
161.456
127
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
161.289
128
China flag
China
161.279
129
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
161.228
130
State of Palestine flag
State of Palestine
161.215
131
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
161.214
132
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
161.051
133
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
161.015
134
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
160.965
135
Chile flag
Chile
160.932
136
Gambia flag
Gambia
160.879
137
Puerto Rico flag
Puerto Rico
160.876
138
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
160.859
139
Algeria flag
Algeria
160.817
140
North Korea flag
North Korea
160.815
141
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
160.777
142
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
160.741
143
Turkey flag
Turkey
160.687
144
Saint Kitts and Nevis flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis
160.671
145
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
160.564
146
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
160.551
147
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
160.271
148
Guyana flag
Guyana
160.251
149
Cuba flag
Cuba
160.243
150
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
160.193
151
South Korea flag
South Korea
160.022
152
China, Hong Kong SAR flag
China, Hong Kong SAR
159.915
153
Comoros flag
Comoros
159.882
154
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
159.662
155
Greenland flag
Greenland
159.646
156
Iraq flag
Iraq
159.614
157
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
159.598
158
Qatar flag
Qatar
159.594
159
Morocco flag
Morocco
159.566
160
Malawi flag
Malawi
159.431
161
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
159.369
162
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
159.345
163
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
159.314
164
Jordan flag
Jordan
159.28
165
Portugal flag
Portugal
159.18
166
Egypt flag
Egypt
159.047
167
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
158.917
168
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
158.827
169
Liberia flag
Liberia
158.803
170
Honduras flag
Honduras
158.751
171
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
158.702
172
Thailand flag
Thailand
158.654
173
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
158.483
174
Belize flag
Belize
158.477
175
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
158.091
176
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
157.849
177
Colombia flag
Colombia
157.63
178
Nepal flag
Nepal
157.603
179
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
157.565
180
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
157.563
181
Iran flag
Iran
157.515
182
Panama flag
Panama
157.328
183
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
157.179
184
Mexico flag
Mexico
157.111
185
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
157.075
186
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
156.58
187
Japan flag
Japan
156.567
188
Oman flag
Oman
156.061
189
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
156.034
190
Maldives flag
Maldives
156.015
191
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
155.875
192
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
155.555
193
Peru flag
Peru
155.18
194
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
155.133
195
Philippines flag
Philippines
154.985
196
Yemen flag
Yemen
154.911
197
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
154.878
198
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
154.249
199
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
153.325
200
Laos flag
Laos
153.146

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

  1. #1Sweden flagSweden
  2. #2Norway flagNorway
  3. #3United States flagUnited States
  4. #4Estonia flagEstonia
  5. #5Iceland flagIceland
  6. #6Canada flagCanada
  7. #7Tonga flagTonga
  8. #8Denmark flagDenmark
  9. #9French Polynesia flagFrench Polynesia
  10. #10Netherlands flagNetherlands

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #200Laos flagLaos
  2. #199Timor-Leste flagTimor-Leste
  3. #198Guatemala flagGuatemala
  4. #197Indonesia flagIndonesia
  5. #196Yemen flagYemen
  6. #195Philippines flagPhilippines
  7. #194Cambodia flagCambodia
  8. #193Peru flagPeru
  9. #192Vietnam flagVietnam
  10. #191Ecuador flagEcuador

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

Sweden leads the world in mean male height (cm) in 1898, measuring 172.11 cm, while the global range spans from 153.15 cm in Laos to the aforementioned height. The global average mean male height stands at 162.72 cm, with a median of 162.30 cm, reflecting significant regional disparities influenced by various socio-economic factors.

Geographic Disparities in Mean Male Height (cm)

The data reveals notable geographic disparities in mean male height across different regions. Scandinavian countries dominate the upper echelons, with Norway at 171.52 cm and Denmark at 170.22 cm. These heights can be attributed to a combination of favorable genetic factors and high living standards, including access to quality nutrition and healthcare. In contrast, countries in Southeast Asia, such as Laos and Timor-Leste, record the lowest mean heights of 153.15 cm and 153.33 cm, respectively. This discrepancy is often linked to economic challenges, food insecurity, and lower health outcomes.

Impact of Nutrition and Economic Conditions

Nutrition plays a critical role in determining mean male height, particularly in developing nations. For example, the average male height in Guatemala is 154.25 cm, which can be attributed to chronic malnutrition and limited access to diverse diets. Conversely, developed nations like Canada at 170.84 cm benefit from robust agricultural systems and food security, leading to healthier populations. The stark contrast in heights illustrates how economic conditions directly impact public health and nutrition, thereby influencing growth patterns across populations.

Year-over-Year Trends and Notable Changes

The analysis of year-over-year changes in mean male height reveals incremental growth across several countries. The average increase is modest at 0.12 cm, yet significant movers include Iran, Algeria, and Egypt, each registering an increase of 0.21 cm. These improvements may reflect better health policies, increased awareness of nutrition, and investments in healthcare systems. In contrast, countries like Kiribati and India show stagnation or minimal decline, indicating persistent challenges in health and economic conditions that may hinder growth.

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Height

The socio-economic landscape profoundly impacts mean male height, with wealthier nations typically exhibiting taller averages. For instance, the United States records an impressive height of 171.28 cm, supported by its high GDP and extensive healthcare infrastructure. In contrast, Yemen, with a height of 154.91 cm, suffers from ongoing conflicts and economic instability, which have detrimental effects on health and nutrition. This correlation highlights how socio-economic stability is essential in fostering growth and improving overall population health.

In conclusion, the mean male height data from 1898 not only provides insights into physical stature but also serves as a reflection of broader socio-economic conditions. The stark contrasts between countries underscore the importance of addressing nutrition, healthcare access, and economic stability to foster healthier populations worldwide.

Data Source

Our World in Data

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Mean Male Height (cm) data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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