Mean Male Height (cm) 1921
Discover mean male height data across 266+ countries. Compare rankings and explore historical trends with interactive maps.
Interactive Map
Complete Data Rankings
Rank | ||
|---|---|---|
1 | Iceland | 175.686 |
2 | Norway | 174.999 |
3 | Sweden | 174.749 |
4 | Netherlands | 174.14 |
5 | United States | 173.965 |
6 | Denmark | 173.45 |
7 | Estonia | 173.35 |
8 | Canada | 172.628 |
9 | Tonga | 172.244 |
10 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 172.225 |
11 | Slovakia | 171.755 |
12 | Austria | 171.713 |
13 | Australia | 171.646 |
14 | Latvia | 171.529 |
15 | Croatia | 171.489 |
16 | Czech Republic | 171.347 |
17 | Finland | 171.325 |
18 | Lithuania | 171.301 |
19 | French Polynesia | 171.095 |
20 | Luxembourg | 171.086 |
21 | Germany | 171.009 |
22 | Switzerland | 170.96 |
23 | New Zealand | 170.934 |
24 | Cook Islands | 170.905 |
25 | American Samoa | 170.87 |
26 | Serbia | 170.765 |
27 | Slovenia | 170.686 |
28 | United Kingdom | 170.601 |
29 | Fiji | 170.275 |
30 | Belarus | 170.135 |
31 | Ukraine | 170.112 |
32 | Hungary | 170.005 |
33 | North Macedonia | 170.001 |
34 | Belgium | 169.974 |
35 | Montenegro | 169.95 |
36 | Bulgaria | 169.948 |
37 | Ireland | 169.825 |
38 | Niue | 169.817 |
39 | Samoa | 169.605 |
40 | France | 169.353 |
41 | Tokelau | 169.205 |
42 | Barbados | 169.127 |
43 | Senegal | 168.971 |
44 | Georgia | 168.937 |
45 | Grenada | 168.865 |
46 | Russia | 168.815 |
47 | Dominica | 168.807 |
48 | Trinidad and Tobago | 168.412 |
49 | Kenya | 168.409 |
50 | Botswana | 168.074 |
51 | Poland | 167.785 |
52 | Seychelles | 167.678 |
53 | Jamaica | 167.554 |
54 | Romania | 167.519 |
55 | Uruguay | 167.399 |
56 | Mali | 167.376 |
57 | Chad | 167.302 |
58 | Italy | 167.1 |
59 | Zimbabwe | 166.986 |
60 | Albania | 166.952 |
61 | Kiribati | 166.873 |
62 | Republic of Moldova | 166.866 |
63 | Tuvalu | 166.847 |
64 | Israel | 166.782 |
65 | Saint Lucia | 166.758 |
66 | Tunisia | 166.747 |
67 | Cabo Verde | 166.739 |
68 | Namibia | 166.673 |
69 | Niger | 166.67 |
70 | South Africa | 166.662 |
71 | Azerbaijan | 166.651 |
72 | Andorra | 166.282 |
73 | Eritrea | 166.239 |
74 | Argentina | 166.204 |
75 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 166.156 |
76 | Suriname | 166.148 |
77 | Bahamas | 166.135 |
78 | Bermuda | 166.127 |
79 | Armenia | 166.113 |
80 | Antigua and Barbuda | 166.113 |
81 | Greece | 166.096 |
82 | Haiti | 166.088 |
83 | Micronesia (Fed. States of) | 166.054 |
84 | Cameroon | 166.034 |
85 | Turkmenistan | 166.029 |
86 | Algeria | 165.965 |
87 | Pakistan | 165.954 |
88 | Guinea | 165.937 |
89 | Libya | 165.936 |
90 | Nauru | 165.841 |
91 | Uzbekistan | 165.826 |
92 | Brazil | 165.743 |
93 | Burkina Faso | 165.728 |
94 | Tajikistan | 165.671 |
95 | Cyprus | 165.63 |
96 | Palau | 165.603 |
97 | State of Palestine | 165.576 |
98 | Kazakhstan | 165.569 |
99 | Uganda | 165.512 |
100 | Puerto Rico | 165.425 |
101 | Paraguay | 165.405 |
102 | Benin | 165.256 |
103 | Lebanon | 165.256 |
104 | Turkey | 165.242 |
105 | Guinea-Bissau | 165.225 |
106 | Zambia | 165.179 |
107 | Kuwait | 165.178 |
108 | Eswatini | 165.177 |
109 | Cรดte d'Ivoire | 165.165 |
110 | Gabon | 165.089 |
111 | Spain | 165.051 |
112 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 165.048 |
113 | Togo | 164.948 |
114 | Vanuatu | 164.836 |
115 | Cuba | 164.638 |
116 | Angola | 164.579 |
117 | Equatorial Guinea | 164.575 |
118 | Mauritania | 164.524 |
119 | Sao Tome and Principe | 164.515 |
120 | China | 164.498 |
121 | Congo | 164.42 |
122 | Taiwan | 164.418 |
123 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 164.391 |
124 | Guyana | 164.356 |
125 | Ghana | 164.333 |
126 | Marshall Islands | 164.26 |
127 | Burundi | 164.258 |
128 | Dominican Republic | 164.234 |
129 | Djibouti | 164.197 |
130 | Kyrgyzstan | 164.197 |
131 | Sudan | 164.178 |
132 | Somalia | 164.145 |
133 | Qatar | 164.132 |
134 | Ethiopia | 164.109 |
135 | Jordan | 164.04 |
136 | United Arab Emirates | 164.026 |
137 | Singapore | 164.025 |
138 | Syrian Arab Republic | 163.997 |
139 | Iraq | 163.997 |
140 | Venezuela | 163.996 |
141 | Egypt | 163.948 |
142 | Morocco | 163.931 |
143 | Chile | 163.849 |
144 | Malta | 163.827 |
145 | Tanzania | 163.791 |
146 | Central African Republic | 163.727 |
147 | North Korea | 163.485 |
148 | Nigeria | 163.334 |
149 | South Korea | 163.272 |
150 | Honduras | 163.192 |
151 | Rwanda | 163.172 |
152 | Lesotho | 163.168 |
153 | Iran | 163.138 |
154 | El Salvador | 163.062 |
155 | Sierra Leone | 163.02 |
156 | Gambia | 163.007 |
157 | Costa Rica | 162.942 |
158 | Saudi Arabia | 162.764 |
159 | Mauritius | 162.697 |
160 | Solomon Islands | 162.69 |
161 | Mongolia | 162.689 |
162 | Belize | 162.621 |
163 | Portugal | 162.417 |
164 | China, Hong Kong SAR | 162.275 |
165 | India | 162.188 |
166 | Afghanistan | 162.183 |
167 | Greenland | 162.166 |
168 | Malawi | 162.114 |
169 | Nicaragua | 162.037 |
170 | Comoros | 161.905 |
171 | Madagascar | 161.757 |
172 | Bhutan | 161.749 |
173 | Mozambique | 161.681 |
174 | Colombia | 161.603 |
175 | Bahrain | 161.554 |
176 | Panama | 161.54 |
177 | Mexico | 161.45 |
178 | Malaysia | 161.005 |
179 | Japan | 160.932 |
180 | Thailand | 160.898 |
181 | Liberia | 160.519 |
182 | Myanmar | 160.378 |
183 | Papua New Guinea | 160.365 |
184 | Bangladesh | 160.35 |
185 | Sri Lanka | 160.059 |
186 | Oman | 159.919 |
187 | Bolivia | 159.791 |
188 | Yemen | 159.719 |
189 | Ecuador | 158.913 |
190 | Brunei Darussalam | 158.836 |
191 | Guatemala | 158.6 |
192 | Vietnam | 158.512 |
193 | Nepal | 158.458 |
194 | Peru | 158.295 |
195 | Maldives | 158.12 |
196 | Cambodia | 158.02 |
197 | Philippines | 157.892 |
198 | Indonesia | 157.504 |
199 | Timor-Leste | 156.625 |
200 | Laos | 156.088 |
- #1
Iceland
- #2
Norway
- #3
Sweden
- #4
Netherlands
- #5
United States
- #6
Denmark
- #7
Estonia
- #8
Canada
- #9
Tonga
- #10
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.
- #200
Laos
- #199
Timor-Leste
- #198
Indonesia
- #197
Philippines
- #196
Cambodia
- #195
Maldives
- #194
Peru
- #193
Nepal
- #192
Vietnam
- #191
Guatemala
Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.
Analysis & Context
Overview of Global Male Height in 1921
The country with the highest recorded Mean Male Height (cm) in 1921 is Iceland at 175.69 cm, while the global range spans from a minimum of 156.09 cm in Laos to a maximum of 175.69 cm. The average male height across surveyed nations is 165.64 cm, with a median of 165.42 cm.
Geographic and Economic Influences on Male Height
The variations in male height across different countries can often be attributed to geographic and economic factors. For instance, countries like Iceland and the Netherlands, which rank among the tallest, benefit from high living standards, access to nutritious food, and robust healthcare systems. In contrast, nations at the lower end of the spectrum, such as Laos and Timor-Leste, face challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, and limited healthcare access, which directly impact growth and development. This correlation between economic status and height is supported by the fact that countries with higher GDP per capita tend to have taller populations.
Impact of Urbanization on Height Trends
Urbanization plays a significant role in shaping the average height of populations. Countries experiencing rapid urban growth often witness improvements in living conditions, which can contribute to increased height over time. For example, Turkey and Jordan, which have seen urbanization trends, report increases of 0.23 cm each in the average male height. Conversely, nations like India and Pakistan, which have not seen similar improvements, have recorded stagnant heights, reflecting a lack of significant growth in urban infrastructure and healthcare provisions.
Year-over-Year Changes and Notable Movers
In analyzing the year-over-year changes in male height, the average increase across the 200 countries surveyed was a modest 0.14 cm. However, notable increases were observed in Iran (+0.27 cm) and Algeria (+0.24 cm), indicating improvements in nutrition and health policies. These increases are reflective of broader trends in these countries towards enhancing food security and healthcare access. On the other hand, countries like Samoa, India, and Pakistan all recorded stagnant heights, indicating that despite global trends, certain regions continue to face barriers that prevent growth improvements.
Conclusion: Significance of Male Height Data
The data on Mean Male Height (cm) in 1921 offers a snapshot of the health and well-being of populations globally. Understanding the factors that influence height can provide insights into broader societal issues, including economic development, healthcare access, and nutritional standards. The disparities observed between countries highlight the impact of local conditions on physical development and underscore the importance of targeted policies to improve health outcomes. As nations continue to evolve, ongoing monitoring of these statistics will be crucial in understanding the dynamics of human growth and development.
Data Source
Our World in Data
Our World in Data is a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Oxford, who are the scientific editors of the website content; and the UK-based nonprofit organization Global Change Data Lab (GCDL), which publishes and maintains the website and the data tools that make our work possible.
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