The countries with the tallest people in the world, ranked

Sultan Kösen poses next to two children in 2024.

Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images

Height varies widely around the world, but some countries tend to have taller citizens.
Using medical data, Business Insider found the mean heights for the 25 tallest countries.
Many European countries made the list, including Germany, Poland, and Croatia

Sultan Kösen, who hails from Turkey, is nearly 8 feet 3 inches tall and may be the tallest person on the planet.

Despite his impressive stature, his country isn’t among those with the tallest people, according to the medical database from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration.

From 1985 to 2019, the project collected height, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other health metrics from over 2,500 population surveys across 193 countries.

The NCD lists the mean heights for 19-year-old men and women in each country. Averaging these two figures gives a rough idea of how tall the typical person is in the country.

Notably, the US isn’t on the list. It ranked 58th for women, at 5 feet 4.29 inches (163.3 cm), and 47th for men at 5 feet 9.65 inches (176.9 cm).

These are the 25 countries that (literally) came out on top.

25. Greece’s mean height is 5 feet 7.93 inches (172.55 cm).
John Aniston, an actor and the late father of Jennifer Aniston, was born on the island of Crete in Greece.

Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The mean height for men from Greece is 5 feet 10.59 inches (179.3 cm).

The mean height for women from Greece is 5 feet 5.28 inches (165.8 cm).

24. Austria’s mean height is 5 feet 7.99 inches (172.7 cm).
Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s about 6 feet 2 inches tall, starred alongside Danny DeVito in the 1988 movie “Twins.”

CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Austria is 5 feet 10.28 inches (178.5 cm).

The mean height for women from Austria is 5 feet 5.71 inches (166.9 cm).

22. Belarus’ mean height is 5 feet 8.03 inches (172.8 cm).
The 6-foot Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka used her height to her advantage on the court.

THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images

The mean height for men from Belarus is 5 feet 10.35 inches (178.7 cm).

The mean height for women from Belarus is 5 feet 5.71 inches (166.9 cm).

22. Cook Islands’ mean height is 5 feet 8.03 inches (172.8 cm).
The Cook Islands, located in the South Pacific, aren’t far from French Polynesia.

iStock via Getty Images Plus

The mean height for men from the Cook Islands is 5 feet 10.19 inches (178.3 cm).

The mean height for women from the Cook Islands is 5 feet 5.87 inches (167.3 cm).

21. Bermuda’s mean height is 5 feet 8.07 inches (172.9 cm).
Bermuda-born actor and dancer Daren Herbert has appeared in many TV shows and movies.

Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images

The mean height for men from Bermuda is 5 feet 10.75 inches (179.7 cm).

The mean height for women from Bermuda is 5 feet 5.39 inches (166.1 cm).

19. Poland’s mean height is 5 feet 8.21 inches (173.25 cm).
In the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, singer Blanka, center, represented Poland.

Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Poland is 5 feet 11.14 inches (180.7 cm).

The mean height for women from Poland is 5 feet 5.28 inches (165.8 cm).

19. Germany’s mean height is 5 feet 8.21 inches (173.25 cm).
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel is a similar height to many other women in her country.

Omer Messinger-Pool/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Germany is 5 feet 10.98 inches (180.3 cm).

The mean height for women from Germany is 5 feet 5.43 inches (166.2 cm).

18. Norway’s mean height is 5 feet 8.29 inches (173.45 cm).
Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen adds a bit to his height when he styles his hair a certain way.

Jon Gambrell/AP Images

The mean height for men from Norway is 5 feet 11.06 inches (180.5 cm).

The mean height for women from Norway is 5 feet 5.51 inches (166.4 cm).

16. Finland’s mean height is 5 feet 8.33 inches (173.55 cm).
A man holds a Finnish flag.

Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/Reuters

The mean height for men from Finland is 5 feet 11.1 inches (180.6 cm).

The mean height for women from Finland is 5 feet 5.55 inches (166.5 cm).

16. Dominica’s mean height is 5 feet 8.33 inches (173.55 cm).
“Death in Paradise” star Danny John-Jules, pictured with Petula Langlais, was born in London and both his parents are from Dominica.

Dave Benett/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Dominica is 5 feet 10.94 inches (180.2 cm).

The mean height for women from Dominica is 5 feet 5.71 inches (166.9 cm).

 

 

 

15. Sweden’s mean height is 5 feet 8.35 inches (173.6 cm).
Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović, a former soccer player, is 6 feet 5 inches tall. Shaun Clark/Getty Images

Shaun Clark/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Sweden is 5 feet 11.06 inches (180.5 cm).

The mean height for women from Sweden is 5 feet 5.63 inches (166.7 cm).

 

 

 

13. Ukraine’s mean height is 5 feet 8.43 inches (173.8 cm).
“Dancing with the Stars” alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy, pictured with Peta Murgatroyd, moved to the US from Ukraine as a teen.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Ukraine is 5 feet 11.26 inches (181 cm).

The mean height for women from Ukraine is 5 feet 5.59 inches (166.6 cm).

13. Croatia’s mean height is 5 feet 8.43 inches (173.8 cm).
Croatian former model Slavica Ecclestone, pictured with her ex-husband, Bernie Ecclestone, is toweringly tall.

Crispin Thruston/Action Images via Reuters

The mean height for men from Croatia is 5 feet 11.18 inches (180.8 cm).

The mean height for women from Croatia is 5 feet 5.67 inches (166.8 cm).

12. Slovakia’s mean height is 5 feet 8.52 inches (174.05 cm).
Petra Vlhová, Slovakia’s first alpine skier to win an Olympic medal, is nearly 6 feet tall.

AP Photo/Sergio Bisi

The mean height for men from Slovakia is 5 feet 11.26 inches (181 cm).

The mean height for women from Slovakia is 5 feet 5.79 inches (167.1 cm).

11. Slovenia’s mean height is 5 feet 8.54 inches (174.1 cm).
Slovenia’s president, Nataša Pirc Musar, poses with Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani.

REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

The mean height for men from Slovenia is 5 feet 11.26 inches (181 cm).

The mean height for women from Slovenia is 5 feet 5.83 inches (167.2 cm).

10. Lithuania’s mean height is 5 feet 8.56 inches (174.15 cm).
Rūta Meilutytė has broken several swimming records and won an Olympic gold medal for Lithuania.

REUTERS/Issei Kato

The mean height for men from Lithuania is 5 feet 11.14 inches (180.7 cm).

The mean height for women from Lithuania is 5 feet 5.98 inches (167.6 cm).

9. Serbia’s mean height is 5 feet 8.7 inches (174.5 cm).
Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, is well over 6 feet tall.

REUTERS/Marko Djurica

The mean height for men from Serbia is 5 feet 11.14 inches (180.7 cm).

The mean height for women from Serbia is 5 feet 6.26 inches (168.3 cm).

8. Czech Republic’s mean height is 5 feet 8.74 inches (174.6 cm).
Born in Prague in what is now the Czech Republic, the late Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as the US Secretary of State.

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The mean height for men from the Czech Republic is 5 feet 11.34 inches (181.2 cm).

The mean height for women from the Czech Republic is 5 feet 6.14 inches (168 cm).

6. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mean height is 5 feet 8.9 inches (175 cm).
Athletes from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The mean height for men from Bosnia & Herzegovina is 5 feet 11.85 inches (182.5 cm).

The mean height for women from Bosnia & Herzegovina is 5 feet 5.94 inches (167.5 cm).

6. Latvia’s mean height is 5 feet 8.9 inches (175 cm).
Latvian athletes make their entrance at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Hannah McKay/Pool Photo via AP

The mean height for men from Latvia is 5 feet 11.34 inches (181.2 cm).

The mean height for women from Latvia is 5 feet 6.46 inches (168.8 cm).

5. Iceland’s mean height is 5 feet 9.09 inches (175.5 cm).
A few inches shy of 7 feet, “Game of Thrones” actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, pictured with professional wrestler Natalie Eva Marie, was born in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Brian Ach/Getty Images for REIGN Total Body Fuel

The mean height for men from Iceland is 5 feet 11.69 inches (182.1 cm).

The mean height for women from Iceland is 5 feet 6.5 inches (168.9 cm).

4. Denmark’s mean height is 5 feet 9.17 inches (175.7 cm).
Trained as a gymnast, Mads Mikkelsen began his acting career in his native Denmark.

Joel C. Ryan/AP

The mean height for men from Denmark is 5 feet 11.61 inches (181.9 cm).

The mean height for women from Denmark is 5 feet 6.73 inches (169.5 cm).

3. Estonia’s mean height is 5 feet 9.19 inches (175.75 cm).
Miss Estonia Jana Tafenau performs at the 2002 Miss Universe pageant.

Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images

The mean height for men from Estonia is 5 feet 11.97 inches (182.8 cm).

The mean height for women from Estonia is 5 feet 6.42 inches (168.7 cm).

2. Montenegro’s mean height is 5 feet 9.55 inches (176.65 cm).
Montenegro`s soccer team competes during the Euro 2016 qualifying soccer match.

REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic

The mean height for men from Montenegro is 6 feet 0.17 inches (183.3 cm).

The mean height for women from Montenegro is 5 feet 6.93 inches (170 cm).

 

 

1. The Netherlands’s mean height is 5 feet 9.72 inches (177.1 cm).
The Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are typical heights for their country.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

The mean height for men from the Netherlands is 6 feet 0.36 inches (183.8 cm).

The mean height for women from the Netherlands is 5 feet 7.09 inches (170.4 cm).

A note on mean versus average heights: Using mean heights instead of averages gives a sense of which countries have the most people who are tall. For example, many Icelandic men are 5 feet 11 inches. 

The list would look different ranked by average heights. The Federal Statistical Office of Germany calculates heights by average, for example, and the results would bump the country up several spots in the rankings. 

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated on December 18, 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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