Average height of men by year of birth, 1896 to 1996
Mean height of adult men by year of birth. Data for the latest cohort (the year 1996) is therefore the mean height of men aged 18 in 2014.
Mean male height (cm) centimeters
Country/area | 1896 | 1996 | Absolute Change | Relative Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 161.16 cm | 165.26 cm | +4.09 cm | +3% |
Albania | 163.33 cm | 173.39 cm | +10.06 cm | +6% |
Algeria | 160.39 cm | 170.07 cm | +9.68 cm | +6% |
American Samoa | 169.72 cm | 176.05 cm | +6.33 cm | +4% |
Andorra | 163.39 cm | 176.06 cm | +12.67 cm | +8% |
Angola | 162.17 cm | 167.31 cm | +5.14 cm | +3% |
Antigua and Barbuda | 161.71 cm | 172.71 cm | +11.00 cm | +7% |
Argentina | 162.34 cm | 174.62 cm | +12.28 cm | +8% |
Armenia | 161.85 cm | 172.00 cm | +10.14 cm | +6% |
Australia | 168.95 cm | 179.20 cm | +10.26 cm | +6% |
Austria | 168.03 cm | 177.41 cm | +9.38 cm | +6% |
Azerbaijan | 161.67 cm | 169.75 cm | +8.08 cm | +5% |
Bahamas | 161.73 cm | 172.75 cm | +11.02 cm | +7% |
Bahrain | 156.71 cm | 167.74 cm | +11.03 cm | +7% |
Bangladesh | 158.58 cm | 163.81 cm | +5.23 cm | +3% |
Barbados | 164.85 cm | 175.92 cm | +11.06 cm | +7% |
Belarus | 167.73 cm | 178.44 cm | +10.71 cm | +6% |
Belgium | 167.20 cm | 181.70 cm | +14.50 cm | +9% |
Belize | 158.13 cm | 168.73 cm | +10.60 cm | +7% |
Benin | 162.51 cm | 167.06 cm | +4.54 cm | +3% |
Bermuda | 161.75 cm | 172.69 cm | +10.94 cm | +7% |
Bhutan | 161.27 cm | 165.31 cm | +4.04 cm | +3% |
Bolivia | 156.32 cm | 166.85 cm | +10.53 cm | +7% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 168.42 cm | 180.87 cm | +12.45 cm | +7% |
Botswana | 166.19 cm | 171.63 cm | +5.44 cm | +3% |
Brazil | 163.21 cm | 173.55 cm | +10.34 cm | +6% |
Brunei | 155.79 cm | 165.01 cm | +9.22 cm | +6% |
Bulgaria | 166.46 cm | 178.24 cm | +11.78 cm | +7% |
Burkina Faso | 163.49 cm | 169.33 cm | +5.83 cm | +4% |
Burundi | 161.59 cm | 166.64 cm | +5.05 cm | +3% |
Cambodia | 154.88 cm | 163.33 cm | +8.45 cm | +5% |
Cameroon | 163.51 cm | 167.82 cm | +4.32 cm | +3% |
Canada | 170.72 cm | 178.09 cm | +7.37 cm | +4% |
Cape Verde | 164.86 cm | 173.22 cm | +8.36 cm | +5% |
Central African Republic | 161.36 cm | 166.67 cm | +5.31 cm | +3% |
Chad | 164.89 cm | 170.44 cm | +5.54 cm | +3% |
Chile | 160.69 cm | 171.81 cm | +11.12 cm | +7% |
China | 160.97 cm | 171.83 cm | +10.85 cm | +7% |
Colombia | 157.30 cm | 169.50 cm | +12.19 cm | +8% |
Comoros | 159.72 cm | 166.19 cm | +6.47 cm | +4% |
Congo | 161.88 cm | 167.45 cm | +5.56 cm | +3% |
Cook Islands | 169.45 cm | 174.77 cm | +5.31 cm | +3% |
Costa Rica | 157.68 cm | 168.93 cm | +11.25 cm | +7% |
Cote d'Ivoire | 162.64 cm | 166.53 cm | +3.90 cm | +2% |
Croatia | 168.13 cm | 180.78 cm | +12.65 cm | +8% |
Cuba | 159.88 cm | 172.00 cm | +12.12 cm | +8% |
Cyprus | 162.73 cm | 174.99 cm | +12.26 cm | +8% |
Czechia | 168.00 cm | 180.10 cm | +12.10 cm | +7% |
Democratic Republic of Congo | 161.84 cm | 166.80 cm | +4.96 cm | +3% |
Denmark | 169.97 cm | 181.39 cm | +11.42 cm | +7% |
Djibouti | 161.51 cm | 166.57 cm | +5.07 cm | +3% |
Dominica | 164.47 cm | 176.31 cm | +11.85 cm | +7% |
Dominican Republic | 160.26 cm | 172.75 cm | +12.48 cm | +8% |
East Timor | 153.03 cm | 159.79 cm | +6.76 cm | +4% |
Ecuador | 155.63 cm | 167.08 cm | +11.45 cm | +7% |
Egypt | 158.64 cm | 166.68 cm | +8.05 cm | +5% |
El Salvador | 158.47 cm | 169.77 cm | +11.30 cm | +7% |
Equatorial Guinea | 162.12 cm | 167.36 cm | +5.24 cm | +3% |
Eritrea | 163.79 cm | 168.36 cm | +4.56 cm | +3% |
Estonia | 170.87 cm | 181.59 cm | +10.72 cm | +6% |
Eswatini | 163.22 cm | 168.13 cm | +4.91 cm | +3% |
Ethiopia | 161.28 cm | 166.23 cm | +4.95 cm | +3% |
Fiji | 168.60 cm | 173.90 cm | +5.30 cm | +3% |
Finland | 167.74 cm | 179.59 cm | +11.85 cm | +7% |
France | 166.41 cm | 179.74 cm | +13.33 cm | +8% |
French Polynesia | 170.04 cm | 177.41 cm | +7.37 cm | +4% |
Gabon | 162.68 cm | 167.94 cm | +5.25 cm | +3% |
Gambia | 160.71 cm | 165.40 cm | +4.69 cm | +3% |
Georgia | 164.41 cm | 174.34 cm | +9.93 cm | +6% |
Germany | 167.16 cm | 179.88 cm | +12.72 cm | +8% |
Ghana | 162.37 cm | 168.85 cm | +6.48 cm | +4% |
Greece | 162.52 cm | 177.32 cm | +14.80 cm | +9% |
Greenland | 159.46 cm | 174.87 cm | +15.40 cm | +10% |
Grenada | 164.52 cm | 176.97 cm | +12.44 cm | +8% |
Guatemala | 153.88 cm | 163.41 cm | +9.53 cm | +6% |
Guinea | 163.36 cm | 167.54 cm | +4.19 cm | +3% |
Guinea-Bissau | 162.85 cm | 167.90 cm | +5.05 cm | +3% |
Guyana | 159.91 cm | 170.21 cm | +10.30 cm | +6% |
Haiti | 161.69 cm | 172.64 cm | +10.94 cm | +7% |
Honduras | 158.37 cm | 166.39 cm | +8.02 cm | +5% |
Hong Kong | 159.71 cm | 173.61 cm | +13.90 cm | +9% |
Hungary | 166.31 cm | 177.26 cm | +10.95 cm | +7% |
Iceland | 170.54 cm | 180.49 cm | +9.95 cm | +6% |
India | 161.96 cm | 164.95 cm | +2.99 cm | +2% |
Indonesia | 154.65 cm | 163.55 cm | +8.91 cm | +6% |
Iran | 157.06 cm | 173.57 cm | +16.51 cm | +11% |
Iraq | 159.26 cm | 170.43 cm | +11.17 cm | +7% |
Ireland | 166.36 cm | 178.93 cm | +12.56 cm | +8% |
Israel | 163.40 cm | 176.86 cm | +13.46 cm | +8% |
Italy | 164.71 cm | 177.77 cm | +13.06 cm | +8% |
Jamaica | 163.06 cm | 174.53 cm | +11.47 cm | +7% |
Japan | 156.17 cm | 170.82 cm | +14.65 cm | +9% |
Jordan | 158.89 cm | 171.03 cm | +12.14 cm | +8% |
Kazakhstan | 161.23 cm | 171.14 cm | +9.91 cm | +6% |
Kenya | 165.72 cm | 169.64 cm | +3.92 cm | +2% |
Kiribati | 166.84 cm | 169.20 cm | +2.36 cm | +1% |
Kuwait | 160.51 cm | 172.07 cm | +11.56 cm | +7% |
Kyrgyzstan | 160.25 cm | 171.24 cm | +10.99 cm | +7% |
Laos | 152.88 cm | 160.52 cm | +7.63 cm | +5% |
Latvia | 169.38 cm | 181.42 cm | +12.04 cm | +7% |
Lebanon | 160.71 cm | 174.39 cm | +13.67 cm | +9% |
Lesotho | 161.32 cm | 165.59 cm | +4.27 cm | +3% |
Liberia | 158.67 cm | 163.66 cm | +4.99 cm | +3% |
Libya | 161.26 cm | 173.53 cm | +12.26 cm | +8% |
Lithuania | 168.93 cm | 179.03 cm | +10.10 cm | +6% |
Luxembourg | 167.33 cm | 177.86 cm | +10.53 cm | +6% |
Madagascar | 158.68 cm | 161.55 cm | +2.87 cm | +2% |
Malawi | 159.21 cm | 162.23 cm | +3.02 cm | +2% |
Malaysia | 157.57 cm | 167.88 cm | +10.31 cm | +7% |
Maldives | 155.83 cm | 167.68 cm | +11.85 cm | +8% |
Mali | 165.09 cm | 171.12 cm | +6.03 cm | +4% |
Malta | 161.89 cm | 173.32 cm | +11.43 cm | +7% |
Marshall Islands | 162.29 cm | 162.81 cm | +0.52 cm | +0% |
Mauritania | 161.52 cm | 163.28 cm | +1.76 cm | +1% |
Mauritius | 160.63 cm | 170.50 cm | +9.87 cm | +6% |
Mexico | 156.75 cm | 169.01 cm | +12.26 cm | +8% |
Micronesia (country) | 164.66 cm | 168.51 cm | +3.85 cm | +2% |
Moldova | 164.63 cm | 175.49 cm | +10.86 cm | +7% |
Mongolia | 159.10 cm | 169.07 cm | +9.97 cm | +6% |
Montenegro | 166.46 cm | 178.28 cm | +11.82 cm | +7% |
Morocco | 159.21 cm | 170.40 cm | +11.19 cm | +7% |
Mozambique | 159.12 cm | 164.80 cm | +5.68 cm | +4% |
Myanmar | 157.31 cm | 164.67 cm | +7.36 cm | +5% |
Namibia | 164.20 cm | 166.96 cm | +2.77 cm | +2% |
Nauru | 164.81 cm | 167.83 cm | +3.02 cm | +2% |
Nepal | 157.55 cm | 162.32 cm | +4.77 cm | +3% |
Netherlands | 169.43 cm | 182.54 cm | +13.10 cm | +8% |
New Zealand | 167.48 cm | 177.74 cm | +10.25 cm | +6% |
Nicaragua | 157.19 cm | 166.71 cm | +9.52 cm | +6% |
Niger | 163.90 cm | 167.68 cm | +3.78 cm | +2% |
Nigeria | 161.05 cm | 165.91 cm | +4.86 cm | +3% |
Niue | 168.60 cm | 175.83 cm | +7.23 cm | +4% |
North Korea | 160.58 cm | 171.99 cm | +11.42 cm | +7% |
North Macedonia | 166.51 cm | 178.33 cm | +11.82 cm | +7% |
Norway | 171.24 cm | 179.75 cm | +8.51 cm | +5% |
Oman | 155.75 cm | 169.16 cm | +13.40 cm | +9% |
Pakistan | 165.68 cm | 166.95 cm | +1.27 cm | +1% |
Palau | 164.14 cm | 167.69 cm | +3.55 cm | +2% |
Palestine | 160.86 cm | 172.09 cm | +11.23 cm | +7% |
Panama | 156.98 cm | 168.49 cm | +11.51 cm | +7% |
Papua New Guinea | 159.29 cm | 163.57 cm | +4.28 cm | +3% |
Paraguay | 162.04 cm | 172.83 cm | +10.79 cm | +7% |
Peru | 154.93 cm | 165.23 cm | +10.30 cm | +7% |
Philippines | 154.73 cm | 163.23 cm | +8.50 cm | +5% |
Poland | 163.66 cm | 177.33 cm | +13.66 cm | +8% |
Portugal | 158.96 cm | 172.93 cm | +13.97 cm | +9% |
Puerto Rico | 160.50 cm | 172.08 cm | +11.59 cm | +7% |
Qatar | 159.22 cm | 170.48 cm | +11.26 cm | +7% |
Romania | 163.82 cm | 174.74 cm | +10.92 cm | +7% |
Russia | 166.97 cm | 176.46 cm | +9.49 cm | +6% |
Rwanda | 159.95 cm | 162.68 cm | +2.73 cm | +2% |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 160.30 cm | 169.62 cm | +9.32 cm | +6% |
Saint Lucia | 162.01 cm | 171.95 cm | +9.94 cm | +6% |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 161.77 cm | 172.78 cm | +11.01 cm | +7% |
Samoa | 169.14 cm | 174.38 cm | +5.24 cm | +3% |
Sao Tome and Principe | 162.19 cm | 167.38 cm | +5.19 cm | +3% |
Saudi Arabia | 158.13 cm | 167.67 cm | +9.54 cm | +6% |
Senegal | 166.67 cm | 173.14 cm | +6.47 cm | +4% |
Serbia | 167.44 cm | 180.57 cm | +13.12 cm | +8% |
Seychelles | 165.48 cm | 174.22 cm | +8.74 cm | +5% |
Sierra Leone | 160.56 cm | 164.41 cm | +3.85 cm | +2% |
Singapore | 162.86 cm | 172.57 cm | +9.71 cm | +6% |
Slovakia | 168.34 cm | 179.50 cm | +11.16 cm | +7% |
Slovenia | 167.38 cm | 179.80 cm | +12.42 cm | +7% |
Solomon Islands | 160.85 cm | 164.14 cm | +3.30 cm | +2% |
Somalia | 161.45 cm | 166.60 cm | +5.15 cm | +3% |
South Africa | 165.26 cm | 166.68 cm | +1.42 cm | +1% |
South Korea | 159.75 cm | 174.92 cm | +15.17 cm | +9% |
Spain | 162.29 cm | 176.59 cm | +14.30 cm | +9% |
Sri Lanka | 156.92 cm | 165.69 cm | +8.77 cm | +6% |
Sudan | 161.51 cm | 166.63 cm | +5.13 cm | +3% |
Suriname | 161.72 cm | 172.72 cm | +11.01 cm | +7% |
Sweden | 171.90 cm | 179.74 cm | +7.84 cm | +5% |
Switzerland | 167.53 cm | 178.42 cm | +10.89 cm | +7% |
Syria | 159.24 cm | 170.43 cm | +11.19 cm | +7% |
Taiwan | 161.31 cm | 174.52 cm | +13.21 cm | +8% |
Tajikistan | 161.39 cm | 171.26 cm | +9.87 cm | +6% |
Tanzania | 160.79 cm | 164.80 cm | +4.01 cm | +2% |
Thailand | 158.46 cm | 169.16 cm | +10.71 cm | +7% |
Togo | 162.79 cm | 168.33 cm | +5.54 cm | +3% |
Tokelau | 168.15 cm | 175.26 cm | +7.11 cm | +4% |
Tonga | 170.41 cm | 176.76 cm | +6.35 cm | +4% |
Trinidad and Tobago | 163.90 cm | 173.74 cm | +9.84 cm | +6% |
Tunisia | 164.07 cm | 173.95 cm | +9.88 cm | +6% |
Turkey | 160.32 cm | 174.21 cm | +13.89 cm | +9% |
Turkmenistan | 161.70 cm | 171.97 cm | +10.27 cm | +6% |
Tuvalu | 165.36 cm | 169.64 cm | +4.28 cm | +3% |
Uganda | 162.18 cm | 165.62 cm | +3.45 cm | +2% |
Ukraine | 167.70 cm | 178.46 cm | +10.76 cm | +6% |
United Arab Emirates | 159.30 cm | 170.46 cm | +11.15 cm | +7% |
United Kingdom | 166.87 cm | 177.49 cm | +10.62 cm | +6% |
United States | 171.08 cm | 177.13 cm | +6.05 cm | +4% |
Uruguay | 163.81 cm | 173.43 cm | +9.62 cm | +6% |
Uzbekistan | 161.09 cm | 169.38 cm | +8.30 cm | +5% |
Vanuatu | 163.59 cm | 168.09 cm | +4.51 cm | +3% |
Venezuela | 159.96 cm | 171.59 cm | +11.63 cm | +7% |
Vietnam | 155.30 cm | 164.45 cm | +9.15 cm | +6% |
Yemen | 154.50 cm | 159.89 cm | +5.38 cm | +3% |
Zambia | 162.21 cm | 166.52 cm | +4.31 cm | +3% |
Zimbabwe | 164.78 cm | 168.59 cm | +3.81 cm | +2% |
Other | ||||
East Asia and Pacific | 161.41 cm | 169.21 cm | +7.80 cm | +5% |
Europe and Central Asia | 165.72 cm | 177.22 cm | +11.49 cm | +7% |
Latin America and Caribbean | 160.18 cm | 171.11 cm | +10.93 cm | +7% |
Middle East and North Africa | 159.55 cm | 170.51 cm | +10.97 cm | +7% |
North America | 167.85 cm | 175.97 cm | +8.12 cm | +5% |
South Asia | 159.87 cm | 165.24 cm | +5.37 cm | +3% |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 162.42 cm | 167.30 cm | +4.88 cm | +3% |
World | 162.48 cm | 171.28 cm | +8.80 cm | +5% |

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Related research and data
Charts
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