Have you ever questioned why people from certain countries like Europe have such an admirable height while others are quite moderate? What country has the shortest height in the world? What can you do to upgrade your height despite your parents’ short stature?
Continue reading to find out more!
The average height across ethnic groups and geological locations varies significantly, mostly due to heritability [1]. Specifically, most European and American populations possess a higher average height compared to Asian and African.
However, the world’s stature spectrum is also heavily affected by other external factors, namely nutrition, socioeconomic conditions, and environmental surroundings.
Take the Netherlands as an example, due to wise investments in nutrition and wellbeing, the rise from one of the shortest countries in the mid-1800s to the tallest country in the world. Statistics from World Population Review in 2024 state that the average height of Dutchmen is around 6 ft. (183.78 cm) while women are 5 ft. 7 inches (170.36 cm) [2].
Another case study worth inspecting is the average height ranking of Americans. The country whose average height used to rank first now dropped to the 37th position in the 20th century and is expected to decrease. Experts believe that nutrition and healthcare conditions are hypothetically two factors responsible for this dramatic change [3].
Belonging to the Southeast Asia region, Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor is a culture-diverse island located 400 km North of Australia, between the Java islands on the East and New Guinea on the West.
The picturesque island of Timor-Leste is also the country with the shortest height in the world. Specifically, the mean height for Timor-Leste men falls around 5ft. 3 inches (160.13 cm), and for women is 5 ft. (152.71 cm). Compared to the Netherlands, the world’s tallest nation, the average height of East Timor is 9 inches apart.
The average height of the East Timor population has fluctuated through time since 1896. Notably, during the 1960s, the highest recorded average height is 5 ft. 33 inches; however, this figure soonly declined to 5 ft. in the following decades.
For those curious, take a look at other names on the list of the world’s shortest nations!
Also on the map of Southeast Asia countries, Laos is a landlocked nation sharing the same border with Thailand on the North East and Vietnam on the West. Most of us may have heard of its breathtaking waterfalls and mountains together with the kind-hearted people.
As far as the population’s average height is concerned, Laos is the second shortest country in the world. The mean height of Laos men and women is quite humble, at 5 ft. 4 inches (162.78 cm) and 5 ft. (153.1 cm), respectively.
The third place belongs to the Solomon Islands, situated in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Estimatedly, women on this island have an average height of 5ft. 2 inches (156.79 cm), whereas men are slightly taller, at 5 ft. 4 inches (163.07).
The Solomon Islands attracts millions of tourists each year with its prosperous biodiversity: thousands of flora and fauna species.
Not too far from the Solomon Islands, only calling for a two-hour flight, Papua New Guinea comes in fourth with a median height of 5 ft. 4 inches (163.1 cm) for men and 5 ft. 2 inches (156.89 cm) for women.
Ranked fifth on the chart is Mozambique. This African nation is bordered by the Indian Ocean in the East, Zimbabwe in the West, Tanzania in the North, and South Africa in the South. On average, Mozambique men have a modest height of 5ft. 5 inches (164.3 cm), whereas women are 5 ft. 1 inch (155.42 cm) tall.
Primarily located in the Himalayas, Nepal is a South Asian country with a population of 31.26 million people. As reported by World Population Review 2024, Nepal’s population earns the sixth place on the list of the world’s shortest nations with 5 ft. 5 inches (164.36 cm) tall for men, and 5 ft. (152.39 cm) tall for women.
Guatemala, deeply rooted in the Mayan heritage, is located in the Central American region. In this vibrant country, adult men are around 5 ft. 5 inches (164.36 cm), similar to Nepal’s males, whereas women are only 4 ft. 11 inches (150.91 cm).
The 8th place is granted to Yemen, a historical nation surrounded by the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Statistically, Yemen males are 5 ft. 5 inches (164.42 cm), while females are around 5 ft. 1 inch (154, 76 cm) tall.
Lied in South Asia, Bangladesh inherited the signature warm and humid weather together with colorful sceneries of tropical lands. The average height of Bangladeshis comes in 9th place, at 5 ft. 5 inches (165.08 cm) for mature males and 5ft. (152.38 cm) for females.
The last candidate on the list of the 10 shortest countries in the world is Madagascar. Laid in the Indian Ocean off the Southeastern coast of Africa, Madagascar is gifted with a wealth of natural resources such as mineral mines, tourism potential, and so on. Men from Madagascar are usually 5 ft. 5 inches (165.16 cm), whereas women are 5ft. (153.06 cm) in height.
Many people assume that parents with short stature will make their kids short as well, and there is nothing you can do to break that cycle. However, scientists have proven that other factors like nutrition, exercise, and living conditions can help.
So, we suggest kids and teens follow these tips to unlock your optimal adult height:
The country with the shortest height in the world is Timor-Leste. Other countries listed above also come from developing regions like Southeast Asia and Africa, where the well-being of people is quite limited. Despite the vital role of DNA in their tall frame, we need to consider other external elements such as nutrition and environmental conditions.
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References
[1] Mittal, M., Gupta, P., Kalra, S., Bantwal, G., & Garg, M. K. (2021a). Short stature: Understanding the stature of ethnicity in height determination. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8923322/
[2] Average height by country 2024. (n.d.). https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-height-by-country
[3] BE;, K. J. (n.d.). The mysterious trend in American Heights in the 20th Century. Annals of human biology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17558591/
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