As most people know, average heights differ from country to country.
People tend to be taller in northern latitudes and short closer to
the equator. Genetics and nutrition play the most important roles in
determining height. Some countries saw a marked increase in average
height last century when food became abundant enough to feed the
population. In many of these countries, older people, who did not
have the benefit of better nutrition, are significantly shorter than
the younger generations.
The table below lists height for different countries and the
sources[ 1 ] for that data.
Significant digits are preserved from the source. In some cases a
height is accurate to .1 inches (or .1 cm) while in others it is
only accurate to 1 inch (or .1cm). Multiple studies for a country
might determine different heights because of the age group studied
or the year the study was conducted.
Country |
Men
(cm)
|
Women
(cm)
|
Source |
Australia |
5' 10" |
178 |
5' 4.6" |
164 |
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1995
|
Brazil |
5' 6.9" |
170.0 |
Not Avail. |
Pheasant 1996
|
China |
5' 6" |
168 |
5' 2" |
157 |
Times Online 2005
|
5' 6.6" |
169.1 |
5' 1.2" |
155.4 |
People Size
1998
|
France |
5' 7.7" |
171.9 |
5' 3.1" |
160.4 |
Rebiffe et al. 1981-82
|
Germany |
5' 8.2" |
173 |
5' 3.7" |
162 |
Deutsches institut fr
Normung 1986
|
Italy |
5' 8.0" |
172.8 |
5' 3.4" |
161.0 |
Masali, et al 1992
|
Japan |
5' 6" |
168 |
5' 1" |
155 |
Times Online 2005
|
5' 6.4" |
168.7 |
5' 1.3" |
155.8 |
People Size
1998
|
Netherlands |
5' 10.7" |
179.5 |
5' 5.0" |
165.0 |
Pheasant 1996
|
6' 1" |
185 |
5' 8" |
172 |
Times Online 2005
|
Sri Lanka |
5' 4.5" |
163.9 |
5' 0.0" |
152.3 |
Abeysekera & Shahnavas 1987
|
Sweden |
5' 8.5" |
174 |
5' 4.6" |
164 |
Pheasant 1996
|
United Kingdom[ 2 ]
|
5' 10" |
178 |
5' 4" |
163 |
Times Online 2005
|
5' 9.1" |
175.5 |
5' 3.8" |
162.0 |
People Size
1998
|
United States[ 3 ]
|
5' 10" |
178 |
5' 4" |
163 |
Times Online 2005
|
5' 9.3" |
176.0 |
5' 4.1" |
162.7 |
People Size
1998
|
Vietnam |
5' 3" |
160 |
4' 10" |
147 |
Times Online 2005 |