- Though height varies widely around the world, some countries tend to have taller citizens.
- Using medical data, Business Insider found the mean heights for the 25 tallest countries.
- The top 25 is dominated by European countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia.
Sultan Kösen, who hails from Turkey, is nearly 8 feet 3 inches tall and may be the tallest person on the planet. Brahim Takioullah, born in Morocco, is about 8 feet 1 inches tall, and Morteza Mehrzad, an Iranian volleyball player, is the same height.
Despite the impressive stature of these figures, none of their countries is 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 the typical height of a person 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). Despite its lackluster ranking, the US claims the title of the tallest person in recorded history, Robert Wadlow. Wadlow, who died in 1940, was born in Illinois and was about 8 feet 11 inches tall.
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).
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Athens. His height, wingspan and athletic ability earned him the nickname "The Greek Freak."
Patrick McDermott/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).
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito are longtime friends.
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).
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).
A traditional dancer from The Cook Islands. Located in the South Pacific, the islands aren't far from French Polynesia.
William WEST/AFP via GettyImages
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).
Born in Bermuda, dancer and actor Daren Herbert has appeared in Canadian and US 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).
Polish soccer player Robert Lewandowski is 6 feet 1 inches tall, about two inches taller than the average male height in Poland.
Quality Sport Images/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).
German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a press conference at the Chancellery on May 20, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
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).
Magnus Carlsen in 2021.
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).
Tuomas Harjula, a Finnish biathlete and Olympian, is just under the mean Finnish male height at 5 feet 10 inches.
Kevin Voigt/Getty Images
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" actor Danny John-Jules, pictured with Petula Langlais, was born in London and is of Dominican descent.
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).
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).
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L), pictured next to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, is short compared to Ukraine's male mean height. Zelenskyy is 5 feet 7 inches.
Javier SORIANOa/AFP via GettyImages
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 model Slavica Ecclestone, pictured with her former 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).
Slovakia's Petra Vlhova celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's parallel slalom World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Sergio Bisi)
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).
Born and raised in Slovenia, Melania Trump is 5 feet 11 inches tall.
Variety/Variety via Getty Images
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).
An Olympic gold medal winner, Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte has broken several swimming records.
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).
Aleksandar Vucic wears a suit and gestures during a rally ahead of the 2016 election in Belgrade
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. The 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).
Fans of Bosnia and Herzegovina support their team during the 24th Men's Handball World Championships.
Mohamed Farag/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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).
Latvia.
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).
"Game of Thrones" actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, pictured with fitness expert Natalie Eva Marie, was born in Reykjavík, Iceland and is a few inches shy of 7 feet tall.
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).
Mads Mikkelsen at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
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).
Estonian athlete Rasmus Roosleht competes in the men's heptathlon pole vault event during the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Andrej ISAKOVIC/AFP via 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).
Members of Montenegro`s soccer team during a qualifying match for the 2016 European Championship.
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' 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).
The post The 25 countries with the tallest populations, ranked appeared first on Business Insider
