The 25 countries with the tallest populations, ranked

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 (R) poses after receiving from US actor Danny DeVito his lifetime achievement award at the annual German film and television award ceremony Golden Camera. — 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).

A traditional dancer from The Cook Islands wearing a necklace and outfit made of straw. — 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).

Daren Herbert on stage acting in The Wild Party, a musical — 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).

Polish soccer player Robert Lewandowski shooting a soccer ball. — Polish soccer player Robert Lewandowski is 6 feet 1 inch tall, about 2 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).

angela merkel — 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).

Magnus Carlsen looks up from the chess board during a match in 2021. — 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).

Tuomas Harjula, a Finnish biathlete and Olympian in action at a biathalon. — 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).

Danny John-Jules and Petula Langlais dressed up and holding wine at the inaugural Visionary Honours Awards in 2019 — “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).

Soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimović wears a white jersey and shorts on the soccer field and spreads his arms wide — Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović, a former soccer player, is 6 feet 5 inches tall.

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 walks next to Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L), pictured next to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, is shorter than 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).

Slavica Ecclestone and Bernie Ecclestone under a green-and-white umbrella at the British Grand Prix in 2008 — 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).

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 — 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).

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).

Wearing a black warm-up outfit Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte celebrates on the podium after winning the women's 50m breastroke final at the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships — 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).

Serbian Prime Minister and leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic wears a suit and gestures during a rally ahead of the 2016 election in Belgrade — 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. The Czech Republic’s mean height is 5 feet 8.74 inches (174.6 cm).

Madeleine Albright stands in front of a microphone in front of shelves of books in 2012 — 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).

Two fans in Bosnia and Herzegovina hats. — 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).

Athletes from Latvia make their entrance at the Summer Olympics. — 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).

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and fitness expert Natalie Eva Marie are dressed in costumes at the launch of Monster Energy’s new performance beverage REIGN Total Body Fuel in 2019 in New York City. — 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).

Mads Mikkelsen in a tuxedo at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival — 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).

Estonian athlete Rasmus Roosleht in midair during a pole vault. — 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).

Montenegro`s Mirko Vucinic (L) celebrates with Nikola Vukcevic and Fatos Baciraj (R) after scoring a goal during their Euro 2016 qualifying soccer match in Podgorica, Montenegro in 2015. — 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).

King Willem-Alexander in a suit and blue tie and Queen Maxima in a red dress with a sparkly dragonfly pin on her shoulder stand next to each other — 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).

Source:

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