Which countries have the tallest men and women in the world?
Netherlands and Belgium top the charts for men, while Latvia and Estonia hit the heights for women

The Netherlands has the tallest men in the world while the tallest women can be found in Latvia, according to the largest ever study of global height.
Scientists from Imperial College London, using data from most countries in the world, tracked height among young adult men and women between 1914 and 2014.
They found Dutch men had an average height of 5ft 12in while the average Latvian woman was 5ft 7in tall.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The second-tallest men were in Belgium, followed by Estonia, Latvia, Denmark and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the women's side, Latvia was followed by the Netherlands, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Serbia.
Among other findings published in the journal eLife, the height of men and women in the UK was found to have increased by roughly 4.3in over the past century. By comparison, the height of men and women in the US increased by 2.4in and 2in, while the height of Chinese men and women increased by around 4.3in and 4in.
Lead researcher Professor Majid Ezzati said the study showed the importance of child nutrition.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"This study confirms we urgently need to address children and adolescents' environment and nutrition on a global scale and ensure we're giving the world's children the best possible start in life," he said.
"Our study also shows the English-speaking world, especially the USA, is falling behind other high-income nations in Europe and Asia Pacific.
"Together with the poor performance of these countries in terms of obesity, this emphasises the need for more effective policies towards healthy nutrition throughout life."
Here are the top ten countries with the tallest men:
1 Netherlands
2 Belgium
3 Estonia
4 Latvia
5 Denmark
6 Bosnia and Herzegovina
7 Croatia
8 Serbia
9 Iceland
10 Czech Republic
And the top ten countries with the tallest women:
1 Latvia
2 Netherlands
3 Estonia
4 Czech Republic
5 Serbia
6 Slovakia
7 Denmark
8 Lithuania
9 Belarus
10 Ukraine
-
Alchemised: how Harry Potter fanfic went mainstream
In The Spotlight Traditional publishers are signing up fan fiction authors to rewrite their ‘explosively popular’ romances for the mass market
-
Sudoku hard: October 6, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Crossword: October 6, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policy
speed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago