The 25 countries with the shortest populations, ranked

Bill Bostock,Mia Jankowicz,James LaForge Business 07 Apr, 2026 Americas

Some countries stand out for their short citizens. Scientists say environmental factors are a large factor.

Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Eduardo Villanueva wave the Philippine flag in front of a crowd in 2004. — Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Eduardo Villanueva wave the Philippine flag in 2004.
JAY DIRECTO/AFP via Getty Images

Height varies around the world, but some countries stand out for their generally short citizens.
Using medical data, Business Insider found the average heights of the 25 shortest countries.
Many African and Southeast Asian countries are represented on the list.

Worldwide, there's about a 20-centimeter, or 7.8-inch, difference in the average height of a child between the tallest and shortest countries, per a 2020 study reported in The Lancet.

In the Netherlands — ranked as having the tallest population of any country — the average man towers at 6 feet 0.36 inches (183.8 cm). But at the other end of the scale, the average height is considerably lower in many countries.

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a project run by Imperial College London, collected health metrics such as height and blood pressure from 1985 to 2019 in every country in the world. Results show that among the top 25 countries with the shortest people, the overwhelming majority were African or Southeast Asian.

Genetics is only part of the answer, Majid Ezzati, who runs the NCD study at Imperial College London, told BBC News in 2016.

"Genes don't change that fast and they don't vary that much across the world," he said. "So changes over time and variations across the world are largely environmental."

Environmental factors such as poor diet are likely part of the answer, the BBC reported, citing The Lancet analysis. Average heights in several nations, such as Japan, South Korea, and China, have increased in recent years, while in some sub-Saharan African nations, such as Uganda and Sierra Leone, they have decreased.

The NCD lists the mean heights for 19-year-old men and women in each country. Business Insider averaged these two figures to derive a rough idea of the typical height of a person in the country.

See the 25 countries with the shortest populations on average.

25. The average height in Sri Lanka is 5 feet 3.04 inches (160.12 cm).

Catholics in Mannar, Sri Lanka, pray at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu.
Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

The average man from Sri Lanka is 5 feet 5.23 inches (165.68 cm) tall.

The average woman from Sri Lanka is 5 feet 0.85 inches (154.56 cm) tall.

24. The average height in Honduras is 5 feet 3.03 inches (160.11 cm).

President Xiomara Castro smiles after receiving the presidential sash. — President Xiomara Castro smiles during her inauguration in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 2022.
Moises Castillo/AP Photo

The average man from Honduras is 5 feet 5.5 inches (166.39 cm) tall.

The average woman from Honduras is 5.056 inches (153.84 cm) tall.

23. The average height in Liberia is 5 feet 2.85 inches (159.66 cm).

Liberians waving with their arms up. — Liberians greet a convoy of members of the U.S. assessment team during a mission July 17, 2003 in Monrovia, Liberia.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

The average man from Liberia is 5 feet 4.43 inches (163.66 cm) tall.

The average woman from Liberia is 5 feet 1.28 inches (155.66 cm) tall.

22. The average height in Myanmar is 5 feet 2.8 inches (159.52 cm).

Customers (left) buy vegetables from sellers (right) at a local bazaar near Innlay Lake Friday, May 3, 2019, in southern Shan State, Myanmar. — Customers buy vegetables at a local bazaar near Innlay Lake Friday, May 3, 2019, in southern Shan State, Myanmar.
Thein Zaw/AP Photo

The average man from Myanmar is 5 feet 4.83 inches (164.67 cm) tall.

The average woman from Myanmar is 5 feet 0.77 inches (154.37 cm) tall.

21. The average height in Brunei is 5 feet 2.79 inches (159.49 cm).

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah d Ban — US President Bill Clinton with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Jerudong Polo Club, Brunei in 2000.
AP

The average man from Brunei is 5 feet 4.96 inches (165 cm) tall.

The average woman from Brunei is 5 feet 0.62 inches (153.98 cm) tall.

20. The average height in Bhutan is 5 feet 2.77 inches (159.46 cm).

Miss Bhutan 2022, Tashi Choden, stands in a patterned black evening dress and sash in front of a glittering gold backdrop on stage in during the preliminary round of the 71st Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. — Miss Bhutan Tashi Choden competes in the evening gown competition during the preliminary round of the 71st Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

The average man from Bhutan is 5 feet 5.07 inches (165.3 cm) tall.

The average woman from Bhutan is 5 feet 0.48 inches (153.62 cm) tall.

19. The average height in Mozambique is 5 feet 2.74 inches (159.37 cm).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources of Mozambique Carlos Alberto Fortes Mesquita shake hands in 2023. Lavrov, at 6 foot 2, is taller than Mesquita. — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources of Mozambique Carlos Alberto Fortes Mesquita shake hands in 2023.
Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP Photo

The average man from Mozambique is 5 feet 4.88 inches (164.79 cm) tall.

The average woman from Mozambique is 5 feet 0.61 inches (153.96 cm) tall.

18. The average height in Solomon Islands is 5 feet 2.7 inches (159.3 cm).

Players of the Solomon Islands men's national soccer team kneeling and standing for a photo. — Players of the Solomon Islands men's national soccer team line up ahead of a friendly match vs. St. Kitts and Nevis.
Robertus Pudyanto - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

The average man from the Solomon Islands is 5 feet 4.62 inches (164.14 cm) tall.

The average woman from the Solomon Islands is 5 feet 0.79 inches (154.41 cm) tall.

17. The average height in Papua New Guinea is 5 feet 2.68 inches (159.21 cm).

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape shakes hands with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. — Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape (L) with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R).
Tarso SARRAF/AFP via Getty Images

The average man from Papua New Guinea is 5 feet 4.39 inches (163.56 cm) tall.

The average woman from Papua New Guinea is 5 feet 0.97 inches (154.87 cm) tall.

16. The average height in Peru is 5 feet 2.63 inches (159.08 cm).

A line of Peruvian dancers in bowler hats, white scarves and blue skirts dance outdoors among a cloud of theatrical yellow dust as part of a pre-feast presentation in honor of Our Lady of Candelaria's upcoming feast day celebrations, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. — Dancers perform in a pre-feast presentation in honor of Our Lady of Candelaria's upcoming feast day celebrations, in Lima, Peru, in 2015.
Martin Mejia/AP Photo

The average man from Peru is 5 feet 5.05 inches (165.23 cm) tall.

The average woman from Peru is 5 feet 0.21 inches (152.93 cm) tall.

15. The average height in Vietnam is 5 feet 2.6 inches (159.01 cm).

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L) inspects a guard of honour with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on August 23, 2019. — Australia's former prime minister Scott Morrison (L) with Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on August 23, 2019.
NHAC NGUYEN/AFP via Getty Images

The average man from Vietnam is 5 feet 4.74 inches (164.44 cm) tall.

The average woman from Vietnam is 5 feet 0.46 inches (153.59 cm) tall.

14. The average height in India is 5 feet 2.5 inches (158.76 cm).

Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar looks on prior to the MCC and Rest of the World match at Lord's Cricket Ground on July 5, 2014 in London, England.
Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

The average man from India is 5 feet 4.93 inches (164.94 cm) tall.

The average woman from India is 5 feet 0.07 inches (152.58 cm) tall.

13. The average height in Rwanda is 5 feet 2.49 inches (158.73 cm).

Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda attends the session "The Transformation of Tomorrow" during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 20, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich — Rwanda's president Paul Kagame speaks during the annual meeting of the WEF in Davos in 2016.
REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

The average man from Rwanda is 5 feet 4.04 inches (162.67 cm) tall.

The average woman from Rwanda is 5 feet 2.49 inches (158.73 cm) tall.

12. The average height in Malawi is 5 feet 2.32 inches (158.31 cm).

People in Malawi cycling on a road with a tree in the background, in this Monday, May, 23, 2016 photo in the Machinga district,Malawi — Malawians ride their bicycles in this Monday, May, 23, 2016 photo in the Machinga district of Malawi.
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Photo

The average man from Malawi is 5 feet 3.86 inches (162.22 cm) tall.

The average woman from Malawi is 5 feet 0.78 inches (154.4 cm) tall.

11. The average height in Indonesia is 5 feet 2.27 inches (158.17 cm).

Muslim Indonesians walk towards Babussalam Mosque in West Java province, Indonesia, to offer Eid prayers.
Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The average man from Indonesia is 5 feet 4.39 inches (163.55 cm) tall.

The average woman from Indonesia is 5 feet 0.15 inches (152.79 cm) tall.

10. The average height in Cambodia is 5 feet 2.24 inches (158.11 cm).

Phnom Penh cambodia march — Workers march along a street to mark International Labour Day in Phnom Penh on May 1, 2019.
TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP via Getty Images

The average man from Cambodia is 5 feet 4.30 inches (163.32 cm) tall.

The average woman from Cambodia is 5 feet 0.19 inches (152.9 cm) tall.

9. The average height in Bangladesh is 5 feet 1.92 inches (157.29 cm).

A manA Bangladeshi roadside vendor, standing on a pile of boxes, shouts out to passersby holding fruits in his hand to attract their attention on an overcast day on the banks of the River Buriganga in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. — A Bangladeshi roadside vendor shouts out to people holding fruits in his hand to attract their attention on the banks of the River Buriganga in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
A.M. Ahad/AP Photo

The average man from Bangladesh is 5 feet 4.48 inches (163.8 cm) tall.

The average woman from Bangladesh is 4 feet 11.36 inches (150.78 cm) tall.

8. The average height in the Marshall Islands is 5 feet 1.83 inches (157.05 cm).

Mothers and children enjoy an afternoon game of volleyball on a beach in Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Nov. 9, 2015.
Rob Griffith, File/AP Photo

The average man from the Marshall Islands is 5 feet 4.09 inches (162.8 cm) tall.

The average woman from the Marshall Islands is 4 feet 11.56 inches (151.3 cm) tall.

7. The average height in Yemen is 5 feet 1.78 inches (156.92 cm).

People in Yemen march with a Yemeni flag. — Supporters of Yemen's Houthis movement participate in a rally held to mark the 11th anniversary of the military campaign launched by the Saudi-led coalition.
Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

The average man from Yemen is 5 feet 2.94 inches (159.88 cm) tall.

The average woman from Yemen is 5 feet 0.61 inches (153.97 cm) tall.

6. The average height in Nepal is 5 feet 1.64 inches (156.58 cm).

Outgoing President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, right, congratulates Nepal's newly elected president Ram Chandra Poudel, after he took the oath of office at the presidential building "Shital Niwas" in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 13, 2023.
Dipen Shrestha/AP Photo

The average man from Nepal is 5 feet 3.9 inches (162.31 cm) tall.

The average woman from Nepal is 4 feet 11.39 inches (150.86 cm) tall.

5. The average height in the Philippines is 5 feet 1.57 inches (156.41 cm).

Rico Hoey of the Philippines squatting with a putter. — Rico Hoey of the Philippines lines up a putt on the first green during the third round of the Texas Children's Houston Open 2026.
Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

The average man from the Philippines is 5 feet 4.25 inches (163.22 cm) tall.

The average woman from the Philippines is 4 feet 10.89 inches (149.6 cm) tall.

4. The average height in Guatemala is 5 feet 1.57 inches (156.39 cm).

A group of eight men talk in front of a building in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. — Men talk in front of a building in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
Anadolu/Getty Images

The average man from Guatemala is 5 feet 4.33 inches (163.4 cm) tall.

The average woman from Guatemala is 4 feet 10.81 inches (149.38 cm) tall.

3. The average height in Madagascar is 5 feet 1.56 inches (156.36 cm).

A crowd of people on a grassy hill against a cloudy sky wait for the arrival of Pope Francis on the occasion of his visit to the City of Friendship in Akamasoa, Madagascar, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. — People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis on the occasion of his visit to the City of Friendship in Akamasoa, Madagascar, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP Photo

The average man from Madagascar is 5 feet 3.6 inches (161.54 cm) tall.

The average woman from Madagascar is 4 feet 11.51 inches (151.18 cm) tall.

2. The average height in Laos is 5 feet 1.37 inches (155.89 cm).

Shoppers, some carrying goods in plastic bags, walk through a local market selling fresh goods under awnings in downtown Vientiane, Laos, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. — Shoppers walk through a local market in downtown Vientiane, Laos, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012.
Vincent Thian/AP Photo

The average man from Laos is 5 feet 3.19 inches (160.51 cm) tall.

The average woman from Laos is 4 feet 11.55 inches (151.26 cm) tall.

1. The average height in Timor-Leste is 5 feet 1.28 inches (155.47 cm).

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) talking to East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta in France. — France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) welcomes East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta in France.
Ludovic MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

The average man from Timor-Leste is 5 feet 2.9 inches (159.79 cm) tall.

The average woman from Timor-Leste is 4 feet 11.5 inches (151.15cm) tall.

Read the original article on Business Insider

#Business #Americas

Bill Bostock,Mia Jankowicz,James LaForge

Source: Business Insider

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