Ranking the Countries with the Shortest Average HeightWith an average height of 5 feet 3 inches for men and 4 feet 11.5 inches for women, Timor-Leste is the shortest country in the world.
A quick look at the rankings reveal that many of the shortest countries are found in Asia and Africa.
Rank Country Men Women
| Rank | Country | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 5′ 2.9″ (159.8 cm) | 4′ 11.5″ (151.2 cm) |
| 2 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 5′ 3.2″ (160.5 cm) | 4′ 11.6″ (151.3 cm) |
| 3 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 5′ 3.6″ (161.5 cm) | 4′ 11.5″ (151.2 cm) |
| 4 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 5′ 4.3″ (163.4 cm) | 4′ 10.8″ (149.4 cm) |
| 5 | 🇵🇠Philippines | 5′ 4.3″ (163.2 cm) | 4′ 10.9″ (149.6 cm) |
| 6 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 5′ 3.9″ (162.3 cm) | 4′ 11.4″ (150.9 cm) |
| 7 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 5′ 3.0″ (159.9 cm) | 5′ 0.6″ (154.0 cm) |
| 8 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 5′ 4.5″ (163.8 cm) | 4′ 11.4″ (150.8 cm) |
| 9 | 🇲🇠Marshall Islands | 5′ 4.1″ (162.8 cm) | 4′ 11.6″ (151.3 cm) |
| 10 | 🇰🇠Cambodia | 5′ 4.3″ (163.3 cm) | 5′ 0.2″ (152.9 cm) |
| 11 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 5′ 4.4″ (163.6 cm) | 5′ 0.2″ (152.8 cm) |
| 12 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 5′ 3.9″ (162.2 cm) | 5′ 0.8″ (154.4 cm) |
| 13 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 5′ 4.1″ (162.7 cm) | 5′ 2.5″ (158.7 cm) |
| 14 | 🇮🇳 India | 5′ 4.9″ (164.9 cm) | 5′ 0.1″ (152.6 cm) |
| 15 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 5′ 4.7″ (164.4 cm) | 5′ 0.5″ (153.6 cm) |
| 16 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 5′ 5.0″ (165.2 cm) | 5′ 0.2″ (152.9 cm) |
| 17 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 5′ 4.4″ (163.6 cm) | 5′ 1.0″ (154.9 cm) |
| 18 | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 5′ 4.6″ (164.1 cm) | 5′ 0.8″ (154.4 cm) |
| 19 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 5′ 4.9″ (164.8 cm) | 5′ 0.6″ (154.0 cm) |
| 20 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 5′ 5.1″ (165.3 cm) | 5′ 0.5″ (153.6 cm) |
Genetics plays a large role in determining an individual’s height, but nutrition and socioeconomic factors are also key influences.
Some studies have shown that when immigrant families move to higher income countries, better access to nutrition and healthcare can have substantial influence on the height of the next generation.
In fact, cross-referencing this dataset with countries with the highest food insecurity reveals several correlations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa: Madagascar, Rwanda, and Burundi to name a few.
Finally, a pregnant mother’s exposure to hazardous substances—like tobacco smoke—can also affect height. Looking through the countries with the highest smoking rates also results in several correlations—though it’s worth noting any one measure can’t be analyzed alone.
For example, the Balkan countries feature high up in smoking rates, but are also some of the tallest people in the world by average height.
