Germany is widely known to have tall people over the course of centuries. But what is the average height in Germany? Let’s find it out in this blog post HoodMWR.
As some of you might know, a lot of nations indicate increased development in height compared to a decade ago. Accordingly, this is specifically obvious among Iranian guys. For instance, these days, a guy from Iran at the age of 18 years old has an average height of 16.5 cm (approx. 6.5 inches) taller than his ancestors in 1914.
In South Korea, females today are 20.2 cm (approx. 7.9 inches) taller than their foremothers in previous days. And you know, the tallest guy all over the globe stands 8 feet 3 inches (approx. 251 cm. He comes from Turkey and is widely known as Sultan Kösen.
However, regardless of his dominant height, Sultan’s citizens are not on the list of nations with the tallest populations on average all over the world.
And you know, the difference in size between females and males has been more or less persistent at an average of 12 cm (approx. 4.7 inches) throughout the hundred years. Accordingly, equivalent increases in size are typically found in Spain and Italy. Having said that, Japanese, Finns, and Americans appear to have stabilized height.
So, what about German? What is the average height in Germany? Is there any size distinction between girls and boys in this country? Are Germans among the tallest or shortest people all over the world? To answer all of these questions, let’s delve into this article.
Key Takeaway
- The average height of Germans is 5 feet 8.06 inches (approx. 172.87 cm).
- The average height of German females is 5 feet 5.29 inches (approx. 165.86 cm).
- The average height of German males is 5 feet 10.8 inches (approx. 179.9 cm).
What Is The Average Height In The World?
Before getting to know the average height in Germany, let’s look into the average height of men in 15 countries all over the world. This way, you can easily compare this normal tallness, knowing if Germans are tall or short when compared to those regions.
But first, let’s see the key factors affecting these average heights. As you might imagine, the spectrum of average heights across the world is quite broad.
As a lot of you might all know, the spectrum of average heights all over the globe is relatively wide. Accordingly, Iranian guys have experienced the largest shift in size in the past 100 years, based on a study in 2016. In particular, these guys gained around 17 cm (approx. 6.7 inches) over the course of the century.
For those who don’t know, the scientists are a part of an international team of health researchers widely known as the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. According to these researchers, the two major elements affecting that spectrum in height include socioeconomic elements (for instance, a chance to have high-quality foods) and biological elements (for example, genetic predisposition).
If you’re curious about the average height in other countries besides Germany, check out this article on average men height in different countries. You could compare the average height of men and women across the world or even see how the average height for boys and girls changes as they grow older.
Average heights for men in 15 countries
Based on the figures 2016 from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, we have created a table that includes the average heights of guys who were born from 1918 to 1996. Generally speaking, the number might not be 100% exact, but you can count on it as it is done according to the investigation of hundreds of population-based researchers.
Nation | Average Height (in feet and inches / cm) |
The Netherlands | 5 feet 11.9 inches (or around 182.5 cm) |
Germany | 5 feet 10.8 inches (or around 179.9 cm) |
Australia | 5 feet 10.6 inches (or around 179.2 cm) |
Canada | 5 feet 10.1 inches (or around 178.1 cm) |
United Kingdom | 5 feet 9.9 inches (or around 177.5 cm) |
Jamaica | 5 feet 8.7 inches (or around 174.5 cm) |
Brazil | 5 feet 8.3 inches (or around 173.6 cm) |
Iran | 5 feet 8.3 inches (or around 173.6 cm) |
China | 5 feet 7.6 inches (171.8 cm) |
Japan | 5 feet 7.2 inches (or around 170.8 cm) |
Mexico | 5 feet 6.5 inches (or around 169 cm) |
Nigeria | 5 feet 5.3 inches (or around 165.9 cm) |
Peru | 5 feet 5 inches (or around 165.2 cm) |
India | 5 feet 4.9 inches (or around 164.9 cm) |
The Philippines | 5 feet 4.25 inches (or around 163.2 cm) |
Nations | Average height for females (in feet and inches / cm) |
The Netherlands | 5 feet 5.5 inches (or around 168.7 cm) |
German | 5 feet 5.29 inches (or around 165.86 cm) |
Barbados | 5 feet 4.2 inches (or around 165.5 cm) |
The United States | 5 feet 3 inches (or around 161.5 cm) |
China | 5 feet 2.4 inches (or around 159.8 cm) |
Iran | 5 feet 2.3 inches (or around 159.7 cm) |
Nigeria | 5 feet 1.3 inches (or around 156.4 cm) |
Guatemala | 4 feet 8.8 inches (or around 149 cm) |
Generally speaking, there are no global benchmarks for calculating and reporting average heights. Accordingly, some of the differences might be due to controlled vs. self-reporting calculations or due to the ages of participants who are documented. In addition, the differences might also be the consequence of the following factors:
- the percentage of the individuals calculated
- the year the calculations were taken
- Figures being averaged over the years
How Tall Are Germans Compared to Others?
As a lot of you might all know, the metric system is widely used in height measurement in almost all countries from over the world. Having said that, there are three nations that have been using the imperial system to calculate the height. And you know, those three countries include the United States of America, Myanmar, and Liberia. Therefore, you now know that the metric system is considered the most popular measurement system. Even so, we still give the average height of men in different countries in both imperial and metric systems.
To clarify, heights are calculated by feet and inches in the imperial system. On the other hand, heights are measured in centimeters and meters in the metric system. Generally speaking, these units of measurement are not difficult to convert between nations. Nevertheless, nations seem to stick together to keep coherence.
According to the previous table, you can see that the average height of German males is 5 feet 10.8 inches (approx. 179.9 cm). So, German guys are second only to the Netherlands in average height. For females, the average height in Germany is 5 feet 5.29 inches (165.86 cm). Accordingly, German women also rank the second tallest females all over the world, only after Dutch ladies.
Factors Affect the Average Height
So, as a lot of you might all know, chances are you will be tall if every member of your family is tall. In the end, this indicates that an individual’s height is mainly affected by gene makeup. Having said that, environmental elements are also considered a crucial factor affecting the process of height growth.
Basically, there are two key elements that influence overall height development and well-being. They are nutrition and a folk’s access to nutrient-rich whole foods, such as whole grains, dairy products, protein, veggies, and fruits.
According to WHO (widely known as The World Health Organization), undernourishment can have a significant effect on each and every nation all over the world. In addition, kids’ access to enough nutrition might also affect their overall body weight and height.
Besides, the amount of sleep folk has during their early ages and teen years might also affect the amount of HGH (standing for human growth hormone) that is discharged. As a result, it will influence the overall body mass and height as well. According to experts, even an individual’s position might create a change in height, particularly if they are hunched over from bending over.
Medical conditions lead to extreme height
For those who don’t know, the medical community has a term to call people who have extreme height, which is gigantism. Accordingly, there are a lot of various medical conditions that might result in gigantism.
Acromegaly is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder where the body generates a lot of growth hormone, resulting in tall stature. Pituitary tumors (adenoma) might lead to acromegaly. Tumors form on the pituitary gland and produce a large amount of growth hormone to be discharged. Some of them include the following:
- McCune-Albright syndrome (also known as MAS)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (typically known as MEN-1)
- Neurofibromatosis
- Carney complex
On the flip side, dwarfism is commonly known as the medical term indicating an extremely short height. Basically, there are more than 300 conditions that might lead to dwarfism, but most of them are due to genetics. For instance, as a few of you might know, achondroplasia is known as an inherited disorder influencing bone development. In particular, those with this condition might possess a normal-sized upper body. However, their arms and legs are typically shorter, and their overall stature is also short.
Other conditions linked to dwarfism might be:
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Intrauterine growth retardation
- Turner syndrome (Monosomy X)
- Hypothyroidism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average height of German men?u003c/strongu003e
German males, accordingly, are widely known as the second tallest individuals all over the world, just after the Dutch men. In particular, the average height of German males is 5 feet 10.8 inches (approx. 179.9 cm)
What is the average height of German women?u003c/strongu003e
In general, the average height of German females is 5 feet 5.29 inches (approx. 165.86 cm), which is also the second tallest height for women in the globe.
Are Germans taller or shorter than the British?
or those who don’t know, British folks are widely known as taller than French individuals. Having said that, when compared to German individuals, British folks are typically known as shorter than German people. In particular, the average height of the British people is around 5 feet 9 inches (approx. 175.26 cm), while Germans have a normal height of 5 feet 10.8 inches (approx. 179.9 cm).
Where are the tallest individuals in Germany?
Accordingly, the tallest folks in Germany have an average height of approx. 173 cm (or around 5 feet 8.11 inches). Accordingly, they are living in different areas in Germany, ranging from Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Hamburg.
How does Germany often calculate their height?
Generally speaking, height is typically measured in meters rather than centimeters or feet and inches. For instance, they often use 1,75 m rather than 175 cm or 5 feet 8.9 inches.