Average Height for Men by Country: Global Data Compared (2026)
Why Height Matters in Dating
Height is one of the most filtered criteria on dating apps. A Bumble survey found that 60% of women set a minimum height filter, with most requiring a height of 6 feet or taller. But as we showed in What Percentage of Men Are Over 6 Feet?, only 14.5% of American men meet that threshold.
Understanding average heights by country puts your dating preferences in ga lobal context. Our Male Delusion Calculator and Female Delusion Calculator both include height as a key variable.
Top 20 Tallest Countries (Male Average Height)
Country |
Height (cm) |
Height (ft/in) |
|---|---|---|
Netherlands |
183.8 |
6’0.4″ |
Montenegro |
183.3 |
6’0.1″ |
Bosnia & Herzegovina |
183.9 |
6’0.4″ |
Denmark |
181.9 |
5’11.6″ |
Norway |
182.4 |
5’11.8″ |
Serbia |
182.0 |
5’11.7″ |
Germany |
181.0 |
5’11.3″ |
Croatia |
180.8 |
5’11.2″ |
Czech Republic |
180.3 |
5’11.0″ |
Sweden |
181.5 |
5’11.5″ |
Average Male Height in the United States
The average American man is 5 feet 9 inches (175.3 cm) according to CDC NHANES data. However, this varies significantly by ethnicity:
- White (non-Hispanic): 5’10” (177.4 cm)
- Black (non-Hispanic): 5’9.5″ (176.4 cm)
- Hispanic: 5’7″ (170.1 cm)
- Asian: 5’7″ (170.5 cm)
Average Height by US State
Height varies across the US by about 1.7 inches from tallest to the shortest state:
- Tallest: South Dakota (5’10.7″), Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska
- Shortest: Hawaii (5’9″), New Mexico, California, Texas
The tallest states correlate with Scandinavian and Northern European immigration patterns from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Height and the 6-6-6 Rule
The viral 6-6-6 dating rule requires a minimum of 6 feet. But even in the Netherlands (the world’s tallest country), only about 50% of men reach 6 feet. In the US, it is just 14.5%.
If you are filtering for 6 feet or taller on dating apps, you are eliminating 85% of men before even considering personality, income, education, or compatibility. Try the Male Delusion Calculator to see how height requirements affect your actual dating pool.
The Height Inflation Problem
While 14.5% of men are actually 6 feet or taller, 33% of men self-report being at least 6 feet on dating apps. This height inflation of 1-2 inches is rampant on platforms like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble where there is no verification.
This creates a feedback loop: women think 6-foot men are more common than they are, leading to higher height standards. For more on dating expectations vs. reality, see “Male vs. Female Dating Standards.”
