Average Height in South Korea
Men 175.5 cm (5'9") · Women 163.2 cm (5'4"), at age 19 in 2019.
- Men, age 19, 2019
- 175.5 cm (5'9")
- Women, age 19, 2019
- 163.2 cm (5'4")
- Difference
- 12.3 cm
- Rank of 200, men / women
- 69 / 60
- Change since 1985, men / women
- +6.8 cm / +6.1 cm
- Source
- NCD-RisC, Lancet 2020 · CC BY 4.0
Compare with yourself
Both averages drawn to scale. Set the "You" figure to your own height in cm, metres or feet and inches.
Average height in South Korea
12.3 cm difference (4.8 in). Men, South Korea is taller than Women, South Korea.
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Stays in your browserAbout the figures for South Korea
In 2019, the average height of 19-year-old men in South Korea was 175.5 cm (5'9"), and of 19-year-old women 163.2 cm (5'4"), according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's pooled analysis of population studies.
That places South Korea 69 of 200 countries and territories for men and 60 of 200 for women. Men in South Korea are on average 12.3 cm taller than women.
Since 1985, the average for men has changed by +6.8 cm and for women by +6.1 cm. The 2019 estimates carry 95% uncertainty intervals of 174.9 cm to 176.1 cm for men and 162.6 cm to 163.8 cm for women.
These are modelled means for 19-year-olds, not for every adult: people who grew up in earlier decades were on average shorter at the same age, so the mean across all adults can differ. Half of any population is shorter than its mean and half taller. To see where one height falls, set the "You" figure above or use the height difference calculator.
Countries of similar height
The countries just above and below South Korea in the men's ranking.
- Iran175.6 cm (5'9") men · 161.2 cm (5'3") women
- Moldova175.6 cm (5'9") men · 163 cm (5'4") women
- Kazakhstan175.5 cm (5'9") men · 161.7 cm (5'4") women
- Tonga175.1 cm (5'9") men · 166.1 cm (5'5") women
- Algeria175 cm (5'9") men · 162.3 cm (5'4") women
- Kuwait175 cm (5'9") men · 160.1 cm (5'3") women
See every country on the average height by country table.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is the average man in South Korea?
The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old men in South Korea in 2019 is 175.5 cm (5'9"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 174.9 cm to 176.1 cm.
How tall is the average woman in South Korea?
The NCD-RisC estimate for 19-year-old women in South Korea in 2019 is 163.2 cm (5'4"), with a 95% uncertainty interval of 162.6 cm to 163.8 cm.
Has average height in South Korea changed since 1985?
Between 1985 and 2019 the estimated average for 19-year-old men changed by +6.8 cm and for women by +6.1 cm.
Where does South Korea rank for average height?
Among the 200 countries and territories in the dataset, South Korea ranks 69 for men and 60 for women, tallest first.
Source
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), Lancet 2020: "Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories", The Lancet 2020; 396: 1511–24, open access under CC BY 4.0. Data file NCD_RisC_Lancet_2020_height_child_adolescent_country.csv (dated 2026-03-30) from ncdrisc.org, imported 2026-09-20. Figures are the study's mean height at age 19 for 2019 and 1985, rounded to one decimal; the uncertainty intervals are the study's 95% intervals. Read how HeightViz handles sources on the methodology page.
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