Average Height
Average Height in North Korea
Men: 172.0 cm·Women: 159.0 cm
Men · 1996
172.0 cm
Women · 1996
159.0 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
160.6 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
149.1 cm
Men world rank:#83Women world rank:#94
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in North Korea rose from 160.6 cm to 172.0 cm — a gain of 11.4 cm over 100 years.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 160.6 | 149.1 | 11.5 |
| 1897 | 160.7 | 149.2 | 11.5 |
| 1898 | 160.8 | 149.4 | 11.4 |
| 1899 | 160.9 | 149.5 | 11.4 |
| 1900 | 161.1 | 149.6 | 11.5 |
| 1901 | 161.2 | 149.7 | 11.5 |
| 1902 | 161.3 | 149.9 | 11.4 |
| 1903 | 161.4 | 150.0 | 11.4 |
| 1904 | 161.5 | 150.1 | 11.4 |
| 1905 | 161.6 | 150.2 | 11.4 |
| 1906 | 161.8 | 150.4 | 11.4 |
| 1907 | 161.9 | 150.5 | 11.4 |
| 1908 | 162.0 | 150.6 | 11.4 |
| 1909 | 162.1 | 150.7 | 11.4 |
| 1910 | 162.2 | 150.8 | 11.4 |
| 1911 | 162.3 | 150.9 | 11.4 |
| 1912 | 162.5 | 151.0 | 11.5 |
| 1913 | 162.6 | 151.1 | 11.5 |
| 1914 | 162.7 | 151.3 | 11.4 |
| 1915 | 162.8 | 151.4 | 11.4 |
| 1916 | 162.9 | 151.5 | 11.4 |
| 1917 | 163.0 | 151.6 | 11.4 |
| 1918 | 163.2 | 151.7 | 11.5 |
| 1919 | 163.3 | 151.8 | 11.5 |
| 1920 | 163.4 | 152.0 | 11.4 |
| 1921 | 163.5 | 152.1 | 11.4 |
| 1922 | 163.6 | 152.2 | 11.4 |
| 1923 | 163.7 | 152.4 | 11.3 |
| 1924 | 163.8 | 152.5 | 11.3 |
| 1925 | 163.9 | 152.6 | 11.3 |
| 1926 | 164.0 | 152.8 | 11.2 |
| 1927 | 164.1 | 152.9 | 11.2 |
| 1928 | 164.2 | 153.1 | 11.1 |
| 1929 | 164.3 | 153.2 | 11.1 |
| 1930 | 164.4 | 153.4 | 11.0 |
| 1931 | 164.5 | 153.5 | 11.0 |
| 1932 | 164.6 | 153.7 | 10.9 |
| 1933 | 164.7 | 153.8 | 10.9 |
| 1934 | 164.8 | 154.0 | 10.8 |
| 1935 | 164.9 | 154.1 | 10.8 |
| 1936 | 165.0 | 154.2 | 10.8 |
| 1937 | 165.1 | 154.4 | 10.7 |
| 1938 | 165.2 | 154.5 | 10.7 |
| 1939 | 165.3 | 154.6 | 10.7 |
| 1940 | 165.4 | 154.7 | 10.7 |
| 1941 | 165.5 | 154.9 | 10.6 |
| 1942 | 165.6 | 155.0 | 10.6 |
| 1943 | 165.7 | 155.1 | 10.6 |
| 1944 | 165.8 | 155.2 | 10.6 |
| 1945 | 165.9 | 155.3 | 10.6 |
| 1946 | 166.1 | 155.4 | 10.7 |
| 1947 | 166.2 | 155.5 | 10.7 |
| 1948 | 166.3 | 155.7 | 10.6 |
| 1949 | 166.5 | 155.8 | 10.7 |
| 1950 | 166.6 | 155.9 | 10.7 |
| 1951 | 166.8 | 156.0 | 10.8 |
| 1952 | 166.9 | 156.1 | 10.8 |
| 1953 | 167.0 | 156.2 | 10.8 |
| 1954 | 167.2 | 156.3 | 10.9 |
| 1955 | 167.3 | 156.4 | 10.9 |
| 1956 | 167.5 | 156.4 | 11.1 |
| 1957 | 167.6 | 156.5 | 11.1 |
| 1958 | 167.7 | 156.6 | 11.1 |
| 1959 | 167.8 | 156.7 | 11.1 |
| 1960 | 168.0 | 156.7 | 11.3 |
| 1961 | 168.1 | 156.8 | 11.3 |
| 1962 | 168.2 | 156.9 | 11.3 |
| 1963 | 168.3 | 157.0 | 11.3 |
| 1964 | 168.4 | 157.0 | 11.4 |
| 1965 | 168.5 | 157.1 | 11.4 |
| 1966 | 168.6 | 157.1 | 11.5 |
| 1967 | 168.7 | 157.2 | 11.5 |
| 1968 | 168.8 | 157.2 | 11.6 |
| 1969 | 168.9 | 157.3 | 11.6 |
| 1970 | 169.0 | 157.4 | 11.6 |
| 1971 | 169.1 | 157.4 | 11.7 |
| 1972 | 169.2 | 157.5 | 11.7 |
| 1973 | 169.3 | 157.5 | 11.8 |
| 1974 | 169.4 | 157.6 | 11.8 |
| 1975 | 169.5 | 157.6 | 11.9 |
| 1976 | 169.7 | 157.7 | 12.0 |
| 1977 | 169.8 | 157.8 | 12.0 |
| 1978 | 169.9 | 157.8 | 12.1 |
| 1979 | 170.0 | 157.9 | 12.1 |
| 1980 | 170.2 | 157.9 | 12.3 |
| 1981 | 170.3 | 158.0 | 12.3 |
| 1982 | 170.4 | 158.1 | 12.3 |
| 1983 | 170.6 | 158.1 | 12.5 |
| 1984 | 170.7 | 158.2 | 12.5 |
| 1985 | 170.8 | 158.3 | 12.5 |
| 1986 | 170.9 | 158.3 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 171.0 | 158.4 | 12.6 |
| 1988 | 171.2 | 158.4 | 12.8 |
| 1989 | 171.3 | 158.5 | 12.8 |
| 1990 | 171.4 | 158.6 | 12.8 |
| 1991 | 171.5 | 158.6 | 12.9 |
| 1992 | 171.6 | 158.7 | 12.9 |
| 1993 | 171.7 | 158.8 | 12.9 |
| 1994 | 171.8 | 158.8 | 13.0 |
| 1995 | 171.9 | 158.9 | 13.0 |
| 1996 | 172.0 | 159.0 | 13.0 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from North Korea with known heights
An Yong-hak
182 cm · 6'0"
b. 1978
Han Kwang-song.
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1998
Hong Yong-jo
174 cm · 5'9"
b. 1982
Ji Yun-nam
176 cm · 5'9"
b. 1976
Jong Tae-se
181 cm · 5'11"
b. 1984
Pak Nam-chol
173 cm · 5'8"
b. 1985
Ri Jun-il
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1987
Ri Kwang-chon
183 cm · 6'0"
b. 1985
Ri Myong-guk
188 cm · 6'2"
b. 1986
Ryang Yong-gi
173 cm · 5'8"
b. 1982
Kim Jong-hun
175 cm · 5'9"
b. 1956
Kim Yong-jun
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1983
Heights from Wikidata (property P2048). Shown for published persons sorted by priority score.
Sources & methodology
Mean adult height by birth cohort, ages 20+. Figures are modelled from pooled population-representative surveys and measurement studies compiled by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and published via Our World in Data.
Cohorts are labelled by birth year, not by survey year. Reported heights reflect the adult height those cohorts reached, typically measured in their 20s or 30s.
License: CC BY 4.0. Last updated: 2026-04-21.