Indonesia is home to some of the shortest people in the world:
THE SMALLEST people in the world have been revealed as coming from Indonesia where the average height for a man is just 1.58m (5ft 2in).
Though there are short people and tall people everywhere, Indonesia is home to some of the shortest people in the world, according to data compiled from various global sources by the Telegraph in 2017.
When taking both genders into account, the average adult is around 5 feet, 1.8 inches.
People in Bolivia don’t tend to be much taller, with an average adult height of 5 feet, 2.4 inches.
The tallest people among us live in the Netherlands, where the average adult height is 6 feet.
The smallest people in the world come from Indonesia, according to www.averageheight.co, where the men, on average are 1.58m.
In second place for the world’s smallest people is Bolivia where average height is 1.6m.
In the Philippines, which comes third on the list, the average male height is 1.619.
Also in the top 10 is Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Peru.
Interestingly, Indonesia has a fascinating history when it comes to small people.
Some 15,000 years ago diminutive humans that stood just 1m tall lived on the Indonesian island of Flores.
The report suggested that being small isn’t a natural genetic trait of Filipinos but a result of generations of maternal and child malnutrition.
At the far end of the height spectrum, the tallest people in the world come from the Netherlands.
Dutch men are, on average, as tall as 1.838m and the women are 1.71m.
According to military records, the average male height in the country has risen by 20cm in the last 150 years.A popular explanation is the dairy-rich diet of those living in the Netherlands. The national cuisine of the Netherlands is mainly dairy products, potatoes, seafood and meat.
Another reason has been identified as natural selection, with the most fertile men tending to be above average height.
The top 10 shortest countries
1. Indonesia – 1.58m
2. Bolivia – 1.6m
3. Philippines – 1.619m
4. Vietnam – 1.621m
5. Cambodia – 1.625m
6. Nepal – 1.63m
7. Ecuador – 1.635m
8. Sri Lanka – 1.636m
9. Nigeria – 1.638m
10. Peru – 1.64m
