• Height varies a lot around the world – and some countries have a definite lead.
  • Using medical data, INSIDER calculated average height figures for the 25 tallest countries – which skews heavily towards nations in Europe.
  • Scroll down to see the nations with the tallest people on earth.
  • Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.

The world’s tallest man clocks in at 251cm (8 feet 3 inches) and he’s called Sultan Kösen, from Turkey.

But despite his commanding size, his compatriots don’t quite make the list of countries with the tallest people on average.

INSIDER used average height data from a medical database run by NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a project linked to Imperial College London.

It lists separate figures for male and female height in each country – we took an average of these two figures to give a rough idea of how tall the average person is in the country, and also listed the separate male and female figures.

Scroll down to see the 25 countries which (literally) came out on top.

25. New Zealand — 171.34cm (5 feet 7.45 inches)

Foto: New Zealander and Oklahoma Thunder basketball player Steven Adams is 213cm tall.sourceGetty Images

An average person from New Zealand is 171.34cm (5 feet 7.45 inches) tall on average.

The average Kiwi man is 177.73cm (5 feet 9.97 inches) tall, while the average woman is 164.94cm (5 feet 4.93 inches) tall.

24. Bulgaria — 171.52cm (5 feet 7.52 inches)

Foto: Bulgarian tennis pro Grigor Dimitrov is 190cm tall.sourceJulian Finney/Getty Images

An average Bulgarian is 171.52cm (5 feet 7.52 inches) tall.

A Bulgarian man is 178.24cm (5 feet 10.17 inches) tall on average.

A Bulgarian woman is 164.79cm (5 feet 4.88 inches) tall on average.

22. Montenegro —171.56cm (5 feet 7.54 inches)

Foto: Montenegrin Nikola Peković played basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and is 6 foot 11 inches tall.sourceYouTube/CaineLovesCali

An average Montenegrins is 171.56cm (5 feet 7.54 inches) tall.

Men in Montenegro are on average 178.27cm (5 feet 10.18 inches) tall.

Women in Montenegro are on average 164.85cm (5 feet 4.90 inches) tall.

22. Ireland — 172.02cm (5 feet 7.72 inches)

Foto: Irishman and former One Direction singer Niall Horan is 173cm tall.sourceCraSH/imageSPACE / MediaPunch/AP

The average Irish person is 172.02cm (5 feet 7.72 inches) tall.

The average Irishman is 178.92cm (5 feet 10.44 inches) tall.

The average Irishwoman is 165.11cm (5 feet 5 inches) tall.

21. France — 172.31cm (5 feet 7.83 inches)

Foto: WWF star Andre the Giant was 224cm (7 foot 5 inches) tall.sourceEKavet, Flickr

The average person in France is 172.31cm (5 feet 7.83 inches) tall.

The average French man is 179.73cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.

The average French woman is 164.88cm (5 feet 4.91 inches) tall.

20. Belarus — 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)

Foto: Minsk, Belarus.sourcekarp5/Shutterstock

The average person in Belarus is 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.

An average Belarusian man is 178.44cm (5 feet 10.25 inches) tall.

The average Belarusian woman is 166.35cm (5 feet 5.49 inches) tall.

19. Ukraine — 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)

Foto: Ukrainian boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko, 198cm, with his wife, actress Hayden Panettiere, 153cm.sourceVittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Ukrainians are an average 172.39cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.

The average Ukrainian man is 178.45cm (5 feet 10.26 inches) tall, and the average Ukrainian woman is 166.33cm (5 feet 5.48 inches) tall.

18. Australia — 172.53cm (5 feet 7.92 inches)

Foto: Australian "Wolverine" actor Hugh Jackman is 188cm tall.sourceKevin Winter

Australians are 172.53cm (5 feet 7.92 inches) tall on average.

Australian men are 179.20cm (5 feet 10.55 inches) tall on average.

Australian women are 165.85cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.

17. Norway — 172.65cm (5 feet 7.97 inches)

Foto: The 170.1cm (5 feet 6.9 inches) Norwegian chess maestro Magnus Carlsen.sourceAlastair Grant/AP

An average Norwegian is 172.65cm (5 feet 7.97 inches) tall.

Norwegian men average out at 179.74cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.

The women measure out at 165.56cm (5 feet 5.18 inches) tall.

16. Sweden — 172.71cm (5 feet 7.99 inches)

Foto: Swede and footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 195cm tall.sourceMichel Euler/AP

Swedish people are an average 172.71cm (5 feet 7.99 inches) tall.

Swedish men are 179.73cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall on average, while Swedish women are 165.6cm (5 feet 5.23 inches) tall.

15. Finland — 172.74cm (5 feet 8 inches)

Foto: A man holds up a Finnish flag.sourceVesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/Reuters

An average Finn is 172.74cm (5 feet 8 inches) tall.

Males in Finland are an average 179.59cm (5 feet 10.70 inches) tall.

Females in Finland are 165.89cm (5 feet 5.31 inches) tall.

14. Lithuania —172.82cm (5 feet 8.03 inches)

Foto: A woman takes a photo in Vilnius, Lithuania.sourceFlickr/needoptic

The average Lithuanian is 172.82cm (5 feet 8.03 inches) tall.

An average Lithuanian man is 179.02cm (5 feet 10.48 inches) tall.

The average Lithuanian woman is 166.61cm (5 feet 5.69 inches) tall.

13. Germany — 172.87cm (5 feet 8.06 inches)

Foto: The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.sources4svisuals/Shutterstock

The average German is 172.87cm (5 feet 8.06 inches) tall on average.

The average German man is 179.88cm (5 feet 8.81 inches) tall.

The average German woman is 165.86cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.

12. Slovenia — 172.92cm (5 feet 8.07 inches)

Foto: Lake Bled, Slovenia.sourceborchee/Getty Images

The average Slovenian is 172.92cm (5 feet 8.07 inches) tall.

The average Slovenian man is 179.80cm (5 feet 10.78 inches) tall.

The average Slovenian woman is 166.05cm (5 feet 5.37 inches) tall.

11. Croatia — 173.20cm (5 feet 8.18 inches)

Foto: Dubrovnik, Croatia.sourceWojtek Chmielewski/Shutterstock

An average Croatian is 173.20cm (5 feet 8.18 inches) tall.

An average Croatian man is 180.78cm (5 feet 11.16 inches) tall.

The average Croatian woman is 165.63cm ( 5 feet 5.20 inches) tall.

10. Iceland — 173.21cm (5 feet 8.19 inches)

Foto: 206cm (6 feet 9.1 inches) Icelandic Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who plays The Mountain on HBO's "Game of Thrones."sourceInstagram/thorbjornsson

Icelandic people have an average height of 173.21cm (5 feet 8.19 inches.)

Icelandic women are 165.94cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall on average, while Icelandic men are an average 180.49cm (5 feet 11.05 inches) tall.

9. Bosnia and Herzegovina — 173.35cm (5 feet 8.24 inches)

Foto: Mostar, Bosnia.sourceVlada Photo/Shutterstock

Bosnians are 173.35cm (5 feet 8.24 inches) tall on average.

Bosnian men are 180.87cm (5 feet 11.20 inches) tall on average.

Bosnian women are 165.84cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall on average.

8. Slovakia — 173.48cm (5 feet 8.29 inches)

Foto: Slovakian downhill alpine skier Petra Vlhova is 180cm tall.sourceReuters

Slovakians are 173.48cm (5 feet 8.29 inches) tall on average.

Slovakian men are 179.50cm (5 feet 10.66 inches) tall on average, while Slovakian women are 167.46cm (5 feet 5.92 inches) tall on average.

7. Belgium — 173.59cm (5 feet 8.34 inches)

Foto: A glass of Belgian beer.sourcePixieMe / Shutterstock

Belgians are 173.59cm (5 feet 8.34 inches) tall on average.

The average Belgian man is 181.69cm (5 feet 11.53 inches) tall.

The average Belgian woman is 165.49cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall.

6. Serbia — 174.13cm (5 feet 8.55 inches)

Foto: Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic who is 199cm tall.sourceThomson Reuters

Serbians are 174.13cm (5 feet 8.55 inches) tall on average.

Serbian men are 180.57cm (5 feet 11.09 inches) tall on average.

Serbian women are 167.69cm (5 feet 6.01 inches) tall on average.

5. Czech Republic — 174.28cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)

Foto: Czech-born Ivana Trump (R,) who is 182cm, with her 190cm US husband Donald in 1991.sourceLuis Rubeiro/AP

The average Czech measures an average 174.28cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.

Czech men measure an average 180.10cm tall (5 fet 10.9 inches) tall.

Czech women measure an average 168.45cm (5 feet 6.31 inches) tall.

4. Denmark — 174.29cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)

Foto: Danish teenagers walk through the Rådhudspladsen plaza in the snow in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 2, 2018.sourceKristoffer Trolle/Flickr

The average Dane is 174.29cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.

The average Danish man is 181.38cm (5 feet 11.40 inches) tall.

The average Danish woman is 167.21cm (5 feet 5.83 inches) tall.

3. Estonia — 175.13cm (5 feet 8.94 inches)

Foto: Miss Estonia, Jana Tafenau, May 24, 2002.sourceJose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images

An average Estonian is 175.13cm (5 feet 8.94 inches) tall.

Estonian males are an average 181.59cm tall (5 feet 11.49 inches) tall.

Estonian females are an average 168.67cm (5 feet 6.40 inches) tall.

2. Latvia — 175.61cm (5 feet 9.13 inches)

Foto: Riga, Latvia.sourceShutterstock

Latvians are an average 175.61cm (5 feet 9.13 inches) tall.

Latvian men are an average 181.42cm tall (5 feet 11.42 inches) tall.

Latvian women are an average 169.79cm (5 feet 6.84 inches) tall.

1. The Netherlands — 175.62cm (5 feet 7.96 inches)

Foto: Both about the average, Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander is 183cm tall, and Queen Maxim is 178cm tall.sourceReuters

Dutch people are the world's tallest, with an average height of 175.62cm (5 feet 7.96 inches.)

Dutch men are an average 182.53cm (5 feet 11.86 inches) tall.

Dutch women are an average 168.72cm (5 feet 11.86 inches) tall.

The world's tallest living man and woman, though, don't hail from any of those countries.

Foto: Sultan Kösen (L), tallest living male at 251cm, (8 feet 2.5 inches) and Jyoti Amge (R), world's smallest living woman pose for a photo at the Giza pyramid complex.sourceGetty

The world's tallest living man, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the 251cm (8 feet 2.5 inches) Turkish giant Sultan Kösen.

The world's tallest living woman? Sun Fang, from China, measuring 221cm (7 feet 3 inches.)

Data source: Average Height, Guinness World Records.