Tall order: S. Korean women world's fastest-growing

S. Korean women are the fastest-growing. / Courtesy of Naver Blog

By Yeo Ye-rim

The average height of South Korean women has increased by more than 20 centimeters over the past century, the world’s largest increase, British research reveals.

The research, released Monday, studied 18-year-old men and women in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014. The results showed that South Korean women have grown from an average of 142.2 centimeters to 162.3 centimeters.

A hundred years ago, South Korean women were the fifth shortest among the 200 countries. In 2014, they were the 55th tallest.

South Korean men have grown from 159.8 centimeters to 174.9 centimeters, on average.

The research also showed that in 2014, the tallest men are from the Netherlands, with an average height of 182.5 centimeters, and the tallest women from Latvia with 169.8 centimeters. In contrast, men in East Timor were the shortest with an average height of 159.8 centimeters while women in Guatemala were the shortest at 149.4 centimeters.

“How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in,” James Bentham, a co-author of the research, said. “In turn, our height affects both our life expectancy and our health as adults. If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come.”