Average height in Israel and how it compares to neighboring countries

Thinking about how you might measure up on a Tel-Aviv sidewalk or a beach in Antalya instantly pulls you into the gentle rivalry of regional stature. Height is more than a fun fact; it whispers stories about nutrition, health care, genetics, and living standards.

By comparing Israel’s measurements with those of its neighbors, you spot differences that reveal shared histories and divergent policies.

You’re about to dive into a friendly, data-backed face-off that mixes science, culture, and a dash of curiosity. Whenever you feel like playing with the numbers yourself, open this handy height comparison tool and see where you land on the chart.

Scan a global league table and you quickly notice that Northern Europe dominates the top slots while the Middle East floats in the middle of the pack. Israel usually sits close to the global mean but edges out several neighbors. Let’s unpack why that matters.

Netherlands and Montenegro headline the list with average 19-year-old male heights above 1.83 m, setting an aspirational bar that many nations track as a health benchmark. Cultural diet, especially dairy intake, frequently earns credit for their lofty averages.

Israel joins Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine in a tight cluster around the mid-170 cm range for young men; women fall roughly 14 cm shorter, echoing a consistent sex gap seen worldwide.

Height tables shuffle slowly because skeletal growth responds to long-term conditions such as childhood nutrition, disease load, and wealth. Economic booms, immigration patterns, and public-health improvements nudge countries up or down a few millimeters each decade.

You’ll get a clearer picture of how the “Start-Up Nation” measures up by zooming into its own stats, growth trends, and demographic nuances.

WorldPopulationReview’s 2025 dataset lists Israeli 19-year-old males at 176 cm and females at 162 cm. While not record breaking, those figures surpass the global average of roughly 171 cm for males, reflecting Israel’s comparatively high Human Development Index and robust health system.

A landmark Israeli Defense Forces draft study tracking cohorts born 1950-1971 found a linear male height increase of about 1.1 mm per birth year and an even larger catch-up for historically shorter ethnic groups.

Because Israel is a nation of immigrants, its average bundles together Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Ethiopian, Russian, and other sub-populations. Diversity narrows extremes; taller European ancestry and shorter Middle-Eastern ancestry balance into a moderate overall height.

Curious where Israel sits among the regional and global giants? This numbered list shows the ten tallest male averages at age nineteen, then highlights Israel’s slot.

1. Netherlands: 184 cm average male height.
2. Montenegro: 183 cm.
3. Estonia: 183 cm.
4. Bosnia & Herzegovina: 182 cm.
5. Iceland: 182 cm.
6. Denmark: 182 cm.
7. Czechia: 181 cm.
8. Latvia: 181 cm.
9. Slovakia: 181 cm.
10. Ukraine: 181 cm.

In comparison, Israel’s average height of 176 cm stands roughly five-to-eight centimeters below these European frontrunners yet still above many Asian and African averages, underscoring its mid-tier global ranking.

Israel’s eastern neighbor shares a similar climate but diverges economically, making a direct height comparison enlightening. Here’s a quick bullet breakdown.

• Male gap: Israeli 19-year-old males are measured at 176 cm, while Jordanian peers average 175 cm—essentially neck-and-neck.
• Female gap: Jordanian young women average 159 cm, placing Israel’s 162 cm three centimeters taller.
• Nutritional inputs: Jordan’s lower dairy and protein intake per capita may partly explain its modest lag behind Israeli females.
• Urbanization factor: Higher urban residence in Israel correlates with better access to pediatric care, possibly nudging its average upward.

The takeaway? Small numeric differences hide broader disparities in food security and healthcare access that shape final adult height.

Heading southwest, you meet Egypt, a populous nation whose average height reflects entirely different agricultural and socioeconomic backdrops. Compare the essentials below.

• Male averages: Both countries report 19-year-old male means at 175-176 cm—virtually identical.
• Female averages: Egyptian females hover around 161 cm, one centimeter under Israeli counterparts.
• Rural majority: Egypt’s significant rural population skews access to health care and clean water, factors that subtly trim centimeters.
• Genetic pool: Intermixing of Mediterranean, Arab, and Nubian ancestry creates wider variance, smoothing the difference between mean values.

The matchup ends in a statistical tie, yet Israel leverages smaller population size and higher GDP per capita to push toward the top of the regional pack.

Northward lies Lebanon, which posts one of the Middle East’s tallest averages. The comparison with Israel is slightly in favor of Lebanon:

• Male edge: Lebanon scores 179 cm—three centimeters taller than Israel.
• Female parity: At 164 cm, Lebanese women maintain a two-centimeter advantage.
• Mediterranean diet: High legume and olive-oil consumption correlates with heart health and may influence growth, though causation is tricky.
• Socio-political volatility: Recent economic crises risk reversing gains for future cohorts unless nutrition programs hold firm.

Lebanon proves that even amid turmoil, genetics and historical diet can keep a population among regional height leaders.

A quick trip across the Mediterranean brings you to Turkey, a bridge between Europe and Asia with comparable height statistics. Sub-sections explore how history, geography, and policy matter exploring and comparing heights across countries.

Turkey’s 19-year-old male average matches Israel’s at 176 cm while female averages align at 162 cm, showing a virtual draw on raw stature.

Turkey’s vast rural east contrasts with its industrial west; similar duality appears in Israel’s center-periphery divide, yet targeted health campaigns shrink rural height deficits in both nations.

Government subsidies grow Turkish milk consumption, mirroring Israel’s school milk initiative started in the 1950s; these programs reinforce skeletal development during puberty.

Zooming out, exploring regional patterns of average heights over time reveal how shared climate and diet intersect with distinct public-health histories. The sections below detail three drivers shaping Middle-Eastern height trajectories.

Most Eastern Mediterranean countries shifted from cereal-heavy diets toward higher calorie, animal-protein menus during the 1990s, contributing to modest but steady stature gains in adolescence.

Armed conflicts in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza periodically restrict food supply chains and healthcare access, risking stunting in the affected birth cohorts, an effect Israel largely avoids.

Large expatriate communities, particularly in Gulf states, influence gene pools through intermarriage and remittances that fund better childhood nutrition back home.

Placing the Middle East into a global context helps you appreciate just how much taller certain populations stand. Three mini-topics outline key observations.

Six of the world’s ten tallest male averages cluster in Northern-Central Europe, where centuries of dairy farming, public health investment, and relative affluence nurtured extra centimeters.

Some researchers propose humans may be nearing a biological height ceiling; Dutch growth plateaued since the early 2000s despite continued economic prosperity.

Public-health planners in mid-range nations often benchmark against Europe’s tall titans, aiming to narrow height gaps as a proxy for child well-being.

Just as giants attract attention, nations at the shorter end highlight areas where nutrition and healthcare still lag. Explore three focused angles below.

Countries such as Timor-Leste and Laos appear at the bottom of male height tables, reflecting persistent rural poverty and limited protein sources.

Many sub-Saharan and South-Asian states battle infectious disease burdens that divert energy from growth to immune responses, suppressing mean adult height.

Guatemala launched aggressive anti-stunting programs in the 2010s; early data suggest gradual gains, showing short nations can climb the table within a generation.

Your height carries the imprint of childhood meals, health services, and even national policy. Israel’s mid-175 cm male average mirrors both its regional roots and its modern lifestyle, outperforming some neighbors while chasing taller European benchmarks.

By understanding these differences, you appreciate how everyday choices and collective priorities shape the literal stature of nations. For deeper self-exploration, try the interactive height percentiles per country calculator.

This article was written in cooperation with Gigacalculator