Average height of Asians
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The average height of individuals across Asian countries exhibits a diverse range, shaped by a multitude of factors such as genetics, nutrition, healthcare, and socio-economic conditions. Generally, Asians are not uniformly distributed in terms of height, and there is considerable variation among different populations.
In East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and China, there is a perception of relatively shorter average heights compared to Western nations. This phenomenon is often attributed to genetic factors, dietary habits, and historical patterns of nutrition and health. Additionally, factors such as urbanization and lifestyle changes may also influence height trends.
For instance, in Japan, men tend to have an average height of around 5 feet 7 inches (170.7 cm), while women average about 5 feet 2 inches (158.8 cm). South Korea reports an average height of approximately 5 feet 8 inches (173.3 cm) for men and around 5 feet 3 inches (160.1 cm) for women.
China exhibits regional variations, with urban areas reporting an average height of about 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) for men and 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) for women. In India, a diverse country, men average around 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm), and women around 5 feet (152 cm). Indonesia sees an average height of approximately 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) for men and 5 feet (152 cm) for women.
The map of East Asia below shows the average height of Asian males aged 18-22 (2016-2018).
North and South Chinese have very different genetics. Take for instance the mutation that gives East Asians the “non-odorous” phenotype. For those unaware, people who carry two copies of this mutation do not need to use deodorant or antiperspirant, as they no longer produce certain lipid byproducts in their sweat which bacteria feed upon to produce their malodorous sulfur-smelling waste products (thioalcohols) that give human sweat it’s the distinctive unpleasant scent.
Nearly all (~94%) Northern Han Chinese carry two copies of this mutation, whereas only ~72% of Southern Han Chinese carry two copies, and just ~29% of the Southern Chinese Dai People (who are more comparable to the native peoples of southern China prior to the Han colonization) carry two copies.
To put this in perspective, only ~2.5% of Europeans carry two copies—with it being most common in Finnish people (~7%) and least common in those of the Iberian peninsula)—the variation is completely absent in sub-Saharan Africans.
In addition to making sweat “non-odorous”, the variation also gives people a dry “ear powder” instead of normal earwax, as it disrupts the secretion of lipids in the production of it. Additionally, in pregnant women, the production of colostrum (the first breast milk produced which is rich in nutrients and antibodies for newborn offspring) is greatly reduced in those who carry two copies of the variant allele common in East Asians.