Tall tales: Asians hit new heights with largest growth spurts in world, 100-year study finds

Imperial College London looked at residents of 200 countries from 1914 to 2014

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The study found both men and women in Hong Kong were taller than city residents 40 years ago. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:01pm, 26 Jul 2016Updated: 11:30pm, 26 Jul 2016

Asians may not be physically imposing people in general, but they have actually become taller over the last century, according to an extensive study of people’s heights around the world.

Research led by scientists at Imperial College London and published in the journal eLife found that men and women from Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea and Japan experienced some of the most significant growth spurts.

In a sign of improved public health and nutrition while poorer countries languished behind, Hong Kong jumped in the ranking of 200 countries and territories.

Between 1914 and 2014, the ranking of the city’s women rose to 99 from 176, while men ascended 87 places to 66. Hongkongers overall gained a respectable 13cm, going froma mean height of 146cm to 159cm. They closed ground on mainlanders, who on average went from 150cm to 160cm.

Mainland women also saw a growth spurt over the same period, from the ranking of 134 to 87, while their male counterparts jumped from 130 to 93.

South Korean women boasted the most significant improvement, leaping from 196 to 55 as they gained an average 20.2cm in height. South Korean men surged 100 places to 51.