Men are getting taller at a much faster rate than women - what’s causing this?

Human height has been evolving over the past century, with both men and women getting taller and heavier across the spectrum. Researchers suggest these shifts are tied to living conditions, broader health measures, and the dynamic ways men and women respond to their environments.

While everyone has seen gains, recent work points to men making larger strides. There’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Evolution of height in men and women

A century ago, scientists began investigating trends in human stature in different populations. The goal was to see how factors such as nutrition, disease rates, and economic changes might leave lasting marks on adult height and weight.

Some teams uncovered that better diets and improved health care often resulted in taller generations (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2016). Their work laid the groundwork for more recent efforts to track how these gains compare between men and women.

More recent research work from this year builds on that older study. Scientists, such as Professor Lewis Halsey from the University of Roehampton, an environmental physiologist, have focused on what other factors, apart from better diets, might be influencing the weights and heights of adults.

They also consider evolution and mating preferences to explain why the height gap between men and women might be increasing.

How living conditions affect height

When researchers measured differences across countries, they turned to indices that reflect overall well-being.

One index, the Human Development Index (HDI), looks at a nation’s average life expectancy, years of schooling, and income.

In one large-scale study that examined individuals in dozens of countries, every bump in HDI seemed to bring clear gains in adult size – both height and weight. Yet, men outpaced women in these increases, by more than double.

This pattern was also measured against income inequality through another global indicator. Where inequality was high, the ability to achieve full growth potential decreased.

Researchers found that men’s stature is often more sensitive to environmental stressors, so in tough settings, men’s growth can stall more prominently.

Men, women, and height differences

“On average men are taller and more muscular than women, which confers on them advantages related to female choice,” wrote the authors of the 2025 study. 

Part of this advantage lies in mating preferences: the idea that, over time, taller men have had better odds of passing on their traits.

Researchers believe that, in situations where food is ample and disease burdens are lower, men experience a more pronounced boost in height and weight than women do.

The assumption is that this sex-based difference has deeper evolutionary roots. Larger bodies for men might be linked to strength and competitiveness, which could have historically helped them secure partners more easily.

In modern contexts, these same traits still seem to matter, even if life has changed dramatically since our ancestors roamed the planet.

What the 2016 research showed

In 2016, an analysis of adult height suggested that gains were not spread evenly across countries (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). The project found stark differences between various regions.

Europe and parts of East Asia showed big leaps in adult height, while some nations in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia saw little movement or even declines.

That earlier work also revealed how American men and women, once near the global top in average height, fell behind countries with steadily improving healthcare and nutrition.

The findings back then hinted that living conditions shape growth, but the focus was not just about getting taller. Being taller was linked to health benefits, fewer birth complications, and even higher income in some populations.

At the same time, experts cautioned that taller stature can come with vulnerabilities like higher rates of certain cancers.

Insight from the 2025 findings

More recently, researchers have taken these ideas further by examining both height and body mass over the decades. Their efforts highlight how men’s growth appears to be more “expensive” in terms of energy.

Bigger bodies require more nutrients, so when the environment offers stable healthcare and abundant food, men see a greater surge in these body dimensions. 

“We’re seeing insights into how sexual selection has shaped the male and female body and how improved environments, in terms of food and a lower burden of disease, have freed us from our shackles,” commented Professor Halsey from the University of Roehampton.

Looking at historical records from within a single country, like the United Kingdom, backs up the global results. Men show a steeper increase in both height and weight.

Why does any of this matter?

The disparity might spark questions about health management, especially because men’s size can be more sensitive to setbacks such as infections in early life. Researchers often see men’s height as a useful barometer for overall living conditions.

When disease rates are high and nutrition is poor, men’s measurements respond more sharply. When these factors improve, men’s gains are larger.

Women still make noticeable progress, but they face fewer extreme swings. Some scientists suggest that female bodies, due to their vital role in reproduction, cannot afford as much growth fluctuation.

Others note that cultural preferences for male height have played a part in amplifying certain traits across generations.

Future height of men and women

By examining sex-based differences in height and weight, public health experts may find new ways to measure progress.

When looking at improved living conditions, a steep increase in men’s average size can signal better nutrition and fewer childhood illnesses.

Height alone won’t predict every health outcome, though. The research underscores the value of a well-rounded approach to health, one that considers everything from prenatal care to consistent access to nutritious foods.

Size is not the only indicator of well-being, but it does serve as a clear marker of the opportunities and obstacles that define our early years.

Men may experience these environmental factors more intensely, which makes male growth an especially telling measurement.

The study is published in Biology Letters.

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