How Tall Are Mongolians Really?

You’ve probably seen those documentaries showing massive Mongolian wrestlers and intimidating warriors charging across the steppes. But are all Mongolian men actually the giants that movies and pop culture make them out to be?

The simple truth might surprise you: Mongolian people would be considered pretty average in most places around the world. We’re not necessarily short, but we’re definitely not the towering giants Hollywood likes to portray, often ranging from 5’6″ – 5’10” for men and 5’2″ – 5’6″ for women.

The Numbers: Average Mongolian Height

On average people born between:

1980-1990s are 5’5″ – 5’7″ / 165 – 170cm for men 5’1″ – 5’2″ / 155 – 158cm for women
1990-1996 are 5’6″ – 5’8″ / 168 – 173cm for men 5’2″ – 5’3″ / 158 – 160cm for women
1996+ are 5’9″ – 5’10” / 175 – 178cm for men 5’3″ – 5’5″ / 160 – 165cm for women

People who were born in 2000s have gotten significantly taller and it wouldn’t be far fetched to say the average height for Mongolians would be 5’11” / 180cm and 5’7″ / 170cm for men and women respectively in the next 50 or so years.

Speaking from personal experience, I’m about 173cm tall, and I actually feel a bit shorter around my peers. But walking through the streets of Ulaanbaatar, my height feels completely normal—sometimes I feel slightly taller, sometimes average, sometimes a bit shorter depending on the crowd.

From what I’ve observed, about 70% of Mongolian men fall between 168-175cm, while 70% of women are between 159-165cm. My sister, who’s 160cm, often comments about feeling short around people, which gives you an idea of the distribution.

Average Height of Mongolian Nomads

In general, nomads tend to be shorter and leaner compared to city dwellers, mainly due to nutrition and lifestyle differences. Nomadic men typically range around 166-171cm, where anything above 175cm is considered somewhat tall. Women are usually around 155-161cm, with anything above 166cm being notably tall.

However, don’t let these averages fool you. It’s not unusual to encounter nomads who are built like absolute giants—I’ve seen countryside Mongolians who are 190cm+ and built like mountains. These exceptions definitely exist, even if they’re not the norm.

Average Height of Mongolian Youth

Here’s where things get interesting. There’s a significant height gap between Mongolians born before and after 2000. The younger generation has definitely benefited from improved economics, political stability, and technology.

Better nutrition and healthcare seem to have had a real impact. Most kids these days are around 176cm and 166cm for boys and girls respectively, which puts them on the higher side compared to other Asian countries. The younger generation is actually on par with many Western countries when it comes to height and weight.

You can see in the picture above, the teachers are 3-4 inches shorter on average.

How Big Is The Average Mongolian?

Most foreigners who visit Mongolia comment on how much stockier and broader Mongolian people are compared to other East Asians, and this observation is spot-on. While I can’t provide official weight statistics, here’s a personal example: I typically wear S or M in Western clothing brands, but when traveling in East and Southeast Asian countries, I often need XXL sizes.

A visitor from scotttravler.com noted: “The first thing that I noticed about the Mongolians is that many of them are very tall. Secondly, I noticed that many of them seem to have European traits; body shapes, some facial looks, etc. The Mongolians certainly look differently than the Chinese. Some do look Chinese, but some also look European mixed, and most look like a combination of Asian and Caucasian. Even the Mongolians who have primarily Asian features, their body shapes seem more Caucasian than Chinese in that they are taller, have longer limbs, and the proportions of their bodies just look ‘longer’ than the Chinese.”

Why Are Mongolians Bigger Than East Asians?

Before I answer this, let me clarify that Japanese, Northern Chinese, and South Koreans are also comparatively bigger than the average south-east Asian. But here’s why Mongolians tend to be particularly stocky overall:

Diet and Nutrition

Mongolian traditional foods are heavy in protein and calories. We drink a lot of milk from a young age, which likely contributes to bone development. Our diet historically centered around meat and dairy rather than rice-based agriculture.

Climate Adaptation

Coming from a colder climate, the environment naturally favors bigger bodies for heat retention. This is basic human evolution—people in colder regions typically develop more robust builds.

Lifestyle Factors

The nomadic lifestyle, while sometimes limiting height due to nutritional constraints, often produces people with incredible core strength and stocky builds from constant physical activity.

The Reality vs The Hollywood Image

While Mongolians are indeed slightly taller and stockier than many other Asian populations, we’re not the superhuman giants depicted in movies and documentaries. Yes, there are incredibly tall and powerful Mongolians—many come from families with wrestling backgrounds or specific genetic lineages—but they’re not representative of the entire population.

The variation is significant depending on:

• Individual lifestyle (urban vs rural)
• Geographic region (different areas have different averages)
• Generation (younger Mongolians are notably taller)
• Family background (some lineages are naturally larger)

The Upward Trend

There’s definitely an upward trend in Mongolian height and build due to better healthcare, nutrition, and lifestyle improvements. The younger generation is living proof that environmental factors play a huge role in physical development.

This trend mirrors what we’ve seen in other developing countries—as living standards improve, so does the average height and health of the population.

Historical Context

It’s worth noting that ancient Mongol warriors were described by Chinese sources as being stocky, large, and tall for their time. Historical estimates put warriors from that era at around 170cm (5’7″), which was significantly above average for the medieval period.

Even Genghis Khan, while there’s no definitive record of his height, is estimated to have been anywhere between 170-190cm, likely closer to 180cm—definitely taller than average for his time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are Mongolians taller than Chinese people?

Northern Chinese are on par or sometimes taller in height, but Mongolians tend to be broader and stockier in build.

How tall was Genghis Khan?

While there isn’t definitive historical evidence, estimates range from 170-190cm, with most historians believing he was likely around 180cm—taller than average for his era.

How tall were ancient Mongol warriors?

Chinese sources described them as stocky, large, and tall. Warriors from that era are estimated to have been around 170cm (5’7″), which was impressive for medieval times.

Why are Mongolians stockier than other Asians?

It’s mainly due to diet (protein-heavy foods and dairy), climate adaptation (colder environments favor larger builds), and lifestyle factors from the nomadic tradition.

Are modern Mongolians getting taller?

Yes, there’s a clear upward trend. The post-2000 generation is significantly taller than previous generations due to improved nutrition, healthcare, and living standards.