German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) greet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (2nd R) and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic (2ndL)
Carsten Koall/Getty Images
World leaders vary widely in height, though many try to project the image of being taller than they are.
We often see them photographed together, allowing us to see just how much their heights can vary.
Here’s how they stack up, from the president of Serbia coming in at 6 feet, 6 inches — or 198 centimeters — and Ireland’s leader coming in at 5-foot-3, or 160 centimeters.
Studies have shown that voters lean toward taller politicians, viewing them as better suited to leadership.
But the world’s leaders fill the whole spectrum, with some topping 6 feet and others closer to 5 feet tall.
World leaders don’t always publicize their height, which means estimating often comes down to comparing them as they stand beside one another or with other celebrities whose heights are public.
Some world leaders even go out of their way to seem taller than they are, so their actual height can be something of a surprise.
Here’s the height of 13 world leaders and how they compare with their counterparts. They are ranked from shortest to tallest.
Ireland’s Michael D. Higgins: 5 feet, 3 inches (160 cm)Ireland president Michael D Higgins
Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
The Irish president’s smaller stature is exaggerated when he hangs out with his giant dogs, Bród and Síoda.
Source: DailyEdge.ie
Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon: 5 feet, 4 inches (163 cm)Nicola Sturgeon
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands at 5ft 4 (1.63m).
Source: The Express
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un: Between 5-foot-4 (163 cm) and 5-foot-7 (170 cm)Kim with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April 2018.
Associated Press
The North Korean leader is often reported to be 5-foot-7, but it is unclear where that information comes from.
He appears to be shorter than South Korean President Moon Jae-in (pictured above), who is 5-foot-6, but experts also think Kim is often pictured wearing shoes that make him seem taller, which could mean he could be as short as 5-foot-4.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak : 5 feet, 6 inches (170 cm)British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images
Rishi Sunak is the UK’s first prime minister of Asian descent as well as the youngest one too.
Source: Huffington Post
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern: 5 feet, 7 inches (170 cm)Ardern at Parliament on November 8, 2017, in Wellington, New Zealand.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Source: Vogue
Russia’s Vladimir Putin: 5 feet, 7 inches (170 cm)Russian President Vladimir Putin
Getty Images
Source: The Guardian
France’s Emmanuel Macron: 5 feet, 7 inches (173 cm)French President Emmanuel Macron
Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Source: The Express
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán: 5 feet, 8 inches (173 cm)Viktor Orban
Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Source: The Guardian
China’s Xi Jinping: 5 feet, 9 inches(175 cm)Xi in 2016 with Putin in the background.
Wang Zhou – Pool/Getty Images
China’s Xi Jinping is said to be tallest Chinese leader since Mao, according to BBC.
Source: BBC
The US’s Joe Biden: 6-feet (182 cm)US President Joe Biden
MANDEL NGAN/Getty Images
Source: Statista
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 6 feet (183 cm)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/ Getty Images
Source: The Daily Sabah
Canada’s Justin Trudeau: 6 feet, 2 inches (188 cm)Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau
Hollie Adams/Getty Images
Source: The Express
Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic: 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm)President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic
Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic stands tall at 6 foot 6, making him the tallest world leader.
Source: Daily Sabah
