World leaders’ heights: Biggest names ranked tallest to shortest in revealing chart
WORLD LEADERS are often pictured together at big diplomatic events, with some towering over others but where do they all rank in height order?
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A study by psychologists at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands analysed American presidential elections and found that taller candidates received more votes than their shorter counterparts two-thirds of the time. They also found that the difference between candidates' height increased the victory margin. With Emmanuel Macron – one of Google's most-searched leaders for height – leading France to the polls this weekend, here's a look at where he stands compared to some of the globe's other political heavyweights.
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Presidents winning a second term were on average two inches (five centimetres) taller.
The study suggests that taller politicians often outperform their shorter rivals due to having higher self-esteem, perception of being healthier, more intelligent and more authoritative.
This will be good news for Emmanuel Macron, who stands at 5 foot 8 inches (1.73 metres), potentially giving him a slight advantage over his main challenger, Marine Le Pen at 5ft 7 (1.71m)
Macron is also taller than his predecessors with François Hollande standing at 5ft 7 (1.7m) and Nicolas Sarkozy at 5ft 5 (1.66m).
How does his height compare to other world leaders?
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the tallest, standing proudly at 6ft 2 (1.88m) – he is often seen towering over other leaders in group photographs.
Two federal ministers even had to stand on boxes to minimise the height difference at a press conference in September 2020.
US President Joe Biden is the next tallest standing at 5ft 11 (1.82m) but is nine centimetres shorter than his predecessor Donald Trump.
In contrast, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is the shortest leader at just 5ft 3 (1.61m).
Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-Un is reportedly 5ft 4 (1.63m), placing him as one of the shorter world leaders.
Yet he could be even shorter as experts claim Mr Jong-Un often wears shoes that make him seem taller.
The Washington Post reports that a slope on the front of his shoes is visible, suggesting he is wearing insoles with one expert suggesting he could be two inches (5cm) shorter.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands at 5ft 4 (1.63m) and she is often pictured alongside UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who stands over her at 5ft 9 (1.75m).
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President of China Xi Jinping is the same height as Mr Johnson, at 5ft 9 (1.75m).
This is unusually tall for a Chinese man and he is the country’s tallest leader for decades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin measures just 5ft 7 (1.7m) in height and is often seen dwarfed by other world leaders.
Jeremy Clarkson suggested in The Times that Putin’s height was the “real reason for the madness”
The average height of Russian men is just over 5ft 9 (1.77m) and Mr Clarkson reasoned that this is “presumably why Putin is so angry all the time…because everyone he meets, all day and every day, is three inches taller than him.”
Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are also 5ft 7 (1.7m) in height.
President Macron’s height could give him the upper hand as French voters head to the polls this weekend.
Mr Macron was France’s youngest-ever president and is running for a second term as he continues to dominate French politics, representing the centrist political movement called La République En Marche!
Mr Macron has long been the favourite to win the vote when France heads to the polls in the first round on Sunday.
However, his main rival Marine Le Pen could give him a strong challenge in the second-round run-off on April 24.
Ms Le Pen represents the National Rally and was runner up to Mr Macron in 2017 but hopes her third bid for presidency will be successful.
However, Mr Macron’s height means he could have the edge already as psychologists believe that voters see taller politicians as better suited for leadership due to an evolved preference for physically imposing leaders.
