Athletes · Basketball player
How tall is Yao Ming?
7′ 6″229 cm · 2.29 m
Officially listed · NBA roster height
Yao Ming is 52.1 cm (1′ 8.5″) taller than the average American man.
- U.S. percentile
- >99th
- among men
- World percentile
- >99th
- among men
Yao Ming’s height around the world
The same height reads differently depending on where you stand. Here is where 229 cm places Yao Ming against adults in 55 countries, for both sexes.
| Country | vs. men | Men’s percentile | vs. women | Women’s percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | +45.2 cm | >99th | +58.6 cm | >99th |
| Montenegro | +45.7 cm | >99th | +59 cm | >99th |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | +46.5 cm | >99th | +61.5 cm | >99th |
| Denmark | +47.1 cm | >99th | +59.5 cm | >99th |
| Ukraine | +48 cm | >99th | +62.4 cm | >99th |
| Croatia | +48.2 cm | >99th | +62.2 cm | >99th |
| Serbia | +48.3 cm | >99th | +60.7 cm | >99th |
| Poland | +48.3 cm | >99th | +63.2 cm | >99th |
| Finland | +48.4 cm | >99th | +62.5 cm | >99th |
| Norway | +48.5 cm | >99th | +62.6 cm | >99th |
| Sweden | +48.5 cm | >99th | +62.3 cm | >99th |
| Germany | +48.7 cm | >99th | +62.8 cm | >99th |
| Greece | +49.7 cm | >99th | +63.2 cm | >99th |
| Ireland | +50 cm | >99th | +64.5 cm | >99th |
| Australia | +50.2 cm | >99th | +64.3 cm | >99th |
| Canada | +50.3 cm | >99th | +64.3 cm | >99th |
| France | +50.4 cm | >99th | +64.5 cm | >99th |
| United Kingdom | +50.8 cm | >99th | +65.1 cm | >99th |
| New Zealand | +51.3 cm | >99th | +64.3 cm | >99th |
| Jamaica | +52 cm | >99th | +64.7 cm | >99th |
| United States | +52.1 cm | >99th | +65.7 cm | >99th |
| Russia | +52.4 cm | >99th | +64.5 cm | >99th |
| Turkey | +52.6 cm | >99th | +67.2 cm | >99th |
| Spain | +52.9 cm | >99th | +67 cm | >99th |
| Brazil | +53.3 cm | >99th | +66.6 cm | >99th |
| China | +53.3 cm | >99th | +65.5 cm | >99th |
| Iran | +53.4 cm | >99th | +67.8 cm | >99th |
| South Korea | +53.5 cm | >99th | +65.8 cm | >99th |
| Argentina | +54.2 cm | >99th | +67.8 cm | >99th |
| Egypt | +54.4 cm | >99th | +68.1 cm | >99th |
| Italy | +54.6 cm | >99th | +67.2 cm | >99th |
| Portugal | +54.6 cm | >99th | +67.8 cm | >99th |
| Japan | +56.9 cm | >99th | +70.5 cm | >99th |
| Colombia | +57.1 cm | >99th | +71 cm | >99th |
| Thailand | +57.4 cm | >99th | +69.6 cm | >99th |
| Nigeria | +57.4 cm | >99th | +70.9 cm | >99th |
| Saudi Arabia | +58.3 cm | >99th | +70.2 cm | >99th |
| Kenya | +58.5 cm | >99th | +69.6 cm | >99th |
| Mexico | +58.7 cm | >99th | +71.1 cm | >99th |
| South Africa | +59.4 cm | >99th | +70.4 cm | >99th |
| Malaysia | +59.8 cm | >99th | +71.9 cm | >99th |
| Vietnam | +60.1 cm | >99th | +70.6 cm | >99th |
| Ethiopia | +60.2 cm | >99th | +71.8 cm | >99th |
| DR Congo | +60.4 cm | >99th | +72.7 cm | >99th |
| Pakistan | +61.7 cm | >99th | +74.2 cm | >99th |
| Tanzania | +62 cm | >99th | +72.1 cm | >99th |
| Peru | +62.2 cm | >99th | +74.6 cm | >99th |
| Myanmar | +62.3 cm | >99th | +74.3 cm | >99th |
| India | +62.5 cm | >99th | +73.8 cm | >99th |
| Indonesia | +62.7 cm | >99th | +74.6 cm | >99th |
| Philippines | +63.8 cm | >99th | +74.9 cm | >99th |
| Bangladesh | +63.9 cm | >99th | +76.6 cm | >99th |
| Nepal | +64.6 cm | >99th | +76.6 cm | >99th |
| Guatemala | +64.6 cm | >99th | +78.1 cm | >99th |
| Timor-Leste | +68.9 cm | >99th | +76.3 cm | >99th |
Estimated from NCD-RisC national averages for 19-year-olds and an assumed normal distribution. Greyed values sit beyond the 2nd or 98th percentile, where the estimate stops discriminating.How we calculate this →
In context
Among athletes
2 of 16
Yao Ming is the 2nd tallest of the 16 athletes in our database, between Manute Bol (231 cm) and Shaquille O'Neal (216 cm).
Everyday reference
2.29 m
Yao Ming is 26 cm taller than a standard door frame.
Yao Ming head to head
Celebrities with a similar height
Officially listed — Listed at 7 ft 6 in throughout his career and consistent across sources. Predates the 2019 barefoot rule, so the listing may include shoes.Percentiles are estimates based on NCD-RisC national averages.How we source and calculate this →