Men in Europe are on average more than four inches taller than a century ago, researchers have revealed.
Men grew in height during the 20th century as health and nutrition improved, researchers concluded.
Researchers were able to measure men because from the 1870s national armies were recording measurements for military conscripts and recruits.
These were compared with records kept in 15 European countries in the 1980s and in earlier decades. The researchers report an average increase in male height of 11cm or 4.3 inches.
Researcher Professor Timothy Hatton said there was close a link between improvements in height and reductions in infant death rates.
There was also an unexpected acceleration in height in the 1920s and 1930s in spite of the years of depression that afflicted Europe. This may have been linked to reductions in family size.
The findings have been reported in the journal Oxford Economic Papers.
The researchers say factors such as improved education about nutrition and improved social services and health systems have also played a key role.
Researcher Professor Timothy Hatton, an economist at the University of Essex, UK, said: "The evidence suggests that the improving disease environment, as reflected in the fall in infant mortality, is the single most important factor driving the increase in height."
Timothy J. Hatton. How have Europeans grown so tall. Oxford Economic Papers 1 September 2013; doi: 10.1093/oep/gpt030
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