This list includes the shortest ever verified people in their lifetime or profession. The entries below are broken down into different categories which range from sex, to age group and occupations. Most of the sourcing is done by Guinness World Records which in the last decade has added new categories for "mobile" and "non-mobile" men and women. The world's shortest verified man is Chandra Bahadur Dangi, while for women Pauline Musters holds the record.
At just 54.6 cm (21.5 in), Nepalese-born Chandra Bahadur Dangi was, at the time of his death in 2015, the world's shortest person ever verified.
Men
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Notes | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nepal
|
54.6 cm (21.5 in) | Chandra Bahadur Dangi | Chandra was declared the shortest human adult ever documented and verified, measuring 21.51 in (54.64 cm). Height confirmed by Guinness World Records. | 1939–2015 |
 India
|
57.0 cm (22.4 in) | Gul Mohammed | Guinness World Records verified Mohammed's height at 22 in (57 cm). He was the shortest man ever verified up to 2012, when he lost the title to Chandra Bahadur Dangi. | 1957–1997 |
 Philippines
|
59.9 cm (23.6 in) | Junrey Balawing | Former shortest living man in the world, measuring 22.0 in (56.0 cm), verified by Guinness World Records in 2012. Balawing became the world's shortest non mobile person following Chandra's death in September, 2015 until his own death in 2020. | 1993–2020 |
 Hungary
|
65 cm (26 in) | István Tóth | Shortest man claimant, was said to be 26 in (65 cm). Verification by Guinness World Records needs to be checked. István died in May 2011 at the age of 48. | 1963–2011 |
 Iran
|
65.24 cm (25.69 in) | Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh | Ghaderzadeh beat Edward's record and was listed as World's Shortest Man Living (Mobile) by Guinness World Records in December 2022. | 2002– |
|
Nepal
|
67 cm (26 in) | Khagendra Thapa Magar | Khagendra was the shortest man in the world until 2011, when he became the'world's shortest mobile man. Guinness World Records has since made multiple categories for World's shortest.... Khagendra died in 2020. | 1992–2020 |
 Taiwan
|
67.5 cm (26.6 in) | Lin Yü-chih | Yü-chih is listed as the World's shortest non-mobile man living, a title he has held non-consecutively since 2009. | 1972– |
 Colombia
|
70.21 cm (27.64 in) | Edward Niño Hernández | Named the shortest man after Pingping died in March 2010, at 27.64 in (70.21 cm), but lost the title in October 2010 to Magar. Edward re-gained the title of World's shortest mobile man living following Magar's death in 2020.He was beaten by Ghaderzadeh in December 2022. | 1986– |
|
Nepal
|
73.43 cm (28.91 in) | Dor Bahadur Khapangi | Confirmed shortest living teenager (Male) by Guinness World Records. | 2004– |
 China
|
74 cm (29 in) | He Pingping | Once officially verified as shortest living man (mobile) at 29 in (74 cm), until death in March 2010. | 1988–2010 |
Women
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands
|
61 cm (24 in) | Pauline Musters | Recognised by the Guinness World Records as the shortest woman ever recorded. | 1876–1895 |
|
India
|
62.8 cm (24.7 in) | Jyoti Amge | Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the World's Shortest Living Woman. | 1993– |
 South Africa
|
65 cm (26 in) | Madge Bester | Former smallest living woman. | 1963–2018 |
 Mexico
|
68 cm (26.8 in) | Lucía Zárate | Zárate claimed in her lifetime that she was only 50.8 cm (20.0 in), and was exhibited for her small stature. This measurement has since been updated by Guinness World Records, who place her height at 68 cm (26.8 in). | 1864–1890 |
 United States
|
69 cm (27 in) | Bridgette Jordan | Former smallest living woman and one of the shortest living siblings according to Guinness World Records. | 1989–2019 |
 Turkey
|
72.6 cm (28.58 in) | Elif Kocaman | Former smallest living woman according to Guinness World Records. | 1989– |
Shortest pairs
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Category | Notes | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hungary
|
76 cm (30 in) | Mike & Ike Matina | Non identical twins | Mike & Ike (born: Bela, and Matyus) Matina are the world's shortest non-identical twins at 30 inches each. They later became American citizens, and had a role in The Wizard of Oz as munchkins. Mike Matina died in 1954. His brother's death is unknown due to a lack of sources. | 1901–1954 1901–N/A |
|
United States
|
86.4 cm (34.0 in) | Rice brothers | Identical twins | World's shortest identical twins (Greg Rice, John Rice) until 2005 with the death of John Rice. | 1951–2005 1951 – (Greg Rice) |
 Brazil
|
90.3 cm (35.6 in) 91.1 cm (35.9 in) |
Paulo Gabriel Barros & Katyucia Hoshino |
Married couple | In 2016, Guinness World Records awarded the title of Shortest Married Couple to Paulo, and Katyucia from Brazil. | 1985– 1988– |
Shortest by age group
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Category | Notes | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United States
|
24 cm (9.4 in) | Nisa Juarez | Baby | Was born 108 days premature and weighed only 320 g (11.3 oz). | 2002– |
 United States
|
53.3 cm (21.0 in) | Francis Joseph Flynn | Teenager | General Mite, was an American dwarf who performed as a showman at various competitions around the world. In 1884, Flynn married English little person, Millie Edwards, in England. The wedding was widely publicized and attended. From then on, the couple were exhibited as the "Royal American Midgets" and "General and Mrs. Mite" in many advertisements. | 1864–1898 |
|
United States
|
72.4 cm (28.5 in) | Stacey Herald | Mother | Stacey gave birth to her first child on 21 October 2006, and later birthed two more children all of which were delivered by caesarean sections. She died on 11 September 2018. | 1974–2018 |
|
Hungary
|
101.5 cm (40.0 in) | Susanna Bokoyni | Longevity | Bokoyni died at the age of 105, making her the oldest verified centenarian dwarf. During her lifetime she travelled with various circuses where she was a performer. | 1879–1984 |
^1 This was Nisa's baby height, she later grew.
^2 This was Francis Joseph Flynn's shortest height, because he grew in height after age 16; he is not listed as one of the world's shortest men.
^3 Filed under "Shortest woman to give birth".
Shortest by occupation
Actors
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dominican Republic
|
71 cm (28 in) | Nelson de la Rosa | Once recognized as the "world's shortest actor" and had a minor role in the 1996 film, The Island of Dr. Moreau. | 1968–2006 |
|
India
|
76 cm (30 in) | Ajay Kumar alias Pakru | Malayalam comedy actor, in the Guinness Book of Records for being the shortest actor (2 ft 6 in (76 cm)) to play a main character in a full-length film. He played the lead role in Athbhutha Dweepu, a Malayalam film directed by Vinayan, later dubbed in Tamil. | 1974– |
|
United States
|
79 cm (31 in) | Tamara De Treaux | Shortest actress, noted for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and as an influence for the novel Maybe the Moon. | 1959–1990 |
 Philippines
|
83 cm (33 in) | Weng Weng | Filipino actor and martial artist who was the shortest actor to have lead roles. | 1957–1992 |
 United Kingdom
|
126.2 cm (49.7 in) | Kiran Shah | Shah is the world's shortest active stuntman. | 1956– |
Artists and writers
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 England
|
137 cm (54 in) | Alexander Pope | English poet and satirist, never grew beyond 4 ft 6 in (137 cm). | 1688–1744 |
 France
|
142 cm (56 in) | Édith Piaf | French singer and actress, never grew beyond 4 ft 8 in (142 cm). Known for her small stature, born Édith Gassion, nicknamed Piaf, Parisian slang for "Little Sparrow" | 1915–1963 |
Athletes
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Sport | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
India
|
84 cm (33 in) | Aditya "Romeo" Dev | Bodybuilding | "World's Smallest Bodybuilder" at 2 ft. 9 in. | 1988–2012 |
|
United States
|
109 cm (43 in) | Eddie Gaedel | Baseball | Shortest to play in Major League Baseball. This however was a publicity stunt and Gaedel only stood once at the plate. | 1925–1961 |
 Canada
|
130 cm (51 in) | Lionel Giroux | Wrestling | Also known as "Little Beaver". Shortest professional wrestler in the WWF at around 4'4". | 1935–1995 |
|
United States
|
132 cm (52 in) | Dylan Postl | Wrestling | Worlds shortest living professional wrestler. | 1986– |
|
United States
|
149 cm (59 in) | Julie Krone | Horse racing | Shortest American jockey, stand 4 ft 10.5 in (149 cm). | 1963– |
|
England
|
152 cm (60 in) | Tich Cornford | Cricket | Shortest ever international cricketer. | 1900–1964 |
 Australia
|
155 cm (61 in) | Jim Bradford | Australian rules football | Shortest to play Australian rules football at the highest level. | 1926–2005 |
|
United States
|
155 cm (61 in) | Jack Shapiro | American football | Shortest professional player of American football, but only for one game. | 1907–2001 |
|
United Kingdom
|
157 cm (62 in) | Frederick Walden | Association football | Shortest player in England national football team history (5 ft 2 in (157 cm)). | 1888–1949 |
|
United States
|
157 cm (62 in) | Shannon Bobbitt | Basketball | Shortest to play in the Women's National Basketball Association. | 1985– |
|
United States
|
160 cm (63 in) | Muggsy Bogues | Basketball | Shortest at 5 ft 3 in to play in the National Basketball Association. | 1965– |
 Canada
|
160 cm (63 in) | Roy Worters | Ice hockey | Shortest to play in the National Hockey League and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969. | 1900–1957 |
|
United States
|
165 cm (65 in) | Trindon Holliday | American football | Holliday was formerly the shortest active player at 5 ft 5 in in the National Football League until 2015. | 1986– |
 Venezuela
|
165 cm (65 in) | José Altuve | Baseball | Shortest active player at 5 ft 5 in in Major League Baseball. | 1990– |
Politicians
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United States
|
114 cm (45 in) | Charley Lockhart | Shortest public official in America (at the time), when he was sworn in as Texas State Treasurer in 1931. | 1876–1954 |
|
Mexico
|
137 cm (54 in) | Benito Juárez | Reportedly the shortest world leader to have height recorded. He was reportedly 4 ft 6 in or 1.37 meters | 1806–1872 |
 Italy
|
153 cm (60 in) | Victor Emmanuel III of Italy | Shortest king of Italy. | 1869–1947 |
|
Italy
|
154 cm (61 in) | Renato Brunetta | Italian politician and former Minister | 1950– |
|
United States
|
163 cm (64 in) | James Madison | Shortest US president at 5 ft 4 in or 1.63 m. | 1751–1836 |
|
Philippines
|
150 cm (59 in) | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | Shortest Philippine President at 4 ft 11 in or 1.50 m. | 1947– |
| Northern Ireland | 160 cm (63 in) | Robin Swann | Minister of Health (2020–) | 1971– |
Others
Deceased Living
| Nationality | Height | Name | Occupation | Note | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
France
|
58 cm (23 in) | Richebourg | Spy | Richebourg was a secret agent during the French Revolution, who disguised himself as an infant to pass information along. | 1768-1858 |
|
United States
|
152 cm (60 in) | Nancy J. Currie-Gregg | Astronaut | Currie became the shortest person in space when she flew in July 1993 as a Mission specialist on STS-57. | 1958- |
See also
- Dwarfism
- Pygmy peoples
- Caroline Crachami, a person about 50 cm (19.5 in) tall
- Little people (mythology)
- List of dwarfism organisations
- Dwarfs and pygmies in ancient Egypt
- List of tallest people
External links
Media related to Dwarfism at Wikimedia Commons