Research shows that taller people generally do not live longer than shorter people; in fact, studies indicate an inverse relationship between height and lifespan. For example, a large study in Poland involving over 480,000 men and 360,000 women found that height and longevity were negatively correlated, with taller men and women tending to live slightly shorter lives. However, this relationship is weak and influenced by other factors such as cohort effects and lifestyle.
Additional studies found that men shorter than about 5'6" (167 cm) lived on average nearly 5 years longer than men taller than this height, and men under 5'5" (165 cm) lived over 7 years longer than men over 5'9" (175 cm). These findings suggest that increased height is associated with reduced lifespan, possibly due to increased cell replication demands and other biological factors.
Overall, while height is associated with some health benefits and socioeconomic factors, it is not a reliable predictor of longevity, and shorter people tend to live longer on average than taller people. The reasons are complex, involving genetics, biology, and lifestyle, so height alone does not determine lifespan.
