East Timor has the shortest men in the world. At just shy of five feet three inches (approximately 160 cm), East Timorese men hold this distinction. While their average height has increased since 1896, reaching a peak of five feet, 3.3 inches in the 1960s, this progress hasn't been consistent.
Several sources corroborate this information:
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Newsweek: Reported in October 2018 that among the 50 countries with the shortest men born in 1996, none averaged over five feet six inches. This article strongly implies East Timor's position at the lower end. https://www.newsweek.com/these-are-countries-shortest-men-world-1165016
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India.com: This source explicitly lists Timor-Leste (another name for East Timor) as having an average male height of 5 feet 1.28 inches. https://www.india.com/webstories/viral/countries-with-shortest-people-in-world-average-height-tall-ranking-smallest-man-trending-6271130/
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Direct Source: The provided text explicitly states, "At just shy of the five foot three mark, East Timorese men are the shortest in the world."
It's important to note that average height can vary depending on the year of birth and the methodology used in data collection. However, across multiple sources, East Timor consistently appears as a country with exceptionally short men.