Why is Spain the country with the highest percentage of bald-headed men in the world? Discover the full list...

Javier Varela

Madrid

Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 13:28

Spain is the country with the most bald heads in the world, new data shows.

About 44.5% of the population is bald, according to the report by Medihair, followed by Italy (44.37%), France (44.25%), the United States (42.68%) and Germany (41.51%), making it clear the percentage of male hair loss "varies significantly from one country to another". Among the causes of alopecia are genetic and hormonal, as well as a diet lacking in essential nutrients, thyroid problems, iron deficiency, infections, stress, anaemia or excess use of cosmetics.

In addition to these factors, baldness varies by country, region and ethnicity as evidenced by the 24 of the 47 countries with the highest percentage of bald men which are in the west. People in these countries may be more prone to hair loss due to genetics and account for about half of the list, the data shows. However, the data also reveals hair loss is not limited to Western countries and is a global reality, with countries in different regions such as South America (Brazil and Argentina), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates), Asia (Japan and India), Africa (South Africa and Egypt) and even Russia showing significant percentages of male hair loss.

Why do Western countries have more bald heads than Eastern countries? Research shows Caucasian men are more genetically predisposed to experience male pattern hair loss. Dietary habits also play a crucial role in hair health, with many people in Western countries over-consuming meat and processed foods which lack essential vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair growth. This results in a lack of nutrients such as vitamins B12, D. Lifestyle also influences the behaviour of hair growth, with high levels of stress, sedentary habits and limited exposure to sunlight contributing to hair loss.

Western countries having slightly older populations on average also causes an increase in the number of people with baldness. In the UK, for example, the average age of men is 40, while some Asian countries such as Indonesia and India, which have lower rates of baldness, tend to have younger populations.

But beyond data, hair health is increasingly becoming a major concern among the population, as a recent study shows almost 20% of citizens see alopecia as a problem. This has led to an increase in the number of hair transplant clinics around the world. According to Medihair data in 2021, approximately 3.4 million people worldwide had some form of hair transplant. This figure is even more striking when compared to 2019, when the number of people who had hair transplants was around 2.6 million.

But there are those who are proud of their bald heads. In fact, a study by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania claims bald men are more attractive to women, as they give off a greater image of masculinity, power, strength and leadership.

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Spain (44.5%)

Italy (44.37%)

France (44.25%)

United States (42.68%)

Germany (41.51%)

Croatia (41.32%)

Canada (40.94%)

Czech Republic (40.90%)

Australia (40.80%)

Norway (40.75%)

New Zealand (40.19%)

United Kingdom (40.09%)

Turkey (40.03%)

Mexico (39.75%)

Saudi Arabia (39.75%)

Ireland (38.65%)

Switzerland (38.53%)

Russia (38.28%)

United Arab Emirates (38.10%)

Hungary (37.86%)

Belgium (36.04%)

Brazil (35.71%)

Japan (35.69%)

Sweden (35.14%)

Iran (35.03%)

Finland (34.52%)

Greece (34.23%)

Chile (34.07%)

India (34.06%)

Pakistan (33.64%)

Portugal (33.57%)

Israel (33.56%)

Austria (33.44%)

South Africa (33.13%)

Netherlands (32.99%)

Egypt (32.46%)

South Korea (32.27%)

Poland (31.78%)

Denmark (31.61%)

Thailand (30.94%)

Ukraine (30.86%)

China (30.81%)

Argentina (29.35%)

Malaysia (29.24%)

Philippines (28%)

Colombia (27.04%)

Indonesia (26.96%)