Map reveals the 20 countries where men around the world are most likely to be bald – and US and UK’s rank might shock you

The countries with the highest numbers of bald men have been revealed, with both the US and UK cracking the top 10. 

Figures compiled by World Population Review, based on data from Vantage Hair Clinic, revealed the 21 baldest countries, many of which had large Caucasian populations, a group that tends to lose their hair faster than other races. 

Researchers found men in the Czech Republic had the smoothest heads, with more than 40 percent of its adult male population suffering from hair loss.

The UK is the fifth-baldest country, with 39.2 percent of men experiencing some degree of hair loss, while the US took the eighth spot at 38 percent.

Researchers found that men in the Czech Republic had the smoothest heads, with more than 40 percent being bald

Male pattern hair loss occurs when excessive amounts of the sex hormone dihydrotestosterone are produced, which interferes with the hair’s growth cycle

According to the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA), 95 percent of hair loss in men is caused by androgenetic alopecia, also known as male-pattern baldness.

This is an inherited trait that gives men a receding hairline and thinning crown. It’s caused by a genetic sensitivity to a byproduct in testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). 

Hair follicles sensitive to DHT shrink over time, slashing the lifespan of each hair until the follicles stop producing hair altogether. 

The chance of going bald increases with age. That’s because as men age, testosterone converts to DHT, so those with a sensitivity to it tend to eventually lose their hair. 

According to the AHLA, 85 percent of men will have significantly thinner hair by age 50, and 25 percent will start balding before they reach 21. 

Some research suggests Caucasian men are more likely to go bald than other races. 

Additionally, a 2019 review in the journal Dermatology and Therapy suggested that deficiencies in vitamins B12 and D, biotin, riboflavin, and iron could be responsible for hampering hair growth. 

In all 21 countries analyzed, at least one-quarter of the adult male population was noticeably balding or completely bald. 

It’s unclear what the age cut-off was in the data.  

In the Czech Republic, which has a baldness rate of 42.8 percent, the vast majority of the population is Caucasian, putting them at a higher likelihood of losing their hair.

Diet may also be a factor. Czech cuisine is heavy in thick soups and stews, meat dishes, and starches, as well as beer. These foods are significantly less likely to have high amounts of vitamins and minerals needed for hair growth.

A 2018 review in the journal Nutrients found 95 percent of the surveyed population in the Czech Republic was vitamin D deficient. 

The UK is the fifth-baldest country, with 39.2 percent of men having hair lost. 

Similar to the Czech Republic, race could be a factor. Census data from 2021 found that 82 percent of the population in England and Wales is Caucasian.

A survey published earlier this year by Vitall found that 60 percent of Britons are low in vitamin D, and one in five are deficient. And one in 10 Britons over age 75 are deficient in vitamin B12, another vital nutrient for hair growth. 

This is because the UK, like the Czech Republic, boasts a meat-and-potatoes diet, which could cause Britons to miss out on certain nutrients. 

For example, a study conducted last year found nine in 10 British teenagers don’t eat enough vegetables, which are high in vitamins B12 and D. 

Meanwhile, the US came in eighth place in the rankings. 

The US is another predominantly Caucasian nation- 75 percent of Americans identified as ‘white only’ in the latest census data- with several nutrient deficiencies. 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 42 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient. 

Additionally, only one in ten American adults get the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

New Zealand rounded out the bottom of the list, with about 29 percent of men having bald heads.

While New Zealand is also predominately Caucasian, the country does have a large Maori population, an indigenous Polynesian group, who are less likely to go bald than white men.

The average age of men in New Zealand is 36 years old, slightly younger than the US, at 37 years old, and the UK, at 40, which could contribute to the lower baldness rates.