Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh (Iran, July 13, 2002) is the new shortest human alivemeasures 65.24 cm (2 ft 1.6 in).
He is almost 7 cm shorter than the previous record holder, 36 years old Edward “Nino” Hernandez (Colombia).
Afshin is the fourth smallest man ever verified by Guinness World Records. It was flown to our office in Dubai, where measurements were taken three times over the course of 24 hours, resulting in the accurate record high.
While in Dubai, Afshin enjoyed trips to the tailor and hairdresser before he was able to check something off his bucket list: a visit to the the world’s tallest buildingthe Burj Khalifa.
YT
Afshin was discovered in a remote village in Bukan Province, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. He speaks both Kurdish and Persian and uses the Farsi dialect.
He was born with a body weight of 700 g (1.5 lb) and has now grown to nearly 6.5 kg (14.3 lb).
Afshin’s life in northern Iran was not easy. Afshin was unable to attend school due to his size and struggled with reading and writing. However, he is pleased that he has recently learned to write his name.
“Continued treatment and my son’s physical weakness are the main reasons why he dropped out of college, otherwise he won’t have mental problems,” says Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, Afshin’s father.
Afshin, on the other hand, is adept at using a smartphone, despite finding it difficult to carry around. “Phones are generally heavy to use for a long time, but still I manage,” Afshin told us.
The house Afshin lives in is modest, and although his family works hard, they sometimes struggle to provide enough for his living expenses, medicines and treatment.
Afshin’s short stature prevents him from following in his father’s footsteps as a construction worker; in fact, there are no jobs for Afshin in his village.
He spends most of his days watching cartoons and, more recently, scrolling through social media. He has a friend who helps him interact with followers on his Instagram account @mohamadghaderzadeh_official.
Tom & Jerry is one of Afshin’s favorite cartoons, and while one might assume he identifies with Jerry, Afshin actually prefers Tom the cat.
Afshin also enjoys watching football and supports Esteghlal football club in Iran. His favorite soccer players are fellow Guinness World Records title holders Ali Daei (Iran) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).
Afshin has a very friendly and outgoing personality, which is why he is very popular with the locals. Both his parents and his community call him ‘Mohamad’.
Though happy, Afshin explained that he wished he could live like other people, especially to own and drive a car.
He cannot travel through the village alone; he is always accompanied by one of his parents. Although Afshin can walk unassisted, he sometimes prefers to be carried.
“I know who the tallest man alive is in the world. I could fit in the palms of his hands. – Afshin Gaderzadeh
Buying clothes is always a struggle for superlative people. While it may seem more difficult for tall people to find clothes because they need to be tailored, Afshin also experiences a similar struggle. The only clothes that fit him are those for toddlers, but as a 20-year-old man, Afshin is not a fan of the childish designs, so he wears a tailored suit.
However, Afshin was never able to play a sport like the previous shortest man, Afshin likes to dance. He shows his best dance moves when Iranian-Kurdish music is playing.
As a child, Afshin was not lucky enough to own any Guinness World Records books, but he says human body records are his favorite.
“Just the idea of being part of the Guinness World Records family is like a dream. I sometimes have trouble believing it. It’s like waking up the next day and the whole world now knows who you are. That’s magical,’ Afshin said.
“I like the attention I get from people. It makes me feel special,” he explained.
He may be small, but it sounds like Afshin has big plans for the future: “My dream is to be able to help my parents. This worldwide recognition could help me realize my dream.”
“It was a privilege to meet Afshin and his family and confirm him as the world’s shortest-lived adult male. Judging by the enthusiasm he has shown during his visit to Dubai, he is more than ready to enjoy his new celebrity status.” and become a household name.” – Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief at Guinness World Records
Timeline of the world’s shortest men since 2010
In 2009, the shortest human alive and shortest living woman record titles were split into mobile and not mobile categories to distinguish between those who can walk unassisted and those who cannot.
- April 2010: Edward “Niño” Hernandez confirmed as shortest man lives (mobile) (70.21 cm) after the death of Chinese He Pingping in March 2010
- October 2010: Khagendra Thapa Magar (Nepal) confirmed as shortest man lives (mobile) (67.08 cm) when he turned 18. Before that he was the shortest-lived teenager (male)
- June 2011: Junrey Balawing (Philippines) confirmed as shortest man alive (non-mobile) (59.93cm). Junrey died in July 2020; there is currently no non-mobile record holder.
- February 2012: Chandra Dangi (Nepal) confirmed as the shortest man lives (mobile) and shortest man ever (54.6cm)
- September 2015: On the death of DangiMagar was restored as shortest man lives (mobile)
- February 2020: On the death of Magar (January 17, 2020), Hernandez (72.10 cm) was remeasured and reinstated as shortest man lives (mobile)
- December 2022: Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh (65.24cm) confirmed as the new shortest man lives (mobile)
