Measuring living standards from the lowest: Height of the male Hangryu deceased in colonial Korea

► We investigate the living standards in Korea during the colonial period (1910-1945). ► We explore the height of the Hangryu deceased, a dead person who did not have any acquaintances to claim the body. ► We find that the height of male Hangryu deceased, ages 25 to 30, increased by 2.2 cm during the colonial period. ► The result implies that biological living standards in Korea improved during the colonial period.