What is the official elevation of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain?

Mount Everest’s official elevation is 8,848.86 metres above sea level.

China and Nepal announced this jointly revised height in 2020. The measurement includes the mountain’s snow and ice cap, which can change slightly, while the underlying rock height is different. Earlier official figures included Nepal’s 1954 measurement of 8,848 metres and China’s 1975 figure of 8,848.13 metres.

Everest is part of the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, on the Nepal–China border. Its Nepali name is Sagarmatha, and its Tibetan name is Chomolungma. The summit was first confirmed as reached by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

Everest is the highest point above sea level, but not the farthest point from Earth’s centre: that distinction belongs to Chimborazo in Ecuador because Earth bulges at the equator.