New research shows living in a city may no longer be a significant advantage for children and teens’ growth and development.

A recent study from the Imperial College London shows that the advantages of living in cities for children and teens’ growth are decreasing across much of the world, according to a new global analysis of trends in child and adolescent height and body mass index, or BMI.

Previously, benefits associated with cities, like more options for education, health care, nutrition and recreation, correlated to schoolage children and adolescents in cities being taller than those living in more rural areas, for much of the 20th century.

In the 21st century, however, kids in rural areas grew taller, reducing the urbanites’ height advantage.

And, although height and BMI have increased around the world since 1990, the researchers found that the degree of change between urban and rural areas was most notable between middle- and low-income countries. By contrast, small urban-rural differences remained much the same across high-income countries.

For example, in emerging economies in countries like Chile and Taiwan, rural children’s height saw some of the biggest gains.

The study’s findings also point to the widespread benefits that can occur when countries make policies that counter poverty and make nutritious foods more widely available and affordable.

So, whether one grows up in a metropolis or a one-stoplight town might not be the difference-maker. It could be the economy and government policies that help kids reach higher.