Mount Everest grows about 4 millimeters taller every year.

The Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate began colliding about 50 million years ago. The Indian Plate moves north at about 5 centimeters each year. As it pushes under the Eurasian Plate, it forces the ground to rise. This process is called tectonic uplift.Scientists use GPS sensors placed on the mountain to track this movement. In 2020, researchers from Nepal and China measured the official height at 8,848.86 meters. This was slightly higher than previous records. The height changes because of both plate movement and earthquakes.The mountain does not just grow. Wind, ice, and gravity wear down the surface through erosion. The 4 millimeter growth is the height gained after erosion is subtracted. Some events, like the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, can actually make parts of the mountain drop quickly.Gravity eventually limits how tall a mountain can get. If a mountain becomes too heavy, its base will start to collapse under the pressure. At the current rate, Everest could grow much taller over the next million years.