The closest contender for the top spot is perhaps Nanga Parbat, a neighbour to Everest located in the Pakistani Himalayan range, which is 8,126m (26,660ft) tall and growing at 7mm (0.27in) per year. In 241,000 years it could overtake Everest to be the tallest mountain on Earth, provided rates of erosion don't change.

In terms of geological growth, Mount Everest is actually still growing at a rate of about 4 millimeters per year due to the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. However, when looking for the "next" tallest based on different measurements, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is technically taller than Everest if measured from its underwater base to its peak (standing at over 33,500 feet). Looking further into the future or outside of sea-level constraints, Chimborazo in Ecuador is the point on Earth closest to space because of the Earth's equatorial bulge. While plate tectonics could eventually push another Himalayan peak higher than Everest millions of years from now, Everest remains the current king of altitude. In the far distant future, as tectonic plates shift and subduct, entirely new mountain ranges will rise, but for the next few million years, the Himalayas will continue to host the world's highest terrestrial peaks.