Scientists determine the most accurate estimate of the average penis size
A global study of over 15,000 penises gathered all available data on penile length and girth to provide the best average yet.
In order to alleviate the worry of men who are concerned about their penis size despite being within the ‘normal’ range, researchers from King’s College London in the United Kingdom devised a more precise average measurement for both flaccid and erect penises. What was the issue with previous estimates? They’ve frequently depended on self-reporting, and no one is surprised that when it comes to penis size, self-reporting is the quickest path to Inaccurate Town.
“People have a tendency to overestimate themselves,” lead author and psychiatrist David Veale told Science’s David Shultz. “[Men] appear to have a warped view of what [size] other men are and what they imagine they should be.”
“It still amazes me how many men have doubts, fears, and concerns regarding the size of their own penis. We do, in fact, require strong data on the subject “According to Debra Herbenick, a behavioral scientist at Indiana University in the United States who was not engaged in the study,
So, for their investigation, the team gathered data from 17 different academic papers on 15,521 men’s measures taken by clinicians around the world using standardised measuring protocols. This means measuring from the pubic bone to the tip of the distal glans, not including any fat around the pubic area or foreskin length. Girth can be measured around the base or around the middle. (In case you want to join in at home.)
When they combined everything they discovered into one large graph, it became clear where the outliers were and where the average lay.
The average flaccid penis is 9.16 cm (3.61 inches) long, while an average erect penis is 13.12 cm (5.16 inches) long, according to the study, which was published today in the British Journal of Urology International. Girth for an average flaccid penis is 9.31 cm (3.66 inches) and 11.66 cm (4.59 inches) for an average erect penis.
Who are the outliers? “A 16-cm (6.3-inch) erect penis falls into the 95th percentile: just five men out of 100 would have a penis larger than 16 cm,” according to the AFP. “On the other hand, an erect penis measuring 10 cm (3.94 inches) falls into the 5th percentile: just five out of every 100 males have a penis smaller than 10 cm.”
While these new measurements may be good news for guys who now fall into the ‘average’ category, the team is quick to stress out that individuals who do not have much to worry about. In the paper, they conclude:
In a large Internet survey of 52,031 heterosexual men and women, 85 percent of women were pleased with their partner’s penis size, but only 55 percent of men were pleased with their own. As a result, just 15% of women believe erect penis size is important, and erect girth is generally more important than length. It is unknown how many of the 15% of women were also partnered with a man who thought he was too small. Such preferences may differ in the homosexual community as well.
Oh, and those questions regarding whether finger length, foot size, age, and other factors influence penis size? The team also searched the scientific literature for linkages, but found them to be inconsistent or weak. So, if you have small shoes, wear them with pride since they mean nothing.
