Average Penis Size: What the Data Really Says (and Why It Doesn’t Matter as Much as You Think)
Concerned about your penis size? You’re not alone—and you’re probably closer to average than you think. Plenty of men want to know how they measure up compared with the rest of the world, and we’ve even got a semi-reliable answer.
When it comes to the average penis size, a 2014 review found the average erect penis length is approximately 5.2 in. (13.12 cm.), with a circumference (a circular measurement around the penis) of around 4.6 in. (11.66 cm.).
The average flaccid penis size (which did not correlate with erect penile size) is around 3.6 in., or 9.16 cm., from base to tip, with an average circumference of around 3.7 in., or 9.31 cm.
Here’s the thing: these numbers don’t tell you that much about your penis and how you use it, and they don’t tell you anything about you as a person.
Still, you might wonder: Does this information actually matter to your partner? Should it matter all that much to you? Is there anything you can do about it?
Read on to find out more.
How Do We Determine Average Penis Size?
What is the average penis size?
It’s a question most guys wonder from time to time. And while average penis size varies drastically across the pretty massive spectrum of eight billion humans around the world, researchers have tried their best to give us some ballpark numbers.
Most of this research suggests that people’s perceptions about the normal penis size are, to put it mildly, not totally realistic. It also indicates that many men are far more concerned about their penis size than their female partners are.
For instance, the study mentioned above (5.2 in. for the average erect penile length and 3.6 in. for the average flaccid length) should come as a relief to many of us. This confirms that the “six-inch standard” promoted in media and casual conversation isn’t the reality of the average penis size in America.
And to determine those numbers, researchers measured over 15,000 penises by their average flaccid penis length and erect length, and circumference.
But even with that large sample size, there's no telling how accurate their findings were. And it’s just one study — there are a lot more for us to look at.
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What’s the Average Penis Size? What the Data Tells Us
Occasionally worrying about whether you have a normal-sized penis is, well, normal. We all feel self-conscious from time to time. But feeling persistently anxious or being excessively concerned about the average male penis size is a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
And if you have an unhealthy obsession specifically with your penis size, that’s considered a specific form of BDD called penile dysmorphic disorder, or PDD.
This mismatch between perceived penis size and actual penis size might not seem like that big of a deal on the surface, but it may contribute to feelings of anxiety, frustration, and insecurity for many men who feel like their penis isn’t big enough.
In an article published in Sexual Medicine, men who are diagnosed with BDD due to their perceived penis size are excessively preoccupied and may repeatedly check and compare their penis to others’ penises. These same individuals tend to experience distress in their social and work lives due to their preoccupation with the topic.
Some men can also develop what’s called small penis anxiety (SPA), which is a syndrome when men are dissatisfied or constantly worried about the size of their penis, even when their measurements fall well within the typical range. Men with this condition often feel hopeless, have low self-esteem, and may develop performance anxiety.
Does Penis Size Really Matter?
Does size matter? Probably not as much as you think.
The size of your penis can seem like a big deal, but there’s plenty of research out there that suggests penis size isn’t that important — especially for heterosexual partners.
In a 2015 study of penis size and sexual attraction, researchers found that only 27 percent of women from the 75-person study had ended a relationship due (at least in part) to a difference between their preferred penis size and the size of their partner.
Researchers in that study asked participants to compare 33 different 3D models of phalluses and answer questions based on their preferences. The general preference was somewhat above the average for both one-night stands and relationships (6.4 vs. 6.3 in.).
As for the preferences of gay partners, there’s not as much scientifically collected data. However, a survey conducted by the organisation LGBT Hero of over 500 men found that while nearly 40 percent of men surveyed had anxiety about the size of their penis, almost 50 percent said penis size did not matter.
In other words, regardless of who’s being asked, the question of whether penis size matters varies from person to person — kind of like penises.
Small vs. Average Size Penis
All of that said, some circumstances might cause an indisputably small or hidden penis, like genetic predispositions, congenital issues, or even certain environmental factors. This is a men’s health issue, and one that you deserve and should receive help with.
Let’s take a closer look at two of these circumstances.
Micropenis
Micropenis is a clinical condition in which a penis is more than 2.5 standard deviations smaller than the average size.
Micropenis is a fairly rare condition. According to an article published in the Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology, about 1.5 out of every 10,000 male children born in the United States between 1997 and 2000 displayed signs of micropenis.
A variety of factors can play a role in the development of micropenis, including hormonal issues and congenital syndromes.
Buried Penis
Buried penis occurs when a penis is “buried” and partially hidden due to skin and fat from the abdomen, thigh, or scrotum. This obstructs the visibility of your penis, even if it’s average-sized.
Buried penis is usually caused by obesity. However, other factors and sexual health problems can also play a role in the development of buried penis, including elective surgery procedures, traumatic genital events, infections, and skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus.
Micropenis and buried penis are both recognised medical conditions, and it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider if you think you might be affected by either one. They can help you develop a treatment plan that may include topical hormonal treatments or surgery.
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Other Factors That May Affect Penis Size
Of course, other factors can influence your penile dimensions, but many can be addressed. Some of these factors include:
Hormones. Insufficient hormone levels during growth and development (like testosterone) can significantly impact the size of your penis.
Obesity. The point of taking care of your physique isn’t just to look good. In fact, obesity can cause conditions like a buried penis.
Smoking. Will smoking affect your penis size? No. However, smoking and erectile dysfunction have a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Smokers often have decreased blood circulation, which leads to difficulties maintaining an erection. Now, we’re no scientists, but we’d argue that you can’t measure your erect penis if your penis can’t get erect.
Nutrition. No, eating your veggies won’t add inches — but nutrition does affect sexual health. And like our point above about smoking and erection quality, being able to get hard and stay hard is the basis for understanding your true penis length.
Age. Various age-related changes can also cause the penis to get smaller over time. Some of these may be addressed with the help of a healthcare professional.
Can You Increase Your Penis Size?
So, is there anything you can do to add some length or girth? Well, maybe — but we’re not sure we’d recommend it.
Although there are various “techniques” for increasing penis size, most don’t appear to offer long-term benefits. Some of the most common potential penis enlargement practices include:
Jelqing
Penis enlargement surgery
Penis pumps
Maintaining a healthy body weight
Medications
Here’s more info about how they work and why they might not work for you.
Jelqing
“Jelqing” is a penis stretching exercise that involves incrementally stretching the penis to create micro-tears in the skin tissue. Self-reported experiments do seem to say that this technique for augmentation by stretching can increase the size of a penis, but that’s primarily supported by anecdotal claims online, not clinical research.
Unfortunately, studies mostly show that it doesn’t work. Worse, excessive jelqing can cause issues like genital bruising and scar tissue buildup, creating a whole new set of problems for your penis.
Penis Enlargement Surgery
Surgical options can deliver some results — if you’re willing to go under the knife. A few of the most common penis enlargement surgical procedures are severing a ligament in your penis, prosthetic implants, and fat transfer surgery.
But while these surgeries may offer a small amount of increased average penis girth and/or length, there are high risks that are associated with them, as well as high price tags. These risks may outweigh the potential reward for you.
Penis Pumps
Penis pumps, also known as vacuum pumps or vacuum erection devices, are tube-shaped instruments designed to improve blood flow to the penis through the creation of suction pressure. While they’re commonly used as an ED treatment option (they’re actually pretty effective there!), they don’t lead to a larger penis.
Not only do pumps not make you bigger, but they come with some pretty rough side effects when used incorrectly, including bruising, penis pain, and even ischemia — a medical condition in which your tissues become damaged by lack of blood flow. Ouch.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
A more natural and safer way to increase your penis size is to maintain a healthy weight. When fat accumulates near your lower abdomen, it can conceal part of your penis and make it look shorter, both to yourself and your sexual partners.
You can maintain a healthy body weight by staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, monitoring your total caloric intake, and staying hydrated. If you need more support, consider looking into weight loss treatments.
Medications
You can improve your sexual function regardless of your current size by treating issues like erectile dysfunction.
Medications such as Viagra Connect® (sildenafil) and Cialis® (tadalafil) work by increasing blood flow to the erectile tissues inside your penis. This helps you to maintain firmer, more consistent erections.
Hims offers access to several ED medications online, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate for you.
How to Measure Your Penis Accurately
While we’re not really in the business of making men feel inadequate, we also understand that if you have concerns about the size of your penis, you may want to measure it and see how you compare to others.
How to Measure Penis Length
Scientists and urologists use a few different methods to measure the length of your penis. The main difference between them is whether you’re erect and pressing the measuring device into the body (which controls for varying levels of body fat and approximates deep penetrative sex) or if you’re flaccid and stretching the penis. Here are some options:
BPEL (Bone-Pressed Erection Length): The Scientific Standard
Position a measuring device (tape measure, ruler, etc.) on top of your erect penis and snug it up to where your penis attaches to your body.
Press into your body until you hit something hard. That's your pubic bone.
Measure to the end of the glans (penis tip), excluding the foreskin.
NBPEL (Non-Bone Pressed Erection Length): Like BPEL, But Not Pressed into the Body
Place a measuring device on top of your erect penis and slide it to where your penis attaches to your body.
Measure base to tip, excluding foreskin.
Flaccid Stretched: A Convenient Erection Length Estimation
While standing, lift your flaccid penis so it is parallel to the floor and perpendicular to your body.
Position the measuring device on top of your flaccid penis and stretch with a gentle but firm force.
Measure to the end of your penis tip, excluding the foreskin.
How to Measure Penis Girth
Erect Girth: The Scientific Standard
Carefully wrap a flexible measuring tape or other material (dental floss, strip of paper, etc.) around the widest point of your erect shaft, excluding the head of the penis, until it overlaps.
Read the measuring tape where it overlaps, or carefully note this point on the other material and measure it on a flat surface with your ruler.
Flaccid Girth: Your Resting Circumference
Wrap a flexible measuring device around a flaccid shaft until it overlaps.
Read the measuring tape or note the length of the other material.
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The Bottom Line on Average Penis Size
It’s normal to feel concerned about your penis size occasionally. However, it’s important not to let these worries get out of proportion and hurt what really matters: your self-confidence.
Contrary to popular belief, the average size of the penis isn’t that big, and it’s likely your partner is perfectly happy with what you’ve got.
To summarise the key takeaways about penis size and to answer the age-old question, “What’s the average penis size?” here are the big takeaways:
“Average” is smaller than you think. The average-sized erect penis is probably much smaller than you think — 5.2 in., give or take.
There are some contributing factors to be aware of. Issues like micropenis, buried penis, obesity, and even age can all affect the size of your penis.
Your partner probably doesn’t care that much. We know it might be surprising to hear, but your partner likely values many things more than penis size., but there are many more important things out there than the size of your penis. Surprising, but backed by research. Surveys show that women may not care about penis size as much as you may think they do.
Still, if you’re interested in improving your sexual stamina and having harder erections, visit your healthcare provider. If you are feeling anxious, depressed, or uncomfortable because of your penis size, you may also benefit from mental health interventions like counselling.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.