Penis size by country
Executive summary
Global data on average erect penis length cluster tightly around roughly 13–14 cm (5.1–5.5 in), with most country-level estimates falling within a medically “normal” range and only modest regional differences reported in aggregate datasets (World Population Review; Veale review) [1] [2]. Published country rankings—often led by Ecuador and several Central African nations and showing smaller averages across much of East and Southeast Asia—draw on mixed data sources and inconsistent methods, so rankings should be treated as suggestive rather than definitive (Data Pandas; WorldData) [3] [4].
1. What the numbers say: a narrow global middle
Multiple syntheses and compilations place the mean erect penis length in the 13–14 cm range, with a frequently cited systematic review finding an average erect length of about 13.12 cm (5.17 in) when measured by clinicians (Wikipedia citing the 2015 review; World Population Review summary) [2] [1]. Aggregated country lists compiled by data sites produce global averages near 13.1–13.6 cm depending on included sources, underscoring a relatively compact global distribution rather than wild variance (WorldData; Data Pandas) [4] [3].
2. Country rankings and headline leaders
Several public rankings repeatedly put Ecuador, parts of Central and West Africa, and a handful of Latin American countries at the top—Data Pandas reports Ecuador around 17.59 cm and WorldData reports a top-of-list figure near 17.6 cm—while Thailand, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries appear near the bottom in some compilations (Data Pandas; WorldData; NowPatient summaries) [3] [4] [5]. These point estimates generate attention, but they come from pooled, variably sourced datasets rather than uniform, nationally representative clinical surveys [3].
3. Why comparisons are fragile: methods, samples and bias
The literature and aggregator sites repeatedly warn that measurement method matters: studies using clinician-measured penises report lower averages than self-reported surveys, and sample sizes vary dramatically by country—some countries have thousands of measured men, others only a few dozen—so national “averages” can reflect volunteer bias, measurement technique and small samples rather than a true population mean (Veale review; Data Pandas; NowPatient; WorldData) [2] [3] [5] [4]. Several sources explicitly caution that self-reporting inflates sizes and that inconsistent measurement points (base vs. mid-shaft, pre-pubic fat pad compression) further complicate cross-country comparability [5] [6] [2].
4. Regional patterns and what they may mean
Aggregated maps and analyses detect broad regional patterns—higher reported averages across parts of South America and Africa and lower averages across East and Southeast Asia—but these patterns are described as modest trends rather than ironclad biological rules, and authors note environmental, genetic and methodological explanations remain entangled (VisualCapitalist; Data Pandas; WorldData) [7] [3] [4]. Compilations stress that differences are generally smaller than popular stereotypes suggest and do not reliably predict fertility, sexual behavior or health outcomes (World Population Review; WorldData) [1] [4].
5. Change over time and scientific debate
A systematic meta-analysis finds erect penile length increased significantly between 1992 and 2021 (around a 24% increase when adjusting for covariates), a finding that raises questions about cohort effects, measurement changes and publication patterns rather than simple biological change—authors flag the need for cautious interpretation and further study (PMC/PubMed meta-analysis) [8] [9]. The existence of temporal trends underscores that datasets are not static and that newer compilations may shift rankings and averages as methods and sample mixes evolve [8].
6. Bottom line and reporting limits
Country-by-country “rankings” exist and attract attention, but they rest on heterogeneous sources: clinician-measured population studies, self-reports, and small surveys that are patched together by aggregator sites—World Population Review, Data Pandas and others compile these figures and explicitly note limitations—so the most defensible conclusion is that global average erect length sits around 13–14 cm with modest regional variation and large uncertainty around any single country estimate [1] [3] [4] [2]. Where precise, representative national surveys are absent, definitive country rankings are unreliable; available sources acknowledge this limitation rather than pretending to certainty [3] [6].