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Average USA flaccid effect penis girth

Checked on November 23, 2025
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Executive summary

Measured studies report average flaccid girth (circumference) around 9.3 cm (3.66–3.7 in) and average erect girth around 11.66 cm (4.59 in) in pooled professional measurements; one large synthesis of 15,521 men gives flaccid circumference ≈9.31 cm and erect ≈11.66 cm [1] [2]. Some clinical summaries and patient-facing sites round those figures to about 3.7 in flaccid and 4.5–4.8 in erect girth; reporting varies by study methods and whether measurements were taken by clinicians or self‑reported [3] [4] [5].

1. What the best-measured studies report — numbers and source

A 2015 systematic review of studies in which health professionals measured men found average flaccid circumference ≈9.31 cm (3.67 in) and average erect circumference ≈11.66 cm (4.59 in); that review underpins multiple summaries and encyclopedic writeups (Wikipedia cites the review and the Science article synopsizing it) [1] [2]. WebMD and other mainstream medical summaries cite the same professional-measurement figures for flaccid girth ~9.31 cm (3.67 in) [4].

2. Large-sample summaries and clinic guidance — slightly different framing

The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (summarizing aggregated studies) reports an average flaccid circumference of about 3.7 inches and an average erect circumference of about 4.5 inches from a study sample of over 15,000 men; SMSNA’s figures are broadly consistent with the systematic review but use different rounding and a different composite dataset [3]. MedicalNewsToday and VerywellHealth cite erect girths near 11.66–12.2 cm (4.59–4.8 in) depending on whether they report the measured average or preferred sizes from partner‑preference studies [5] [6].

3. Why different sources give different numbers — measurement and reporting biases

Studies that rely on self-reported measurements usually produce larger averages than those measured by clinicians; the 2015 professional-measurement review and subsequent reporting emphasize clinician-measured values as more reliable [1]. Also, some pieces report “preferred” or “ideal” girth from partner‑preference surveys (e.g., women selecting 12.2 cm for a long‑term partner), which is not the same as observed population averages and can inflate lay descriptions [5] [7].

4. What “flaccid” means in practice — variability and context

Flaccid girth varies widely with temperature, arousal, and individual physiology; measured flaccid values are snapshots, not fixed traits. The literature emphasizes that flaccid size is a poor predictor of erect size for many men, and most clinically relevant comparisons use erect measurements for functional questions (the 2015 review and clinical guides note this distinction) [1] [4].

5. How to interpret population averages — distribution and percentiles

Syntheses modeled distributions across thousands of men and show a broad middle with relatively few very small or very large values; for example, analyses in the Science summary present percentile cutoffs tied to the same dataset underpinning the 9.31/11.66 cm figures [2]. That means most men cluster near the averages cited above rather than near extremes.

6. Public reporting, misinformation and commercial agendas

Commercial sites and marketing for enlargement products often present larger numbers or “state averages” that align with consumer expectations; independent medical and academic summaries emphasize clinician-measured data and caution about the limits and risks of enhancement methods [8] [4]. Patient-focused organizations (SMSNA, WebMD) explicitly warn that many marketed treatments lack durable evidence and can cause harm, signaling a possible agenda difference between health sources and promotional sites [3] [4].

7. Limitations in current reporting and what’s not covered

Available sources consistently report clinician-measured flaccid girth near 9.3 cm and erect girth near 11.7 cm, but they do not provide a single, USA‑only flaccid‑girth average isolated from international samples in every case; some summaries pool global data or large multi‑country cohorts, and site‑specific USA breakdowns are not always present in the cited syntheses [1] [2]. If you want a strictly U.S.-only, clinician-measured flaccid-girth mean, available sources do not mention that precise stratification.

8. Practical takeaways and reliable next steps

If you need a medically defensible reference, cite the clinician-measured averages: flaccid circumference ≈9.31 cm (3.66–3.7 in) and erect circumference ≈11.66 cm (4.59 in) from the 2015 synthesis that many medical outlets use [1] [2]. For personal concerns about size or function, consult a qualified clinician rather than commercial products; clinical organizations warn that many enlargement methods lack evidence and can cause harm [3] [4].

Want to dive deeper?
What is the average flaccid penis girth for adult men in the United States?
How does flaccid penis girth vary by age and BMI in U.S. men?
What methods are used in studies to measure flaccid penis girth and how reliable are they?
How does average flaccid girth compare to erect girth among U.S. populations?
Are there regional, ethnic, or health-related differences in flaccid penis girth in the United States?