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What are global and regional differences in average penis length and girth?
Executive summary
Data compilations and meta-analyses put the global average erect penis length roughly between about 13.1 cm and 13.9 cm (5.16–5.47 in), with reported country extremes ranging from ~9.4 cm to ~17.6–18.0 cm in various 2025 rankings [1] [2] [3]. Reporting on girth is much scarcer; one 2025 aggregation gives a global average girth near 11.7–11.8 cm (4.59 in) but country-level girth maps are uncommon and less reliable than length figures [2] [4].
1. Why these headline numbers vary — measurement, sampling and correction
Published country lists and visual maps rely on many different underlying studies that used different methods: self-reports, clinician-measured samples, small regional studies and large meta-analyses. Self-reported figures tend to overstate length (Data Pandas adjusted some countries downward by about 1.3 cm when correcting self-reports) and aggregators explicitly note methodological heterogeneity when creating global averages [1] [5]. VisualCapitalist’s map and other 2025 infographics are based on these mixed sources and therefore reflect compiled, not uniformly measured, data [6].
2. Regional patterns reported in recent 2025 compilations
Multiple 2025 compilations identify clusters where higher averages appear more often — parts of sub‑Saharan Africa and some South American countries frequently appear near the top of country rankings, while many East and Southeast Asian countries report lower averages in those same compilations [1] [7]. For example, Data Pandas’ adjusted ranking places several African countries and Ecuador among the longest averages, while Thailand and some Southeast Asian entries appear near the low end in that dataset [1] [3].
3. Girth: an understudied metric with patchy coverage
Girth receives less systematic attention than length. A 2025 aggregation cited a global average girth near 11.7 cm (4.59 in), but country-level girth comparisons are uncommon and often absent from the larger country-ranking projects that focus on erect length [2] [4]. WorldPopulationReview and Little Big Data compile some girth figures but emphasize that country-by-country girth data is sparse and depends heavily on the few studies that measured circumference directly [4] [5].
4. Scientific pushback and nuance: race and regional explanations
Several sources warn against simple racial or geographic determinism. WorldPopulationReview cites a 2014 U.S. study that found less than an inch of difference across racial groups in the U.S., and a 2025 Chinese meta-analysis reported no significant difference in erect length or circumference between Chinese men and a global reference population [5] [8]. Compilers still note “regional trends,” but also acknowledge the effects of measurement practices, small samples and publication bias — meaning apparent country-to-country differences can be exaggerated by how and where data were collected [5] [1].
5. Time trends and possible growth over decades
A systematic review and meta‑analysis covering up to 2021 concluded erect penile length increased about 24% over the prior 29 years after adjustments for region, age and population type — a finding that suggests temporal change as well as geographic variation, although the authors note limitations in regional granularity because many studies omit precise provenance [9].
6. How to interpret rankings and what they don’t tell you
Rankings that list “biggest” and “smallest” countries are eye-catching but should be read as approximate, composite snapshots built from studies with varying quality and measurement standards [6] [1]. Many compilers explicitly say the data are “not representative” for some countries because of small sample sizes or self-reports; infographics often conflate corrected and uncorrected numbers without always making that distinction clear [1] [3].
7. Practical takeaway for readers
The broad, evidence-backed takeaways are: pooled global erect-length averages cluster around ~13.1–13.9 cm; country extremes reported by aggregators can differ by many centimeters but are influenced by method and sampling; girth data exist but are far less complete; and high‑profile claims about race or region explaining size are disputed or nuanced in the underlying studies [1] [2] [8] [5]. Available sources do not mention definitive biological mechanisms that explain the full pattern of differences at country level beyond notes about genetics, nutrition and measurement artifacts [1] [9].