What Is the Average Penis Size?

What Is the Average Penis Size?

he average penis size without an erection measures between three and four inches, and the average penis size with an erection is between five and six inches, states Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click. In terms of girth, you’re looking at an average circumference of around three to four inches when flaccid, and between four and five inches when erect.

Want a solid comparison? 

Penis measurements from a total of 15,521 men across the globe published in the British Journal of Urology International concluded that the average length of an erect penis is 13.12 cm (5.16 inches) and 11.66 cm (4.59 inches) in girth.

Are these definitive numbers?

 Absolutely not. Far from it. As as you’re likely well aware, both length and girth size can fluctuate wildly, depending on “your surroundings, and how stimulated you may be”, says Kanani.
“In colder weather, a non-erect penis is usually smaller than usual,” he explains, “because the blood vessels constrict in order to preserve warmth within your body. By the same token, hot weather can increase the size of the non-erect penis as blood vessels dilate and there is better blood flow around your whole body.

“It is also common to experience stronger erections that are slightly larger than usual when you are more stimulated than normal,” he continues. “This is owed to the increased blood supply that your penis receives when you are feeling extra stimulated.”

Micropenis – which is defined as penile length less than two standard deviations below the mean – is rare, affecting just 0.14 per cent of the population. On average, less than 20 per cent of men have a penis larger than 6 inches, says Kanani. Those with a penis size closer to the seven inch mark are considered ‘very large’. Less than 3 per cent of men fall into this bracket.

How to Correctly Measure Your Penis

You can throw numbers around all you like, but if you’re measuring your member incorrectly, they don’t mean a thing. For the most accurate (and comfortable) results, use a soft measuring tape, suggests Kananai.

“Place the edge of the tape where your penis starts by the pubic bone, compressing any fat around that area, and take the tape to the tip,” he says. “To measure girth, wrap the tape around the penis towards the middle.”

Now you’ve got that down, here’s how not to measure your penis: by comparing it to the length of your index finger, the size of your feet, the size of your testicles, or the model of your car. The only vaguely reliable indicator is height, and even the science behind that is shaky.

“The most consistent and strongest significant indicator of penis size was height, based on four studies in a systematic review," says Arie Parnham, consultant urologist at Pall Mall Medical. “However, it’s worth noting that the correlation was weak, and would not be a practical way to estimate penis length.”

Does Size Matter?

The cliche persists for a reason: it’s not how big it is, but what you do with it that counts, something any sexual partner will attest to. You don’t need a degree in female anatomy to locate her most sensitive areas: namely the clitoris and the G-spot, “which can both be stimulated and reached with a ‘small penis’,” says Kanani.

Take it from porn star and sex columnist Kayden Kross, who insists women don't judge men by the size of their penis, but by their sexual performance. “A notable number of women tend to say that those men who believe they have large dicks tend to also believe that all they need to do is show up,” she wrote for Nylon, “while men who don’t believe they have large dicks tend to make up for it by actually trying to learn about what pleases a woman in bed.”

You’ve probably been too preoccupied with the measurements of your member to even consider the depth of the average vagina, but it’s between three and four inches long, with the potential to expand when aroused. Which, when you think about it, makes total sense. Measurements aside, the emotional foundations of your relationship have a greater influence on your sex life, says Parnham.

“An internet based study of heterosexual men and women found that 85 per cent of women were satisfied with their partner’s penis size,” he explains. "Only 15 per cent of women polled said erect penis length was important. Erect girth is generally considered to be more important than length.”

There's a study to prove it. Researchers from the University of California and the University of Mexico quizzed 75 women to find out their penile preferences. The ideal size for a long-term partner was 6.3 inches in length, 4.8 inches in girth.