Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAverage SizeInfluencesWhat’s Attractive?Augmentation

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Average Size

Influences

What’s Attractive?

Augmentation

Iuri Gagarin / Getty Images

A man holds a measuring tape at groin level.

What Is the Average Penis Size?

For a 2021 study published in the journalAndrologia, researchers asked 4,685 young Italian men to measure and self-report their penis sizes.

According to this study, the average penis size is roughly:

In contrast, a review of 10 studies involving self-reported measurements, and 11 studies involving objective measurements, found the average erect penis length to be 5.3 inches.A similar worldwide review found the average erect penis length to be 5.16 inches.

Taken all together, the average erect penis size is probably around 5 to 6 inches in length. Although, it’s clear more consistent and objective penis size studies are needed.

How Much Does a Penis Grow?

Is Penis Size Genetic?

But genetics aren’t the only influencing factor. Any of the following could also impact penis size over the course of one’s lifetime:

Interestingly, a study of 55,761 males found that the average erect penis length increased from 4.8 inches in 1942 to 6 inches in 2021. That is a 24% increase in length over 29 years.

Researchers suggest the increase could be linked to environmental pollutants, increasingsedentary lifestyles, and other factors that could be causing reproductive-related changes.

Does Height Correlate with Penis Size?Some evidence suggests that taller people may have longer and thicker penises, on average, than shorter men. There is also evidence that increases inbody mass index(BMI) can lead to decreases in penis length and girth.

Does Height Correlate with Penis Size?

Some evidence suggests that taller people may have longer and thicker penises, on average, than shorter men. There is also evidence that increases inbody mass index(BMI) can lead to decreases in penis length and girth.

What Is the Most Attractive Penis Size?

According to a 2015 study inPLoS One,cisgenderwomen shown photographs of erect penises preferred an average penis size of 6.4 inches for a one-night sex partner. For a long-term partner, the preference was only slightly smaller at 6.3 inches.

A 2023 study looked to understand how people using dating apps perceive images of a person’s penis before meeting up with them. Researchers found that users make judgments about personality and sexual appeal based on features like penis size and hair.

Specifically, they found that wider, longer, and moderately hairy penises were assigned more positive traits like extraverted, conscientious, attractive, and better in bed. Meanwhile, shorter, narrower penises were associated with more negative traits likeneuroticism.

The study highlights the importance of first impressions in online dating and sexually explicit content, suggesting that sending “nudes” to a potential match might lead them to make inaccurate judgments about your overall personality and attractiveness before you even meet.

What Penis Size Is Considered Big?There’s no clear agreement on what constitutes a “big” penis size. Various sociocultural factors influence penis size perceptions, including peer comparisons and pornography.Data from pornography sites shows that these sites often advertise exceptionally huge penises, which can mislead people into thinking normal penis sizes are much bigger than they really are.

What Penis Size Is Considered Big?

There’s no clear agreement on what constitutes a “big” penis size. Various sociocultural factors influence penis size perceptions, including peer comparisons and pornography.Data from pornography sites shows that these sites often advertise exceptionally huge penises, which can mislead people into thinking normal penis sizes are much bigger than they really are.

Can You Make Your Penis Bigger?

Here’s what you can and cannot do about the size of your penis:

What works:V-Y plasty, a surgery to increase penis length, is typically performed formicropenisor Peyronie’s disease. The surgery involves cutting the ligament that anchors the penis to the pelvic bone. However, it can destabilize the penis and cause discomfort during an erection.

What doesn’t work:Diet, pills, and exercise do not affect penis size, nor do penis enlargement devices like pumps, which provide minimal results, if any. Improper use of these products can lead to injuries that permanently impair or numb the penis. Similarly, fat injections might slightly increase girth or length but can cause deformity or instability.

Is Penis Enlargement Surgery Worth It?

Summary

19 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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Solé M, González IT, Compagnucci M, et al.Reference penile size measurement and correlation with other anthropometric dimensions: a prospective study in 800 men.Asian J Androl. 2022;24(6):620-623. doi:10.4103/aja2021121

Belladelli F, Giudice FD, Glover F, et al.Worldwide temporal trends in penile length: a systematic review and meta-analysis.World J Mens Health. 2023. doi:10.5534/wjmh.220203

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Hehemann MC, Towe M, Huynh LM, El-Khatib FM, Yafi FA.Penile girth enlargement strategies: what’s the evidence?.Sex Med Rev. 2019 Jul;7(3):535-47. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2018.11.003

Campbell J, Gillis J.A review of penile elongation surgery.Transl Androl Urol. 2017 Feb;6(1):69–78. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.11.19

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