Average pen!s size: the long and short of it

Average penis size. You’ve thought about it, we’ve thought about it, and the truth is it’s really not worth worrying about. Especially since most of the claims around an average man’s member are a load of bollocks.

At least they used to be until a pioneering study claimed to have definitively established the average penis size. Named “Am I Normal?” this collaboration between King's College London and the NHS collated the professional measurements of the penis length and girth of 15,521 men in 20 worldwide projects.

So here’s the scientifically-verified lowdown on everything you need to know about average penis size.

What is the average penis size?

According to the “Am I Normal?” study, 5.16 inches (13.1cm) is the average length of a penis when erect. And as for the average girth of a penis? That’s a circumference of 4.59in (11.6cm).

Since most men don’t walk around with a constant spring in their step, the study also measured the average length of a flaccid penis which was 3.61 inches (9.2cm) The average girth of a flaccid penis? That’d be 3.67 inches.

Wait! That’s smaller than I thought it’d be

You can blame sexologist Alfred Kinsey for that. His post-WWII study claimed that the average length of an erect penis was 6.21-inches, but that testing was flawed for a number of reasons. Most importantly, the subjects measured themselves and were prone to overestimating the prowess of their own diamond cutter.

What does this all mean? Your penis size is probably par for the course. Although not as substantial as ours... See how this kind of misinformation starts?

No really. I think I have a micropenis

That’s unlikely since only 0.14 per cent of men have a micropenis, which is defined as a penis that’s 3 inches (7.6cm) or smaller when erect. While there are some medical procedures available for this condition, acceptance is probably your best option.

The usual treatment for a micropenis is phalloplasty, which involves cutting the ligament that joins the penis to the pelvic area. The average length increase is 0.8 inches (2cm), but only 35 per cent of people who get the treatment are happy afterwards.

Also, the whole ‘it’s what you do with it’ ethos is statistically valid. In 2014 researchers at UCLA and Cal State LA published a report showing that 84 percent of women feel “very satisfied” with their man’s penis size.

Actually, I’ve been blessed with a trouser snake

Sure, and this article is the highlight of our journalistic career. The fact is that only five per cent of erect penises are bigger than 6.3 inches (16cm) in length. So while Mother Nature might have befitted you with a gift, it’s really not worth worrying about what might have been should you have missed out on a deluxe appendage.

While we’re talking about body dysmorphia, it’s also worth mentioning here that male pornstars are chosen for their specific talents. So what you might witness on the NSFW corners of the internet is a not a reflection of the average man. But you knew that already, didn’t you?

What about people with big feet?

Ah, that old chestnut. No evidence was found in the study linking penis size to foot size or race. It is believed that a higher BMI and age are weakly associated with a shorter erect penis.

How do I measure my pen!s?

Still curious, eh? Well, you’ll want to measure the length, go from the top of your penis (where it connects to your pubic bone) ensuring any fat is compressed, to the tip of your glans (the head). Don’t forget to include any additional length associated with foreskin - it all counts.

I’m still worried about my pen!s size

Hopefully, we’ve established here that penis size isn’t something to fret about. If your johnny is really getting you down that might be symptomatic of other issues you’ve got going on. Then it’s best to talk to a doctor about how you feel.