What is the average penis size? If you have penis or have sex with people who do (or even if you’re just a little nosey), it’s a question you’ve likely pondered but probably never asked.
Thanks to porn, as well as social and mass media, there are some serious misconceptions about how big the standard shaft is. A 2020 study found that most men believe the average penis size is greater than six inches, or around 15cm, long. If you thought the same, prepare for your world to be rocked.
What Is the Average Penis Size?
The largest ever study of its kind measured the members of more than 15,000 men around the world. It found that the average penis was 5.16 inches (13.12cm) long when erect and 3.6 inches (9.16cm) when flaccid. The research also found that the average girth of an erect penis is 4.59 inches (11.66cm).
While various reports have found different exact numbers over the years, a 2020 review of research confirmed that the average penis size likely fell between 5.1 and 5.5 inches. Researchers flagged their belief that the real number was likely toward the smaller end of that scale due to volunteer bias.
While there are no studies that are specific to Australia, 2023 figures from Worlddata suggest that Australian men are slightly above the global “norm,” boasting an estimated average penis size of 5.69 inches (14.46cm). This, however, does not put dicks from Down Under in the top percentile, with Australia ranking 43rd out of 88 countries included in the data.
What Factors Influence Penis Size?
Like eye colour and hair texture, penis size is largely determined by one’s genetics. However, factors like hormones, nutrition and certain chemicals can also play a role in determining length and girth.
Notably, contrary to popular sentiment, masturbation doesn’t have any influence on penis size—and doing it frequently won’t make your dick any bigger or smaller (sorry).
Can You Change Your Penis Size?
Despite what you may hear or read, there is no proven way to make your penis bigger naturally. In fact, per the Mayo Clinic, most advertised penis enlargement products—including pills, lotions and vacuum pumps—can be risky and haven’t actually been proven to work.
There are surgical options to lengthen or thicken the penis however, they are risky and limited studies have returned hazy results around effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Examples of the kinds of surgeries available include penis implants, cutting of the suspensory ligament, fat injections and tissue grafting.
At best, penis enlargement surgeries may marginally increase the apparent girth and length of a flaccid penis. They also come with significant risks, including scarring, infection and loss of function.
The size of one’s penis can also change over time, with factors such as age, Erectile Dysfunction and overall health contributing.
Do Women Actually Care About Penis Size?
The old adage says that size doesn’t matter but how true is that, really?
The research presents mixed results.
Findings from a 2015 Cosmopolitan survey suggested that size wasn’t that important, with 89 percent of respondents (96 percent women, 4 percent men, aged 18-34) saying they were not worried about the size of their partner’s penis—56 percent of which were reported as being “average” in size. An older study produced similar results, with only 20 percent of women reporting that penis size was important to them.
Recent research from Monash University supported this, concluding that “penis size really didn’t matter in terms of relationship satisfaction.” The study also found that—despite what evidence suggests—men still believe the appearance of their penis matters. Researchers added that the idea size is important is often propagated by mainstream media, social media, and pornographic content—all of which were found to be contributors to “labia anxiety” among women, too.
As anyone who has sex likely knows, there is no cut-and-dry definition of “good sex.” Having a hot time depends on a variety of factors and whether or not the size of a partner’s penis contributes to that will vary from person to person. The likelihood is, however, that it’s not size that matters but rather, what you do with it.
