Admit it: You’ve probably measured your penis more than once. So how does your dong data compare to that of everyone else’s?
According to a new review from King’s College London, the average penis size may not be as big as you think.
Researchers went through 17 studies that examined the penis size of more than 15,000 men. They found that the average flaccid penis length—from the base to the opening on the tip—was 3.6 inches and the circumference, measured around the base or mid-shaft, was 3.7 inches.
When erect, the average penis swelled to 5.2 inches in length and 4.6 inches in circumference.
Wonder where you fit in? (And Does Penis Size Even Matter?) Here’s more context: Guys in the 95th percentile for erect length—meaning out of 100 men, only five would have longer penises—measured about 6.3 inches. Men in the 5th percentile averaged about 4 inches. So anything between around 4 inches and 6.3 inches when erect would cover 90 percent of guys.
The researchers also explored some of the most common “indicators” of penis size to see if there was an actual connection. Height was slightly related, meaning that the taller men were, the larger their erect penises tended to be—but only to a small extent, says study author David Veale, M.D.
On the other hand, other measurements that have been thought to point to penis size were actually pretty useless. Factors like a guy’s weight, length of his index figure, and foot size weren’t consistently predictive.
Even if your penis size is a little on the shorter side of average, that’s no reason to worry: “That’s not an issue to 85 percent of women,” says Dr. Veale. (In fact, Women Might Actually Prefer Smaller Penises.)
And for sex, bigger isn’t always better. Wherever you fall on the penis spectrum, you can maximize your pleasure by picking The Best Sex Positions for Every Penis Size.
