A recent survey conducted by Dr. Ed sought to answer the long-discussed matter of Penis Size. The good doctor surveyed thousands of men and women around the world to answer several critical questions: Does size matter? If so, to whom? Furthermore, how does the discussion around penis size affect male self-image? Here’s what Dr. Ed found:
Men’s idea of the perfect penis is larger than women’s idea of the perfect penis. Similarly, men believe average penis size to be longer in length than do women.
Whereas women guesstimated the average penis size to be about 5.4 inches and the ideal to be 6.2 inches, men guessed 5.6 inches to be average and 6.5 inches to be ideal.
In reality, the average penis size (when erect) is 5.2, according to a 2015 study which surveyed 15,000 men from around the world. That’s a full two inches smaller than what women believe is average, and a full four inches shorter than what men consider average.
“It’s important to note that estimates of average size may not reflect the reality of penis size, as many people don’t necessarily have an accurate idea of which sizes are typical,” notes the study.
There were giant discrepancies in what different European nations believe to be average and ideal penis sizes.
Of the nations observed, Poland had the highest guesstimate of average penis length – at 6.1 inches – and the second-highest ideal length, at 6.8 inches, whereas the U.K had both the lowest estimate of average size (4.8 inches) and ideal length (6 inches).
The United States — the only non-European nation — fell somewhere in the middle, with estimated average length at 5.6 inches and ideal length at 6.7 inches.
“One theme was universal among the countries we studied: In each one, the ideal length endorsed by our respondents outpaced perceptions of the typical size, again showing how many people believe that even average genitals may not be ‘big enough,'” the study noted.
There is as much variation between perceived average sizeamong America’s 50 states as there are between the 10 nations above.
West Virginia offered the lowest figure (5 inches) though Arizona and Nebraska were right behind with estimates of 5.3 inches each.
Conversely, Maine estimated the highest in the nation: an average length of 6.5 inches, a full inch and a half larger than West Virginia.
Idaho had the second-highest estimate at 6.3 inches and Hawaii third at just under 6.2 inches.
“Overall, there seemed to be no clear regional trend to these estimates – almost every area of the U.S. was host to many different ideas of the average penis size,” concluded the study.
Same goes for states’ ideas of ideal penis size.
West Virginia, which you’ll remember was in last place for estimates of average size, appeared second-last for ideas concerning perfect size – averaging at 6 inches.
It makes sense then that Maine came in first for estimates of ideal length, at a whopping 7.6 inches, followed by Kansas and Arkansas at 7.3 and 7 inches, respectively.
“Altogether, the U.S. shows an even greater range of beliefs about optimal genital size than it does about average size.”
The majority of men are happy with their penis size.
Though ideas of average and ideal penis sizes varied greatly across the world and within individual countries, most men feel pretty good about their size.
The study surveyed men from four different age groups and found only 10.3% who were dissatisfied and just 1.7% who were very dissatisfied.
29.5% had no feelings either way over their size, whereas the vast majority were content: 44.5% were satisfied and 14% noted that they were very satisfied.
As it turns out, penis size actually doesn’t have that much of an effect on men’s sexual confidence.
Must be nice.
Though the majority of women feel like penis size is somewhat important. A subjective modifier, to be sure.
The study concluded that “perceptions of penis size have become so distorted in the popular imagination that the reality is often ignored and exceeded by exaggerated notions of an ideal size,” a somewhat interesting statement because though men think penises are generally larger around the world than they really are, they actually aren’t that greatly affected in terms of confidence.
Now what would really be interesting would be to see how women’s bodies — both ideal and perceived average — affect their confidence. We have a feeling most of them would not be “satisfied” with the results.
