How big is a penis?!?

We at KIP Education get asked a number of questions, but this question keeps coming up (excuse the pun!). So here is the answer, we hope you find it helpful!

How big is it?
How big is the average penis?

A question of perspective

The trouble is that every man sees his own penis in a foreshortened view. The angle at which you look down inevitably makes your penis seem shorter than it is.

But when you glance at another man’s organ, there’s no such foreshortening effect, so very often it’ll look as though the other guy is slightly better endowed.

A lifetime of comparison of this sort (and virtually every male does a quick mental check on each naked man he sees) can easily make you feel a bit inadequate. But it’s important to realise the facts about penis length.

Average penis length

A non-erect penis usually measures between 8.5cm and 10.5cm (3-4 inches) from tip to base.

The average figure is about 9.5cm (3.75 inches), but this kind of precise measurement is rather valueless. Many factors can cause a temporary shrinkage of two inches or more, for instance cold weather or going swimming, so you needn’t worry if you happen to fall short of the average figure.

Of course, it’s true that some men have big penises and some have smaller ones, just as some men have small feet and some have big feet, but the measurement is not – repeat not – an index of virility. (how good you are as a lover)

Most people think that a tall man will usually have a large penis, but this is not entirely true. The distinguished American researchers Masters and Johnson measured the penile lengths of more than 300 men.

  • The largest organ was 14 cm (5.5 inches) in the flaccid state. It belonged to a slim man who was 5′ 7″ tall (170 cm).
  • The smallest penis measured 6cm (2.25 inches). It belonged to a fairly heavily built man of 5′ 11″ (180cm).


It’s also worth pointing out that there is no correlation between penile size and race.

Average size of erections

We’ve talked about the length of the penis in its ordinary non-erect state, but how long should it be when it’s erect?

Interestingly, most penises are very much the same size when erect.

  • The man whose non-erect penis is smallish will usually achieve about a 100 per cent increase in length during sexual excitement.
  • The man whose non-erect penis is on the largish size will probably manage about a 75 per cent increase.
  • This means the great majority of penises measure between 15cm and 18cm (6-7 inches) when erect, with the average figure being about 16.5cm (6.5 inches).


So you can see that even if a man has got a ‘small’ penis, he’s got a built-in compensating factor that will bring him up to about the same size as the guy who appears to be ‘better equipped’ in the shower room.

Please bare in mind that the penis will usually change size once you have gone through puberty.