Ecuadorian men measure up where it counts … or is it simply a case of inflated egos?

Ecuador may not make the best electronics in the world and connoisseurs in New York, London and Paris are certainly not clamoring for its home-grown cheese. There is, however, one category where it challenges the big boys.

The tale of the tape: Ecuador runs a strong second.

When it comes to men’s erect penis size, Ecuador ranks second world-wide, a mere fraction of an inch behind perennial powerhouse Republic of Congo.

According to Vargic’s Miscellany of Curious Maps: Mapping out the Modern World, the top five countries for penis size are Democratic Republic of Congo (7.1″), Ecuador (6.9″), Ghana (6.8″), with Venezuela and Colombia tied for fourth at 6.7″.

At the other end of the spectrum are five Asian countries: Taiwan and the Philippines are at 4.2″, with India and Thailand slightly smaller (4″). The smallest penises are reportedly from North Korea (3.8″ — there’s not too much to get excited about there).

The results of the Vargic study, though, were largely self-reported, leaving a lot of room for doubt.

Instead of world-class erections, perhaps the study reveals the world’s biggest liars. Maybe it says more about machismo than about anatomy.

Machismo is common in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, cultures where traditional gender roles have been slow to change. In all three countries, the value of appearing manly is strongly associated with pride and a man’s responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend his family.

According to a study published in the Journal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, which measured over 15,000 penises from men in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia, the world average is 5.16 inches long when erect. While it doesn’t break down penis sizes by nationality, it does suggest that sizes are probably a lot more evenly dispersed than shown by most popular studies. Of course, the popular studies are “self-reported.”

Go figure.