What’s the most common boob size out there? Does breast size vary by country, age, and body type? And what causes big breasts, anyway?
If you’ve been asking any of these questions, or anything related to breasts, you’ve come to the right place.
In the following article, we’ve searched through a pile of statistics, research papers, and scientific journals to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date numbers on average breast sizes, the world’s largest cup sizes, and everything else related to the size of breasts from around the world.
Let’s dive in!
Average Breast Size – Key Statistics
- 56% of a woman’s breast size is inherited.
- 26% of American women are unhappy with their breasts.
- 16% of European women are unsatisfied with their size.
- 54% of men and 60% of women prefer the look of an average-sized pair of breasts.
- 70% of 2000 respondents say they are satisfied with their partner’s breast size.
- An average B-cup breast weighs 448 grams or 0.98 pounds.
- An average woman’s breasts make up roughly 3.5% of her total body fat.
- Women in the United States and Europe are thought to have some of the biggest breasts.
- On average, Southeast Asia and Central African women are believed to have the smallest breasts.
- The average natural breast size ranges between an A and C cup based on the US bra size system.
- 1% of the adult female population in North America has breast implants.
- Some studies have found a link between larger breasts and women with higher IQs.
- B cup is considered the most common natural breast size in the US.
- Between 1992 and 2003, the average US cup size increased from 34B to 34DD.
- Body mass index is linked to breast size.
- Women with smaller waists and larger breast have been shown to have better fertility than women with larger waistlines and smaller breasts.
- Women with either asymmetric breasts or those who aren’t satisfied with their bust size are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and other mental health problems.
- 12.4% of all women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
- There is a link between smaller breast size and an increased risk of cancer.
- And yet another study concluded breast size as a positive predictor of breast cancer in postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79, who were particularly lean when younger.
- Globally, breast augmentation is the most common procedure, accounting for more than 17% of all plastic surgeries.
- Gigantomastia is a rare medical condition that causes breasts to become extremely large.
What is the most common size of breasts?
What is the average natural breast cup size?
Are small and large breasts normal?
What causes extremely large breasts?
Are bigger breasts healthier?
Are there any links between breast size and breast cancer?
What is a good breast cup size?
What is the average weight of a woman’s breast?
What percentage of a woman’s weight is in breasts?
Does breast size matter?
Do cup sizes vary by country?
What country has the biggest average breast size?
Breast Size Frequently Asked Questions
How common is breast augmentation surgery?
Does breast size increase after marriage?
Can push-up bras increase breast size?
What causes small breast size?
Do breasts get bigger as you age?
Does breast size increase after intimacy?
Do women’s breasts get bigger with weight?
Do women’s breasts get bigger with exercise?
Sources
What Is The Most Common Size Of Breasts?
Breast size varies drastically from one woman to another.
It’s essential to understand the link between size and how women perceive themselves, others, and how they are perceived.
Therefore, because each pair of breasts is unique and size varies so much between women, no single measure can be considered “common” or “normal.”
Also, we found that:
- 80% of women are likely to wear a bra with the wrong size cup due to taking improper measurements or buying a bra based on chest size rather than cup size.
In other words, many women in the subsequent studies may have reported their size based on their bra rather than their actual measurements.
Sources
What Is The Average Natural Breast Cup Size?
- The average natural breast size ranges between an A and C cup based on the US bra size system.
- A B cup is considered the most common natural breast size in the US.
- Between 1992 and 2003, the average US cup size increased from 34B to 34DD, likely linked to an increase in obesity and breast augmentation surgeries performed nationwide.
- On average, women in Italy, Spain, and Germany wear a B cup.
- On average, women in the UK, Poland, and France measure as a C cup.
But what about the smallest bra size? Or the biggest cup size in bras?
- 28AA is often the smallest bra size available from most retailers.
- Some specialist shops can produce bras as small as a AAA cup size.
- Bra sizes range from A to J or K, depending on the measurement system used.
- There are six different bra sizing systems used around the world.
- Most women with breasts larger than a D or E cup should consult a specialist bra maker to obtain a bra that fits properly and provides adequate support.
Are Small And Large Breasts Normal?
- Breasts come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes.
- Small and large breasts are entirely normal so long as they do not cause unusual pain or discomfort and do not show any signs of disfiguration, hard lumps or nodules, or other cancer symptoms.
What Causes Extremely Large Breasts?
Breast size is most accurately linked and predicted by a woman’s genetics. However, other factors can cause huge breasts.
For example:
- Gigantomastia is a rare medical condition that causes breasts to become extremely large.
- Women with gigantomastia have more than 5 pounds of breast tissue or breast tissue that equals more than 3% of their total weight.
- Only 300 cases of gigantomastia have ever been recorded.
- Body mass index is linked to breast size.
- Women generally have larger breasts in countries where obesity runs rampant.
- Hormonal changes, medications, and autoimmune diseases can cause larger bust sizes.
Are Bigger Breasts Healthier?
No conclusive studies support the idea that larger breasts are healthier.
However, there are some surprising links between breast size, IQ, fertility, and mental health.
- Some studies have found a link between larger breasts and women with higher IQs.
- Women with smaller waists and larger ta-tas have been shown to have better fertility than women with larger waistlines and smaller breasts.
- Women with either asymmetric breasts or those who aren’t satisfied with their bust size are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and other mental health problems.
Are There Any Links Between Breast Size And Breast Cancer?
An estimated 12.4% of all women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point.
And although cancer treatments have come a long way, and recovery is possible, being diagnosed with cancer of the breasts is a severe concern for many women.
To date, no conclusive studies link breast size with an increased risk of cancer. However, studies have sometimes shown contradicting results.
For example:
- One study found no statistical correlation between breast size in Chinese women and the risk of developing cancer.
- And in obese women, there has also been no link between cup size and breast cancer.
- However, other studies have concluded that a link exists between smaller breast size and an increased risk of cancer.
- And yet another study concluded breast size as a positive predictor of breast cancer in postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79, who were particularly lean when younger.
Regardless, factors other than size can lead to an increased risk of breast cancer.
And today, in many parts of the world, breast cancer is consistently the most common cancer in women.
- Breast size is not included on most causational or cancer risk lists.
- However, there is a link between breast density, not size, and increased cancer risk.
- In the United States, between 2011 and 2015, 126 of 100,000 were newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
- In 2018, an estimated 40,920 women died from breast cancer in the United States.
- Menstruation age, family medical history, age, BMI, alcohol and tobacco use, exercise, diet, and even working night shift have been linked to the early onset of breast cancer.
- There is no link between abortion and breast cancer.
- Premenopausal women who don’t wear a bra are 50% less likely to develop breast cancer.
What Is A Good Breast Cup Size?
Because of the variety of breast sizes in the world, what is considered a good size boils down to preference.
What one person considers a reasonable size will almost always differ from what the next person thinks.
However:
- 74% of American women are happy with their breasts.
- 84% of European women are satisfied with their size.
- 54% of men and 60% of women prefer the look of an average-sized pair of breasts.
- Roughly 50% of men and women say they prefer a C cup.
- Just under 20% of men and 26% of women prefer a B cup.
- Only 18% of men and 14% of women prefer a D cup.
- Less than 1% of men and women prefer larger, DDD breasts.
- Ideal size often varies significantly from any country’s average breast size.
- Study participants in Poland and Romania say they prefer breasts one cup smaller than the national average.
What Is The Average Weight Of A Woman’s Breast?
- On average, a single A cup-sized breast weighs just over 236 grams or about 0.52 pounds.
- An average B-cup breast weighs 448 grams or 0.98 pounds.
- C cups, on average, weigh about 531 grams, or 1.17 pounds each.
- D cups, on average, weigh 760 grams each, or 1.67 pounds.
- E cups can weigh as much as 1 kilogram per breast.
What Percentage Of A Woman’s Weight Is In Breasts?
- An average woman’s breasts make up roughly 3.5% of her total body fat.
- At most, 12% of a woman’s sex-specific weight can be attributed to her breasts.
Does Breast Size Matter?
In short, breast size doesn’t matter.
However, size is often closely linked to a woman’s quality of life, how she perceives herself and other women, and how her partners see her.
- 70% of 2000 respondents say they are satisfied with their partner’s breast size.
- 9% say they are dissatisfied with their partner’s bust size.
- 20% say they have a neutral opinion toward their partner’s breasts.
Do Cup Sizes Vary By Country?
As we’ve seen above, women from different nationalities have different average breast sizes.
And although much about a woman’s bust size is defined by her genetics, the link between bust size and body weight is one of the primary reasons for the drastic differences we see in size from one country to the next.
For example:
- Women in regions such as Southeast Asia and Central Africa are generally more slender, have lower BMIs, and have smaller average breast sizes.
- The body burns more calories in warmer regions to keep its core temperature down.
- This results in more fat being burned, and less fatty tissue is allowed to accumulate on a woman’s chest.
What Country Has The Biggest Average Breast Size?
- Women in the United States and Europe are thought to have some of the biggest breasts.
- On average, Southeast Asia and Central African women are believed to have the smallest breasts.
Country | Cup Size | Average Body Mass Index |
---|---|---|
United States | C | 29 |
United Kingdom | C | 27.1 |
Venezuela | B-C | 26.9 |
Colombia | B-C | 26.7 |
Sweden | B-C | 25.4 |
Netherlands | B-C | 25.3 |
Canada | B-C | 26.7 |
Georgia | B | 27.7 |
Australia | B | 26.8 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | 25.3 |
Breast Size Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
How Common Is Breast Augmentation Surgery?
- In 2021, The Aesthetic Society reported:
- A total of 365,000 breast augmentation procedures.
- One hundred forty-eight thousand women had implants removed and replaced.
- Seventy-one thousand women had implants removed and not replaced.
- Globally, breast augmentation is the most common procedure, accounting for more than 17% of all plastic surgeries.
- Between one and two million women in North America have breast implants, representing roughly 1% of the adult female population.
Does Breast Size Increase After Marriage?
- No studies show any conclusive evidence that breasts increase in size after marriage.
- However, breasts increase in size when a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding, which may be where the myth came from.
Can Push-Up Bras Increase Breast Size?
- Push-up bras do not increase breast size permanently.
What Causes Small Breast Size?
- Women with smaller bodies and lower BMIs generally have smaller breasts.
- Genetics is the most significant contributing factor to breast size.
- Roughly 56% of a woman’s breast size is inherited.
Do Breasts Get Bigger As You Age?
- Breast development begins when a woman first enters puberty.
- After puberty, a woman’s breast size generally remains the same throughout adulthood.
- However, hormonal changes, medications, and other factors can cause breasts to change in both shape and size over time.
Does Breast Size Increase After Intimacy?
- Due to hormonal changes and increased blood flow, a woman’s breasts may swell in size when aroused and temporarily after intimacy.
Do Women’s Breasts Get Bigger With Weight?
- Studies have shown a link between women with higher body fat percentages and women with larger breasts.
Do Women’s Breasts Get Bigger With Exercise?
- Although the muscles below the breasts may grow, exercising does not contribute to increased cup size.
- Exercising can lower a woman’s BMI, which can cause breasts to become more petite and lean.
References
- 4 Fascinating Changes That Happen to Your Lady Bits During Sex. (2016, June 30). Women’s Health.
- 5 science-backed ways that the size of your breast can impact your entire health. (2020, March 13).
- 10 Things to Know About Your Breast Size. (n.d.). Healthline.
- Average breast size worldwide. (2010). Worlddata.info.
- Breast Size by Country 2022. (n.d.). Worldpopulationreview.com.
- Does Breast Size Matter? (n.d.). ZAVA.
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open
- A prospective study of breast size and premenopausal breast cancer incidence. International Journal of Cancer
- Determinants of breast size in Asian women. Scientific Reports
- Relationship between formulaic breast volume and risk of breast cancer based on linear measurements
- Breast augmentation: A geographical comparison. The Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery
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