Does Breast Size Matter? Average Size, Preference, and Satisfaction

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Does Breast Size Matter? Europeans and Americans tell all

Boobs are a fact of life. You may have them, or know someone who does – like a mother, aunt, sister, or spouse.

Despite nearly half of the population having them, breasts are often a controversial topic. Conversations range from how big they should (or shouldn’t) be to how often and how much of them we should see flooding the internet and casual conversation. It has even been suggested that men should look at women’s breasts more often (for health reasons, of course).

We polled 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Europeans to discover women’s (and men’s) ideal breast size and then compared this to average breast sizes in Europe and the U.S. We even asked women how comfortable they were with their bodies. Does breast size matter? Keep reading to find out.

Breast Size Preferences

men and women tell us what their ideal breast size is

When it comes to women’s breast sizes, there are more than a few ways to create the illusion of having larger breasts. While the average breast size across most of Europe and the U.S. was a C cup, options like push-up bras to more permanent (and complex) solutions like cosmetic surgery allow women to take their pick on how to enhance the visible size of their breasts.

But is it really necessary? We asked men and women their ideal breast size and found that more than 60 percent of women and nearly 54 percent of men preferred an average breast size. Additionally, while nearly 31 percent of women and 35 percent of men said a larger bust was ideal, just over 9 percent of women and 11 percent of men thought a smaller breast size was more attractive.

Considering larger breasts can sometimes cost more money to be supported, cause uncomfortable back pain, and prove to be somewhat challenging, most women prefer average-sized breasts to bigger or smaller ones.

Is Bigger Better?

ideal cup size by gender

Next, we asked men and women to get a little more specific by telling us which cup sizes they thought were ideal on a woman. While men might be seen as typically out of step with the needs and feelings of women, they’re almost in lockstep with the ladies when it comes to breast size.

It turns out, over half of women polled thought a C cup was the perfect fit. At the same time, close to 26 percent preferred a B cup. Nearly 2 percent said an A cup was their preferred breast proportion.

Notably, men also agreed that a C cup was their ideal size. However, slightly more men preferred D and DD cup sizes than women.

➤ ZAVA also studied the average penis size. You can find the results on "Does Penis Size Really Matter?"

Breasts: More to Love

ideal breast cup size by country: Europe, UK, US

Across most of Europe – including the UK, Spain, Austria, Portugal, and the Netherlands – men and women agreed a C cup was the perfect fit.

According to the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, countries like Germany, France, and Italy had the most surgical breast procedures in 2015 (including implants, lifts, and reductions) in all of Europe. While the United States led every other nation with over 540,000 procedures, Germany accounted for over 100,000 breast modifications totaling nearly four percent of all breast related surgery in the world. Like most of Europe, these countries all indicated that they prefered women to have C cup sized breasts.

However, in Poland and Hungary, respondents opted for a B cup breast size over other sizes.

Show Us What You've Got

average breast cup size by country: Europe, UK and US

Preference and reality don’t always line up. While men and women in most European countries preferred a C cup, only women in the U.K, France, and Poland averaged that size. Interestingly, survey participants in Poland preferred a B cup.

Women in Hungary had the smallest breast size of any country (A cup), while women in Romania had the largest – a D cup. Women in Spain, Germany, and Italy also averaged a B cup.

Wishful (Breast) Thinking

Europeans', UKs' and Americans' ideal breast cup size vs. average cup size

It turns out, the ideal cup size differed from the average cup size in most countries.

In Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the U.S., survey respondents preferred women to have breasts one cup size larger than the national average.

However, some countries preferred women to have smaller breasts than the national average. Of the countries studied, participants in Poland and Romania told us their ideal breast size was just one cup smaller than the average.

While people from the U.S. and Europe preferred a different cup size than the average, some were content with breasts just the way they were. In the UK, Belgium, and France, respondents told us the average breast size (a C cup) was perfect.

Breast Size Satisfaction

Europeans', UKs' and Americans' ideal breast cup size vs. average cup size

Feeling comfortable in your body can be difficult when there are so many advertisements to temporarily and permanently enhance your breast size. Despite living in a part of the world where some women prefer to have a different cup size than their natural breast size, we asked respondents how happy they were with the size of their bust.

Overwhelmingly, women in the U.S. and Europe with A to DD cups acknowledged they were happy with the size of their breasts. In fact, over 74 percent of women from the U.S., 76 percent of women from the UK, and 84 percent of other European women with a C cup were satisfied with their chest size.

percentage of women who say they're satisfied by their cup size

While women from the UK with A cups were most likely to be dissatisfied with the size of their breasts, it was the opposite for American women: only about 22 percent of Americans with a DDD cup admitted to feeling comfortable. Notably, over the past few years, several celebrities who have had breast augmentations have subsequently had additional procedures to reverse these enhancements. Women with larger sizes in the U.K. and other European countries, however, were overwhelmingly satisfied with their respective E and F cups (equivalent to the American DDD cup).

Personal Preference

how satisfied are people with their partner's breasts

After we asked women how satisfied they were with their own breasts, we asked their partners to weigh in. Thankfully, almost 70 percent told us they were satisfied. As one relationship coach suggests, loving the way your partner looks and enjoying each other’s assets just as they are can help both members of the relationship feel confident in their bodies.

While just over 20 percent told us they felt neutral towards their partners bust size, nine percent admitted they were unhappy with them. Whether that means their breasts were too large or small remains to be seen, but with the frequency of breast augmentations decreasing over the last several years, they may just have to learn to love their significant others bust size as it is.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong breast size. While some women are comfortable embracing a smaller chest (and may prefer them, depending on personal habits or hobbies), others are naturally more large-chested than others. While the number of British women going under the knife to increase the size of their bust has decreased in recent years, some women are born with or just happen to prefer bigger boobs – and that’s OK.

What really matters is that you’re comfortable and happy with how your body looks. Breast enhancements can be a response to a woman’s insecurities or body image disorders, creating pressure to be as ample and busty as possible. As our survey responses show, both men and women do sometimes prefer bigger breast sizes. Thankfully, over 55 percent of women indicated they were happy with the current size of their breasts.

At ZAVA, our primary concern is your sexual health. We want you to be proud of your body and enjoy your sex life without letting health issues get in the way. From concerns like premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, contraception and STI tests and treatment, ZAVA has doctors available who can advise you and prescribe suitable treatment if necessary. Visit us online today to learn more.

Methodology

We surveyed 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Europeans about their opinions on the “ideal” breast size and what role it played in attractiveness. Additionally, we asked woman respondents how they felt about their own cup size.

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