Many factors contribute to a woman’s breast size; these include genetics and nutrition, BMI (Body Mass Index), and fitness level. The size of a woman’s breasts isn’t always the same from month to month, and this is especially true if she is pregnant or breastfeeding.
How to estimate the size of the breasts (and the bra)
The number of bras sold in various sizes can be a good indicator of the average size of a country’s breasts. Even though there are several different sizing systems in use worldwide, cup sizes are the most common way to express bra sizes.
Numbers indicate how wide the band or “underbust” area of a woman’s breasts is. Fitters measure around the full extent of the breast (typically in line with the nipples) and compare that to the underbust to determine cup size.
A bigger cup size means a wider discrepancy between the two measures. Regarding cup sizes, A is the smallest, and D is the largest.
Depending on the system, cup sizes can vary from 5 to 1 in increments of 5. Bra sizes would range from DD-5 to A-1 in such a system, with DD-5 being the largest and A-1 the smallest. Occasionally, letters are repeated, especially at the ends of the scale.
For example, the AA size may be slightly smaller than A, but there could also be an even smaller AAA. On the other hand, D may lead to DD and DDD, which are larger and larger.
It’s important to note that, even within a single country, bra sizes can vary from one manufacturer to another.
It’s better to know your dimensions in inches and seek the appropriate size on the new bra maker’s chart than to assume that a new 34B (for example) in one brand would match the 34B you are currently wearing from another brand.
Around the world’s breast sizes
Data from the world shows that the average cup size ranges from AA to C, with the lowest being in Africa and the highest in Europe.
The following are the top 11 nations in the world for average breast size and BMI:
- United States – C (29.0)
- 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)
- Switzerland – B (23.8)
The correlation between breast size and BMI is notable, indicating that weight gain may typically lead to a larger cup size.
This data collection does not contain every nation, which is also noteworthy. Since Norway was omitted from the sample, it is not represented here. If this is the case, it might join Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in the top 10.
Breast sizes that are larger in Europe and the United States seem more common than in other regions. African and Southeast Asian nations have the smallest breast sizes.
Also See: Blood Type by Country 2022
As the women in these locations are often smaller, experts believe this is due to genetics and the fact that these women tend to be more active, reducing both body mass and breast size.
Country | Average Cup Size | Average BMI |
---|---|---|
United States | 1C | 29 |
United Kingdom | 1C | 27.1000 |
Russia | 2B-C | 26.7000 |
Colombia | 2B-C | 26.7000 |
Canada | 2B-C | 26.7000 |
Poland | 2B-C | 26.1000 |
Netherlands | 2B-C | 25.3000 |
Denmark | 2B-C | 24.6000 |
Australia | 3B | 26.8000 |
Hungary | 3B | 26.6000 |
Ireland | 3B | 27.1000 |
Albania | 3B | 26.4000 |
Brazil | 4A-B | 26.8000 |
Germany | 4A-B | 26 |
Spain | 4A-B | 25.1000 |
Chile | 4A-B | 28.2000 |
Romania | 4A-B | 26.8000 |
Greece | 4A-B | 26.9000 |
Austria | 4A-B | 24.7000 |
Slovakia | 4A-B | 25.6000 |
Costa Rica | 4A-B | 28 |
Lithuania | 4A-B | 26.1000 |
India | 5A | 21.9000 |
Mexico | 5A | 28.5000 |
Italy | 5A | 24.9000 |
Algeria | 5A | 26.5000 |
Iraq | 5A | 29.7000 |
Saudi Arabia | 5A | 29.4000 |
Kazakhstan | 5A | 26.6000 |
Ecuador | 5A | 27.9000 |
Paraguay | 5A | 26.9000 |
Libya | 5A | 29.5000 |
Turkmenistan | 5A | 26.6000 |
Moldova | 5A | 27.5000 |
Cyprus | 5A | 26.2000 |
Belize | 5A | 30.6000 |
Greenland | 5A | 26.7000 |
China | 6AA-A | 23.5000 |
Ethiopia | 6AA-A | 21 |
Angola | 6AA-A | 24.2000 |
Mozambique | 6AA-A | 23.4000 |
Chad | 6AA-A | 21.9000 |
Qatar | 6AA-A | 30.2000 |
Namibia | 6AA-A | 25.4000 |
Botswana | 6AA-A | 26.3000 |
Latvia | 6AA-A | 26.4000 |
Bangladesh | 7AA | 21.8000 |
Philippines | 7AA | 23.5000 |
Vietnam | 7AA | 21.7000 |
Thailand | 7AA | 25 |
Uganda | 7AA | 23.2000 |
Malaysia | 7AA | 26.1000 |
Yemen | 7AA | 24 |
Ivory Coast | 7AA | 24.2000 |
Niger | 7AA | 22.3000 |
Taiwan | 7AA | 23.7000 |
Malawi | 7AA | 23.2000 |
Senegal | 7AA | 24.1000 |
Cambodia | 7AA | 22.2000 |
Zimbabwe | 7AA | 25.4000 |
Guinea | 7AA | 23.4000 |
Burundi | 7AA | 21.5000 |
Tunisia | 7AA | 27.2000 |
Laos | 7AA | 23 |
Kyrgyzstan | 7AA | 27.2000 |
Lebanon | 7AA | 27.5000 |
Mongolia | 7AA | 26.6000 |
Gambia | 7AA | 24.5000 |
Bahamas | 7AA | 28.9000 |