Circumcision by Country 2022

When a man’s penis is circumcised, the foreskin of his penis is removed. When it comes to newborns and children, it is usually done for cultural or religious reasons.

There are various medical situations where circumcision may be used as a therapy option, including persistent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Global rates of circumcision

Most men around the globe are circumcised. However, the incidence varies greatly from nation to country and culture. Muslims and Jews are the most likely to engage in it since it is an established practice in both religions.

Europeans and Latin Americans are more likely to have their male children circumcised than their European and Asian counterparts. Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders are more likely to choose circumcision than those in other nations of the English-speaking world.

More than 99 percent of male circumcision is performed in these countries and territories.

Male circumcision rates in 237 nations and territories were compared in a research published in 2016 under the title Estimation of country-specific and the worldwide prevalence of male circumcision.

The circumcision rate in 12 of the nations mentioned above was more than 99 percent, while the rate in more than fifty other countries was less than 99 percent but still higher than 90 percent.

Israel, the Philippines, Algeria, Bangladesh, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Samoa, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nauru, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan are among the countries that signed the Non-Discrimination Agreement (see full data set in the table at page bottom).

On the other hand, circumcision was rare in European nations, Latin American countries, and the Caribbean Islands (usually 10% or fewer) (less than 1 percent ).

U.S. practice of male circumcision

Male circumcision rates for infants in the United States declined from 64.5 percent in 1979 to 58.3 percent in 2010. Circumcision is performed on an estimated 80.5% of males in the United States.

Controversy over circumcision

Despite the widespread practice of circumcising newborns and children in many cultures, critics have raised ethical and legal concerns about the practice’s alleged lack of informed consent and human rights violations.

Some of the world’s leading medical organizations believe that the health advantages of elective circumcision exceed the procedure’s minor dangers.

Other medical organizations, on the other hand, do not advocate for circumcision because they believe more research is required to verify its benefits.

Also See: Cancer Survival Rates by Country 2022

In high-HIV prevalence regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) advocates circumcision as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention program.