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Male Circumcision: One Thing That Unites America & The Middle East

May 5, 2015 22 Comments

Male Circumcision Prevalence by Country

Map created by AHC300 via Wikimedia

The map above shows Male circumcision prevalence by country, according to sources from the Circumcision Reference and Commentary Service. It shows what percentage of males (of all ages) have been circumcised.

The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 30% of males worldwide have been circumcised, 2/3rds of whom are Muslim.

This can be seen very clearly in the map above, where Muslim majority countries are all in Dark Blue (prevalence above 90%). According to the data set used for the map, Afghanistan has the highest prevalence of male circumcision at 99.7%. At the other end of spectrum there are 40 countries with estimated prevalence below 0.1%.

The practice is relatively rare outside of Jewish and Muslim populations throughout Europe, India, East Asia, and South America.

Yet, the United States is an interesting outlier. Despite being roughly only 1.8% Jewish and 0.8% Muslim, it’s estimated to have a 79% male circumcision prevalence rate. Making it much more similar to to the countries of the Middle East than other countries in the “West.” Perhaps more interesting still, is that while there are many theories as to why this is the case, there is no definitive explanation.

Other interesting outliers include South Korea (83.2%) vs North Korea (0.1%) and the Philippines (92.5%). Despite neither being Muslim majority countries they both have very high prevalence rates. In both cases, it’s suspected to have been something introduced by US servicemen stationed in each country after World War Two.

To learn more read:

  • Circumcision: A History Of The World’s Most Controversial Surgery
  • Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to Modern America
  • Please Don’t Circumcise Your Baby Boy: The Case Against Male Infant Circumcision

Have an opinion on male circumcision? Please leave your comments below (but do keep it civil):

Filed Under: World Maps Tagged With: circumcision

Comments

  1. נועם טל says

    May 14, 2015 at 7:57 am

    thank you for your map! i copied it with your link so i hope you do not mind? let me know please see https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1430868600564737&set=a.1398441323807465.1073741828.100009248324970&type=1

    Reply
  2. נועם טל says

    May 14, 2015 at 8:41 am

    thank you for your map, i will post again [cuz i do not see the first] i copied your map with your link and hope you do not mind, let me know.

    Reply
  3. נועם טל says

    May 14, 2015 at 8:55 am

    i comment on the colors chosen: on one hand relative to the united states where cut is common [58% according to “time magazine 2013] hence “not” circumcising seems like the stop=red light however i would prefer if the colors would be: “green”! symbolizing natural for the whole-uncut-males in the “natural state of birth” using shades of green for the degrees of prevalence- i mean dark green for rare that is china [less than one percent according to photius site, link below] india and united kingdom etc., [lighter-green for greater prevalence of male circumcision]. furthermore, the red color seems more appropriate for countries that contain “bleeding” babies in the context of male circumcision, however if that is a problem what about grey symbolizing the metal knife? gray-black for egypt etc. getting lighter as prevalence lessens. link 2006 but your map is more recent http://www.photius.com/rankings/circumcised_men_country_ranks.html

    Reply
    • PACOBRUSSELS says

      August 21, 2017 at 9:40 pm

      Hi. Circumcision is evil.
      Even some jews reject it:

      http://www.jewishcircumcision.org

      Reply
      • נועם טל says

        January 3, 2018 at 1:43 pm

        okay i agree with you paco.

        Reply
  4. Justin Perez says

    July 21, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    Arbrahamic cultures and religions always fighting each other and fail to see the beauty of the barbarism that is child genital cutting which unites them.

    #BeautifulStories

    Reply
    • נועם טל says

      January 3, 2018 at 1:53 pm

      to justin, i wish there were a way to publish the fact that the books of religion actualy teach not to circumcise when learning this issue “people should learn” that the christian holy bible instructed a commandment “do not circumcise” in first cor. chapter 7. and even the jewish bible does not truly say the word “cut” in hebrew nor does it say, neither in genesis by abraham nor in leviticus “any body part where” to do the “circumcision” until defining in the book deuteronomy “circumcise the heart”… not a cut and not genital. like trying to wear a suit that does not fit… a custom was wrongly attached to the words which do not match the ceremony.

      Reply
    • Beverly Euler says

      September 9, 2019 at 3:07 am

      You are so ignorant and misinformed. Uncircumcised men can be disgusting if they do not practice good hygiene, two showers a day. All my sons, grandsons, and great grandsons are circumcised. They look better, feel better and have great sex. I know all the arguements about not circumcising and as a woman once married to an uncircumcised man, I can tell you never again.EVER!!!

      Reply
      • Jason Stillwell says

        November 9, 2020 at 6:26 pm

        Lol. You are the one that is completely ignorant! The foreskin is there for a reason! And your complete ridiculous statements about two showers a day and better sex, etc. If it is so awesome why don’t you go get circumcised. Truth is you have no clue and completely butchered your poor children for absolutely no reason!

        Reply
      • Stephen says

        November 26, 2020 at 8:27 pm

        I am disturbed that you know that your sons, grandsons and great grandsons all look better for being circumcised. Have you examined all their penises?

        Reply
      • Stephen says

        November 26, 2020 at 8:29 pm

        Do they discuss their sex lives with you? a bit creepy.

        Reply
      • Carlos Guerro Moyano says

        January 24, 2021 at 1:40 am

        You know how your sons, grandsons, and great grandsons feel during sex? What sort of weird family do you come from? Also it just sounds like you’re jaded because of a bad relationship rather than any sort of actual data.

        Reply
      • John K says

        September 18, 2022 at 11:43 pm

        You seem to link your failed marriage and your ex’s husband lacking hygiene on all circumcised men? How ignorant. As a woman you should be extra careful about this topic given that it concerns a body part that you never had. The few men I’ve discussed this topic with say that either they would prefer not having had a circumcision or are satisfied but I have yet to know of an uncircumcised man that would prefer to have been circumcised. Now if hygiene was such a big problem for them how do you explain that away? You sound like another self-entitled woman with a creepy understanding of your grandsons sex lives.

        Reply
  5. Patrick Carlin says

    January 16, 2017 at 8:37 am

    Circumcision is prevalent in Judeo-Christian cultures or Old Testament imitating ones, such as Muslims.

    Reply
    • נועם טל says

      January 3, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      i wish there were a way to publish the fact that the books of religion actualy teach not to circumcise when learning this issue “people should learn” that the christian holy bible instructed a commandment “do not circumcise” in first cor. chapter 7. and even the jewish bible does not truly say the word “cut” in hebrew nor does it say, neither in genesis by abraham nor in leviticus “any body part where” to do the “circumcision” until defining in the book deuteronomy “circumcise the heart”… not a cut and not genital. like trying to wear a suit that does not fit… a custom was wrongly attached to the words which do not match the ceremony.

      Reply
  6. coip says

    May 17, 2017 at 6:12 pm

    Circumcision is a euphemism. It’s barbaric, stupid, and removes functional, erogenous tissue. When imposed on children, it’s sexual assault and should be illegal.

    Reply
    • Greg Hartley says

      January 18, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      Well said!

      Reply
  7. Alejandro says

    January 15, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    I see the majority of America in red, and middle East in blue, I don’t understand the title of the post

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 23, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      The article refers to the United States, not all of America. The US is blue.

      Reply
  8. That Guy says

    January 28, 2020 at 2:57 am

    The colors for this map are backwards. Circumcised should be in red, not blue. (And vice-versa.)

    Reply
    • allison says

      March 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

      No. Blue corresponds with high prevalence, and that matches what we see on the map.

      Reply
  9. allison says

    March 21, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    Any religion which advocates child abuse is objectively evil. There is no argument.

    Reply

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