Global circumcision rates

By Jake H Waskett.

This is an original document published by CIRCS.org.

The global prevalence of circumcision in all males is estimated using published data. It is estimated that of a total of 3492497084 males, 1306411547 are circumcised — a global circumcision rate of 37.4%.

Methods

Recorded circumcision rates were extracted from published papers; these were entered by hand into a CSV file (download). Where more than one study provided rates, the mean was used. The results are shown in Table 2.

Population data were downloaded from CIA.gov[1]; as were data for the sex ratio[2]. These data were combined to produce estimates for the male population by country.

Data for the percentage of Jews by country were obtained from a publication by the Jewish Virtual Library[3], and were entered by hand into a CSV file (download).

Data for the percentage of Muslims by country were obtained from a Pew Forum report[4], and were entered by hand into a CSV file (download).

For each country that lacked an estimate for the percentage of circumcised males, this figure was estimated from the sum of the numbers of Jewish and Muslim males. If none of these figures were available, the country was excluded from further calculations. Excluded countries are shown in Table 3.

The number of circumcised males was estimated for each country, using the estimated male population and circumcision rate. The results are shown in Table 1.

The global circumcision rate may therefore be calculated as the sum of circumcised males in all included countries, divided by the sum of male populations.

All data processing was automated using a simple Python script (download).

Reliability

The true circumcision rate is unknown: it can only be estimated. Nevertheless, some estimates are more reliable than others. This is believed to be the most thorough analysis yet conducted, but it is not ideal.

Limited availability of studies providing reported circumcision rates has meant that the rate for many countries had to be estimated using the prevalence of religious faiths in that country. This is not completely accurate because i) while most Muslims and Jews circumcise, the number is less than 100%, and ii) a certain percentage (typically 5-10% in developed countries) of males are circumcised for medical reasons such as phimosis or balanitis.

Predicting circumcision rates based upon religion is therefore an approximation at best. It is instructive to examine the countries for which both predicted and reported circumcision rates are available. The following histogram shows that the reported circumcision rates generally exceed the religion-based predictions for these countries. This might suggest that the actual circumcision rate is greater than the figure predicted here.

The average non-religious circumcision rate was estimated from Table 2 by finding the best fit using a least-squares approach (weighted by male population). It was found to be 21.1% — that is, 21.1% of males not already circumcised due to religious reasons are expected to be circumcised. If predicted rates were adjusted to reflect this the global circumcision rate is estimated to be 40.3%.

Results

Table 1: Circumcised males by country

CountryMuslim %Jewish %Circumcised %Total malesTotal circ'd malesNotes
Canada2.01.243.6168434237343732
Sao Tome and Principe0.10.00.18975390d
Fiji6.30.06.344156327818d
Guernsey0.10.00.13170032d
Turkmenistan93.10.193.124735122304076d
Lithuania0.10.10.216648873163d
Cambodia1.60.03.57200841252029
Ethiopia33.90.192.04474493741165342
Aruba0.20.00.250264101d
Swaziland0.20.08.068176954542
Wallis and Futuna0.10.00.177758d
Argentina1.90.52.420566819489490d
Bolivia0.10.10.250082377512d
Cameroon17.90.093.099046799211351
Burkina Faso59.00.089.083336387416938
Ghana15.90.096.01239553711899716
Saudi Arabia97.00.097.01408944413666761d
Cape Verde1.00.01.02500692501d
Northern Mariana Islands0.70.00.722190155d
Slovenia2.40.14.597440443848
Guatemala0.10.10.2680696910210d
Bosnia and Herzegovina40.00.140.02275887911493d
Kuwait95.00.095.015737271495041d
Holy See (Vatican City)0.10.00.14180ad
Jordan98.20.098.233179423258219d
Spain1.00.12.022900302458006
Liberia12.20.094.018933821779779
Netherlands5.70.25.98338418490299d
Micronesia, Federated States of0.10.00.15315053d
Jamaica0.10.10.214197032130d
Oman87.70.087.716701301464704d
Tanzania30.20.069.02115741814598618
Seychelles1.10.01.145253498d
Gabon9.50.094.5784371741231
Saint Pierre and Miquelon0.20.00.229146d
Monaco0.40.00.41487860d
Samoa0.10.00.19939499d
New Zealand0.90.226.72134394569883
Yemen99.10.199.11224507212140989d
Jersey0.10.00.14636446d
Pakistan96.30.096.39683899193255948d
Albania79.90.079.915266931219828d
West Bank98.06.6100.013094591309459d
Macau0.10.00.1274564275d
Congo, Republic of the1.60.097.021113012047962
United Arab Emirates76.20.076.235397072697257d
Kosovo89.60.089.6939403841705d
India13.40.110.761745516365758975
Azerbaijan99.20.199.341224374092755d
Lesotho0.10.048.0947787454938
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1.50.01.552702791d
Kenya7.00.183.02063763417129236
Belarus1.00.21.2445586653025d
Tajikistan84.10.084.137944363191121d
Greenland0.10.00.13046730d
Turkey98.00.198.03978280139007036d
Afghanistan99.70.099.71528154215235697d
Bangladesh89.60.099.07640963675645540
Mauritania99.10.099.115813061567074d
Solomon Islands0.10.00.1288776289d
Turks and Caicos Islands0.10.00.12316723d
Saint Lucia0.10.00.17870779d
Gaza Strip98.06.6100.0844824844824d
San Marino0.10.00.11541615d
Mongolia5.00.05.0156665978333d
France6.00.814.0319896734478554
Rwanda1.80.010.05656644565664
Slovakia0.10.10.226538233981d
Somalia98.50.099.049628204913192
Peru0.10.13.714697230543798
Laos0.10.00.132058923206d
Nauru0.10.00.146385d
Norway1.00.11.1232222824383d
Malawi12.80.021.078997281658943
Cook Islands0.10.00.157506d
Benin24.40.098.046625164569266
Western Sahara99.40.099.4251019249513d
Cuba0.10.10.255158078274d
Bahamas, The0.10.10.2153459307d
Montenegro17.70.017.732924158276d
Saint Kitts and Nevis0.10.00.12515725d
Togo12.20.097.533344333251072
Virgin Islands0.10.30.451947187d
China1.60.111.468782577578219547
Armenia0.10.00.113976181398d
Antigua and Barbuda0.60.00.641629250d
Dominican Republic0.10.15.05051895252595
Ukraine1.00.21.220737568242630d
Bahrain81.20.081.2672426546010d
Tonga0.10.00.15269253d
Finland0.50.17.12575959182893
Libya96.60.096.633794433264542d
Indonesia88.20.092.5122806522113596033
Central African Republic8.90.055.024500131347507
United States0.81.879.0154231006121842495
Sweden2.00.22.2449846197617d
Vietnam0.20.00.24504718490094d
British Virgin Islands1.20.01.213001156d
Mali92.50.099.070084376938353
Russia11.70.211.9637453567560199d
Bulgaria12.20.112.23399033416382d
Mauritius16.60.016.6641932106561d
Romania0.30.10.31067144837350d
Angola1.00.097.067353036533244
Chad55.80.082.551553284253146
South Africa1.50.135.0243788908532612
Cyprus22.70.022.7571230129669d
Liechtenstein4.80.04.817073820d
Qatar77.50.077.5564399437409d
Malaysia60.40.060.4144357688719204d
Senegal96.00.098.062901316164328
Mozambique22.80.060.0113585266815116
Uganda12.10.025.0173922254348056
Hungary0.20.50.7475299332796d
Niger98.60.099.082344438152099
Isle of Man0.20.00.24146483d
Brazil0.10.17.41006874637450872
Guinea84.40.099.053005055247500
Panama0.70.20.9174736215027d
Guyana7.20.07.237238426812d
Congo, Democratic Republic of the1.40.197.03567625034605963
Costa Rica1.00.11.1229966524376d
Luxembourg3.00.13.12478197732d
American Samoa0.10.00.13395434d
Andorra1.00.01.043847438d
Gibraltar4.02.46.414550931d
Ireland0.50.10.6232375212781d
Palau0.10.00.11111811d
Nigeria50.40.196.57912950876359975
Ecuador0.10.10.2746596511199d
Czech Republic0.10.10.249644637447d
Brunei67.20.067.2200945135035d
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha0.10.00.138884d
Australia1.70.558.7108833566388530
Iran99.40.199.53933121039114888d
Algeria98.00.098.01758452117232831d
El Salvador0.10.10.229257774389d
Tuvalu0.10.00.151925d
Pitcairn Islands0.10.00.1240ad
Marshall Islands0.10.00.13425034d
Chile0.10.10.2835908319226d
Puerto Rico0.10.10.219114602867d
Belgium3.00.03.05109295153432d
Thailand5.80.112.4330231064094865
Haiti0.10.00.148108754811d
Iraq99.00.099.01542441315270169d
Hong Kong1.00.01.0346994034699d
Sierra Leone71.30.094.025988912442958
Georgia9.90.110.02184893218052d
Denmark2.00.111.72737015318862
Philippines5.10.192.85091696947225489
Moldova0.50.10.6205554112539d
Morocco99.00.099.01574076715584933d
Croatia1.00.11.1216058922686d
French Polynesia0.10.00.1151763152d
Guinea-Bissau42.20.098.0777868762311
Kiribati0.10.00.14960450d
Switzerland4.30.24.53761808170786d
Grenada0.30.00.354746164d
Korea, North0.10.00.11191518811915d
Belize0.10.00.1162930163d
Portugal0.10.10.252422007863d
Estonia0.10.10.25857011464d
Uruguay0.10.50.6161185010155d
Equatorial Guinea4.00.096.0332434319137
Lebanon59.30.059.320292741203359d
Korea, South0.10.183.22437732920269749
Uzbekistan96.30.196.31399362513482858d
Egypt94.60.194.64164631839418240d
Djibouti96.90.099.0350045346545
Bermuda0.80.00.833277266d
Timor-Leste3.80.03.859762022710d
Dominica0.10.00.13684637d
Colombia1.00.16.9221368851527445
Burundi2.00.07.55056498379237
Taiwan1.00.08.7116501061013559
Nicaragua0.10.00.128331512833d
Barbados0.80.00.81389191111d
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)0.10.00.115782ad
Madagascar1.10.098.01090801910689859
Italy1.00.11.129885782313801d
Bhutan1.00.01.03710813711d
Sudan71.30.071.32285661416296766d
Nepal4.20.07.5143960241079702
Malta0.20.00.2203141406d
Maldives98.40.098.4230416226729d
Suriname15.90.116.024475839039d
Cayman Islands0.20.00.22516850d
Anguilla0.30.00.3731422d
Venezuela0.30.10.41367829749242d
Israel16.775.291.937365263433867d
Iceland0.10.00.1155529156d
Zambia0.40.013.06940668902287
Austria4.20.14.34003290172542d
Papua New Guinea0.10.00.131839063184d
Cote d'Ivoire36.70.096.01091097910474540
Trinidad and Tobago5.80.05.861982935950d
Zimbabwe0.90.110.05757443575744
Germany5.00.110.9401155734372597
Vanuatu0.10.00.1114484114d
Kazakhstan56.40.156.474796934222287d
Poland1.00.11.118626336195577d
Eritrea36.50.099.029397452910348
Kyrgyzstan86.30.186.327367072363146d
Montserrat0.10.00.125833d
New Caledonia2.80.02.81281383588d
Macedonia33.30.133.31038664346394d
Paraguay0.10.10.232455964868d
Latvia1.00.41.4101938114577d
South Sudan0.00.017.54150793726389abc
Japan0.10.10.26161634992425d
Syria92.20.192.21142526210539804d
Burma3.80.03.526864224940248
Honduras0.10.00.140920404092d
Mexico1.00.110.0557016625570166
Tunisia99.50.099.553410345314916d
Singapore14.90.115.02309590345284d
Serbia3.20.13.23561552115750d
Comoros98.30.098.3393328386641d
United Kingdom2.70.515.8310325234903139
Gambia, The95.00.098.0898930880951
Greece3.00.13.05270271160743d
Sri Lanka8.50.08.510479896890791d
Namibia0.40.121.01079135226618
Botswana0.40.114.01037837145297
Niue0.10.00.16591ad

Notes:
a Unknown sex ratio; substituted global average
b Unknown Muslim percentage; substituted zero
c Unknown Jewish percentage; substituted zero
d Unknown circumcision percentage; substituted sum of Muslim and Jewish percentages

Table 2: National circumcision rates

The following data were extracted from published studies documenting the actual circumcision rate in a sample taken from the respective country.

Country% circumcisedSource(s)
Canada43.643.6%[5]
Brazil7.47.4%[6]
Madagascar98.098.0%[7]
Bangladesh99.099.0%[7]
Liberia94.094.0%[7]
Guinea99.099.0%[7]
Nepal7.57.5%[7]
Congo, Democratic Republic of the97.097.0%[7]
Cambodia3.53.5%[7]
France14.014.0%[8]
Malawi21.021.0%[7]
Ethiopia92.092.0%[7]
Rwanda10.010.0%[7]
Tanzania69.069.0%[7]
Somalia99.099.0%[7]
Peru3.73.7%[9]
Swaziland8.08.0%[7]
Nigeria96.596.5%[7]
Cameroon93.093.0%[7]
Burkina Faso89.089.0%[7]
Benin98.098.0%[7]
Ghana96.096.0%[7]
Australia58.758.7%[10]
Togo97.597.5%[7]
Zambia13.013.0%[7]
Djibouti99.099.0%[7]
Cote d'Ivoire96.096.0%[7]
Slovenia4.54.5%[11]
Zimbabwe10.010.0%[7]
China11.411.6%[12], 19.9%[13], 17.0%[14], 2.7%[15], 5.7%[16]
Thailand12.412.3%[17], 12.5%[7]
Dominican Republic5.05.0%[18]
Germany10.910.9%[19]
Sierra Leone94.094.0%[7]
Spain2.02.0%[6]
Eritrea99.099.0%[7]
Indonesia92.592.5%[7]
Uganda25.025.0%[7]
Denmark11.75.3%[20], 18.0%[21]
Philippines92.892.5%[6], 93.0%[7]
Finland7.17.1%[22]
Central African Republic55.055.0%[7]
United States79.079.0%[23]
Gabon94.594.5%[7]
South Sudan17.517.5%[7]
Guinea-Bissau98.098.0%[7]
Mali99.099.0%[7]
Namibia21.021.0%[7]
New Zealand26.726.7%[24]
Niger99.099.0%[7]
Burma3.53.5%[7]
Angola97.097.0%[7]
Congo, Republic of the97.097.0%[7]
Chad82.582.5%[7]
Mexico10.010.0%[25]
Equatorial Guinea96.096.0%[7]
India10.78.3%[26], 13.0%[7]
Korea, South83.278.0%[27], 88.3%[28]
South Africa35.035.0%[7]
United Kingdom15.815.8%[29]
Lesotho48.048.0%[7]
Senegal98.098.0%[7]
Gambia, The98.098.0%[7]
Mozambique60.060.0%[7]
Colombia6.96.9%[6]
Burundi7.57.5%[7]
Kenya83.083.0%[7]
Taiwan8.78.7%[30]
Botswana14.014.0%[7]

Table 3: Excluded countries

12 countries were excluded due to lack of data. These were:

CountryTotal males
Saint Martin14752
Cocos (Keeling) Islands299
Saint Barthelemy3924
Norfolk Island1090
Tokelau695
Christmas Island704
Akrotiri7889
Faroe Islands25694
Svalbard1015
Curacao65326
Dhekelia7889
Sint Maarten17935

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File: 'Reviews/Rates/Global'. Last updated: April 25 2012, 15:07:22 GMT.