There are plenty of facts and figures that separate men and women – but how many of them are actually true? In this fact file, we’re going to break down all kinds of stats and surprising study findings to help get to the bottom of what really sets the genders apart.
Specifically, we’re going to focus on British men when it comes to the nitty gritty facts and figures – so if you’re from the UK and want to know where you align with the rest of your fellow blokes up and down the country, you’re in the right spot.
Did you know that men are actually more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD? Who is more sensitive to taste – men or women? Time to take a closer look at some fun facts about men…
In the interest of clarity, the use of ‘men’ and ‘women’ in this article typically refers to genders as they are assigned at birth.
1. Men have strange throats.
Men often say women talk a lot more than they do, yet they have an ‘Adam’s Apple’, and that is evidence of their capacity for sound!
Their voice boxes are proportionally far larger than women’s, so the nearby cartilage protrudes to form their Apples, giving them deeper voices!
Interestingly, research even suggests that a deeper voice in a man helps them to seem more confident, and might even be perceived as leaders. We can’t all be Frank Bruno, though – some of us sound more like Joe Pasquale!
2. They’re called ‘Adam’s Apple’ for a reason.
And, yes, you’ve probably guessed correctly. The term for the male larynx, of course, refers to the story in the Old Testament of the Bible, referring to Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.
However, women have Adam’s Apples, too – it’s just that men’s are much more pronounced.
3. Men react differently to women when it comes to exercise.
When men exercise, they burn more carbohydrates than women, who burn more fat! This could be related to the fact that women tend to have higher body fat percentages than men on average, and that the ideal body fat percentage for men tends to be lower than what’s expected from women.
4. Men have longer fingers than women, on average.
Relatively speaking, in order of length, usually the ring finger, next to the little finger, is the second longest finger on men’s hands! Women’s second longest is usually the first finger next to their thumb, known as the index finger.
5. Male skin is surprisingly tough.
We often say that men are ‘thick skinned’, but, literally, men actually are. Their skin is said to be an average 25% thicker than women’s, regardless of how they react to criticism.
Male skin also tends to have more collagen, is oilier, and even ages a little slower than female skin. And, British blokes seem to know it – the market for men’s face care alone in the UK is a staggering £69.8 million!
6. Men don’t sense things as strongly as women.
Women tend to be more receptive when it comes to certain senses. For example, men are thought to have much less sensitive tastebuds and smell receptors! This is all down to women having more sensory cells, on the whole.
It’s also thought that people with smaller fingers have more tactile acuity, which means they have a more delicate sense of touch – which, if you remember what I said about fingers in fact four, means men are less sensitive (in those areas, in any case!).
7. Human men have larger penises than other primates, on average.
Don’t blush – studies suggest that, even compared to the biggest of gorillas, human males tend to have larger penises than other primate species. That’s certainly true when it comes to girth, but when it comes to length, some species – like chimpanzees – can have humans beat.
Now, here’s a fact that’ll really make you blush – the average length of a British man’s penis is just over five inches, or 13.1 centimetres.
8. The ‘male’ symbol is very appropriate.
The Roman God of War is Mars, and his symbol is a circle with an upwardly pointing arrow on top. The very same symbol used to denote ‘Man’!
This symbol has been used to help represent the male sex since the 18th century, and has also been adopted as a symbol within the LGBTQ+ community the world over.
9. Men react better to the cold than women.
Men do not feel cold temperatures as acutely as women. By having a usually lower body temperature, due to having greater muscle mass than women, men often turn the radiators down sooner than women in winter!
It’s also a common joke that some British men would rather wear coats and scarves indoors than turn the central heating up – so they can save money and ‘feel the benefit’!
10. You’re more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD if you’re born male.
Medical data from worldwide surveys suggest that triple the number of birth-assigned males have ‘ADHD’, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, than females.
Unusual behavioural patterns are reportedly less noticeable in pubescent and more mature females. This is thought to be as a result of female biological processes such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause causing hormonal imbalances.
In the UK, it’s thought that there’s a male-to-female ADHD ratio of around 3:1, with up to 4% of all adults being positive for the disorder. However, there have been growing concerns over the years that many birth-assigned women have been overlooked in terms of diagnosis.
11. The majority of adult men in the UK have children.
Most birth-assigned males in the UK over the age of 16 have children of their own. It’s thought that just over a third have no children at all, while 25% of men have children and live with a partner.
Surprisingly, 38% of fathers don’t live with their children, and 1% of assigned male fathers are single dads! These stats, of course, could change as society evolves over the years to come.
12. Men tend to have larger brains than women, but aren’t always more intelligent!
As many women will agree, it is widely accepted that the size of the brain does not necessarily correlate to intelligence! Men do usually have larger brains!
This is thought to be in proportion to the higher demand for increased number of neurons needed to control their usually greater muscle mass and increased stature!
That said, bigger brains don’t always make for higher intelligence. However, it’s thought that the mean IQ for men is four points higher than the mean IQ for women (again, this refers to gender assigned at birth).
13. Men have more muscle than women.
Men tend to have up to half the amount of body fat as women carry, but up to 50% more muscle mass!
That, of course, doesn’t exclude genetic females from building muscle and strength! In fact, an increasing number of female strength contests have emerged over the past few years – and biological women tend to have a higher threshold for pain compared to men, too!
14. Men really do struggle with multi-tasking.
It’s official – men are not as good as women at ‘multi-tasking’! It has been scientifically proven that when the brain activity of men and women was monitored and studied, during tasks, women use both sides of their brain.
Men used only one-half of their brain, so in the main, specifically concentrating their focus on one task at a time!
15. Male aggression is explained by science.
Studies of the brain have discovered why biological men have long been thought to be generally more competitive and more aggressive than women. Known to have more of the hormone testosterone, men also have a significantly larger amygdala. This is the part of the brain which controls emotional responses!
However, aggression isn’t always a good thing. Sadly, research estimates that one in nine male university students have engaged in a form of sexual aggression in the past.
16. Few nurses in the UK are male, but they’ve been a part of our healthcare culture for decades.
It’s true that, according to studies, most British nurses identify as female and that only around 11% of nurses registered in the UK identify as male.
However, male nurses were first registered in the UK all the way back in the 1910s, with men joining the official nursing register in the early 1950s.
Male nurses have helped to support hospitals and frontline support during battles and wars heading back to the 19th century. It just happens to still be a fairly female-dominated profession.
17. Males aren’t always great at distinguishing colours.
Though records confirm more men suffer from colour blindness than women, research shows that men excel over women when detecting fast movements!
It’s thought that there are three million people in the UK who suffer from colour blindness, and around 8% of them overall (roughly one in 12) are male.
That means there are enough people with colour blindness in the UK to fill the whole of the city of Birmingham!
18. Men seem to be funnier than women – according to science!
In 2019, a study was undertaken to find out if men are ‘funnier’ than women. Aberystwyth University and the University of North Carolina studied data relating to 5,000 people. Results showed that men have a higher humour production ability over women by a factor of one to two!
However, there’s plenty of debate over who the funniest people in the UK are, and there’s just as many women as there are men. For every Billy Connolly, Morecambe and Wise, and Rowan Atkinson, there’s Victoria Wood, French and Saunders, and Kathy Burke!
19. Biological men have longer tongues than women on average.
That’s backed up thanks to the person with the longest tongue in the world (at the time of writing), Nick Stoeberl, who is recognised by Guinness World Records! Stoberl’s tongue measures an incredible 3.97 inches or 10.1 centimetres.
Research from Edinburgh University confirms that it is usual for men to have longer tongues than women.
20. There are some interesting rituals surrounding male visitors in some parts of Africa.
Male visitors to Kenya or Tanzania may be surprised when making a new friend there! As a sign of respect, a greeting and friendship, Masai men spit on each other! Masai warriors also spit into the palms of their hands before shaking hands with elders!
21. An odd hobby seems to have more male enthusiasts.
More men than women participate in ‘funambulism’! This is more commonly known as tightrope walking. Of the six most famous funambulists in the world, four are men.
Some of the most common hobbies among British men, however, tend to be a little more on the safe side (and certainly more down to Earth). Research suggests modern men enjoy cooking, reading, and, of course, gaming.
The great news is, in general, around 95% of British adults have a hobby that they enjoy at least one day a week!
23. The meaning of the word ‘boy’ is pretty outdated.
The word ‘boy’, which obviously refers to a male child, has only been in use since the 12th century. It’s thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon ‘boia’. This means, roughly, ‘servant’!
Interestingly, in Old English, it’s thought that the word ‘man’ was once used to refer to people in general – children, women, people of all ages. It’s thought that the meaning of ‘man’ to refer to an adult male didn’t start getting used until around the 11th century!
24. British boys don’t tend to perform as well at school as girls.
Recent data from English schools suggests that boys are still being outperformed by girls when it comes to aptitude and actually staying in school.
It’s thought that in one autumn term, nearly double the number of boys were suspended from school compared to girls – and, in the same period, boys were twice as likely to get excluded.
This data has led some inquiry into why boys appear to be falling behind – who knows the reason?
25. What does ‘Dad’ mean?
The word ‘dad’ to mean father has only been around since the 16th century. It’s thought to come from ‘tad’, a Welsh word which – you guessed it – means father. Looking further back, ‘father’ as a word comes from ‘faeder’. It all stems back to Old English, according to historians.
Latin, however, seems to be the root language for some other forms of ‘dad’ the world over. The Latin ‘pater’ seems to have influenced the French for father – ‘père’ or ‘paire’ in old French.
26. British men are more likely to be overweight compared to women.
The UK, like many western countries, continues to struggle with an obesity epidemic. In fact, data shows that men are more likely to be overweight or obese compared to women, with over 68% of men fitting this category. In women, it’s closer to 59%.
The group most likely to be overweight or obese in British men is those aged between 55 and 64. Interestingly, there’s less of an age gap in women.
27. British men seem to spend more than women.
It appears to be a pretty common misconception that British women spend more than men! However, data suggests that men actually spend more than women, in the UK, on clothes per month. It’s true!
On average, men spend around £10-£15 more than women on their wardrobe. That could well change thanks to the economy, but it’s food for thought nonetheless!
28. There’s still a gender pay gap in the UK.
Ok, this is not so much a fun fact – but hopefully, it’s something that gets addressed in the near future. Research shows that, per hour, men are still paid more than women in the UK.
The latest figures appear to suggest that men earn a median amount of at least £19 per hour, while women earn almost £18 per hour. Again, these are median amounts – and, as time goes on and the economy changes, these rates are likely to change.
Regardless, it’s data that continues to fuel discussion as to how companies can ensure fairer wages while inflation fluctuates.
FAQs About Men
What do biological men have instead of a uterus?
Biologically, men are very different from women when it comes to reproductive organs - men have prostate glands, for example, whereas women do not.
Can biological men give birth?
A person born male cannot physically get pregnant, however, there have been several cases of transgender men, or non-binary people, giving birth. For example, there’s been a few circumstances where the media has reported on ‘pregnant’ men, however, they were born female and are completing their gender transition.
Do biological men have periods?
While women experience regular menstrual cycles, some men are often thought to experience hormonal cycles of their own - as much as 25% of them!
Further reading
https://prostatecanceruk.org/
https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/History/2020/Nursing-History-Now-first-men-nurses-on-register
Do you know any fun facts about men? Share them in the comments below!
