Before I started traveling I was reluctant to believe some races of men are more highly desired by women than others. Growing up in multi-cultural DC, I’d see white guys, black guys, and Latinos all getting with reasonable-looking girls in the clubs. I did notice that Asian guys only got with Asian girls, but otherwise I believed that for the most part all men are created equal.

I was a little naive.

After having lived abroad for more than 18 months, I see there is a very clear totem poll of male desirability. I used to think that my game was all that I needed to outperform any man, but unfortunately many foreign girls are so crazy about certain physical features that I have to work like a mule in some areas of the world.

Before you call me a racist for sharing these thoughts, keep in mind that this isn’t what I think is desirable, but what I’ve observed others to find attractive.

Let’s start with the ranking for men, from most desirable to least desirable. If you placed a handsome representative from each category in a lineup and let the world’s women pick their favorite, here’s who would get the most votes:

1. European men with darker, sultry features from countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France
2. Northern European men with light features from countries like Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, and Norway
3. Western men with medium features from countries like England, United States, Australia, Canada, and Ireland
4. Middle Eastern men with darker but slightly rougher features from countries like Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Iran, and Algeria
5. Latino men from countries like Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and ones in Central America
6. Arab men from countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan
7. African men
8. Southeast Asian men from countries like Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia
9. Indian men
10. Asian men from countries like Korea, China, Taiwan

Where do we place men that don’t exactly fall within an category? In many cases there is some mixing and matching. Israeli men would probably fare better than your average Middle Eastern man. German and Russian men would go a notch above Western men. And Colombian, Argentine, and Brazilian men would hover around the Western and Middle Eastern categories. Personally I’d put myself mostly in category four (I have a big Turkish face and a Chewbacca complexion). I don’t feel my background affecting my pussy-getting ability unless I’m hanging out with a guy in one of the first two categories.

An interesting group is African-American men. Their African ancestry suggests they would be viewed slightly unfavorably, but thanks to cultural forces that display then as cool, progressive, and dangerous, they do better than Latino men. They can thank MTV and Hollywood.

I cannot answer the why to this list. I don’t know why Asian and Indian men are not highly desired the world over. It’s true that those guys on the bottom of the list have to work much harder than guys at the top, but that’s life. Count your blessings that you’re a man, where appearance issues can be overcome with things like game, status, lifestyle, and gimmicks. One of my best friends is an Indian man with some status and he consistently dates cute white girls, so I know it’s not a death sentence.

How about if we did the list for women? It’d be similar to the mens list but with a couple changes:

1. Northern European women (+1 movement)
2. European women (-1)
3. Western women (no change)
4. Latina women (+1)
5. Middle Eastern women (-1)
6. Southeast Asian women (+2)
7. Asian women (+3)
8. Arab women (-2)
9. Indian women (no change)
10. African women (-3)

Northern European women take the top spot (men are crazy for fair features). There was some shuffling in the bottom half of the list where Asian women got a healthy boost at the expense of Arab, Indian, and African women. Like with the men, Colombian, Argentine, and Brazilian women would be placed around categories three and four.

Why are Asian women viewed more favorably than their male counterparts? It’s because they are seen as submissive and compliant, qualities that make for a good partner. Plus Asian genetic features are more pleasing on the feminine form. And how about African-American women—do they see a boost like with African-American men? I don’t see that. Media portrayals have not been kind to them—they are shown to be combative and promiscuous. There are some exceptions to their perception (Ethiopian women fare rather well in being desired by men), but unless the African girl has a shade like Halle Berry or Tyra Banks, she will have trouble competing with other women higher on the list.

A good yard stick is the mail order bride industry. What countries do men want to purchase women from? Asian countries, Slavic countries, and some Latin countries. You do not see mail order brides coming out of Egypt, India, or Africa. These women who are at the bottom of the list are at a severe disadvantage. They can pretty themselves to land a quality man in their category, but it will be very hard for them to upgrade unless they possess exceptional beauty or lower their standards (e.g. Indian girl dating a pasty white nerd). Again, life isn’t fair.

You can use knowledge of the first list to find countries you’ll be well-received in—simply visit a place where the local man is several rungs lower than yourself. Religion may be factor (no one gets laid in Arab countries unless they pay for it), but if you’re in the middle of the list you may want to try Africa or Asia before you blow your wad in Spain or Italy. Call it pussy arbitrage.

One final note is to keep in mind that scarcity can increase your value. An Indian or Asian man in Denmark won’t do as bad as you might think due to how exotic he would be. (Partly for this reason black guys have found themselves quite a niche in places like Sweden and Germany.) If I go to Finland or Iceland I know my darker features will help get my foot in the door with many curious women, but I’m not going to kid myself—I’ll still need game to seal the deal.