More than 80 percent of men said that they cannot express themselves openly in society, according to a global survey about modern masculinity released on International Men's Day on Nov 19.

Commissioned by Italian luxury menswear house Ermenegildo Zegna, the survey was conducted independently by consultancy firm Kantar which interviewed 3,000 men and 750 women from five metropolises including Shanghai, London and New York.

Nine out of 10 Chinese men said they have played up their masculinity at work, compared to six out of 10 British and Americans. When it comes to the question of women being paid more than men, Chinese men appear more acceptable than their counterparts from Britain and the United States.

In general, "vulnerability", "insecurity" and "conformism" are the three qualities that males around the world fear to be associated with the most.

In terms of fashion sense, one out of every two men said they think wearing pink or skinny jeans is unfashionable.

Inaugurated in 1992, International Men's Day often bears a theme that is aimed at challenging stereotypes and raising awareness of men's mental health. In 2016, the event was themed "Stop Male Suicide" in light of findings that the suicide rate in men could be six times higher than in women in some countries. This year's theme was "Making a Difference for Men and Boys".