Give statistics on how frequently people have sex
Executive summary
Population surveys show broad variation in how often people have sex: many partnered adults report weekly or monthly sex while a growing share — especially younger adults — report little or no partnered sex; large, high-quality U.S. surveys categorize past-year frequency as sexual inactivity, once or twice per year, 1–3 times per month, or weekly or more (NSFG/General Social Survey analyses) [1] [2]. Secondary analyses and media summaries emphasize age, relationship status and cohort change as the strongest drivers of these trends, but definitions and self-reporting differences complicate direct comparisons across studies [3] [4].
1. What the big surveys measure and why it matters
Major U.S. studies — including analyses of national surveys grouped into 2000–2018 waves — measure sexual frequency in the past year using categories such as sexual inactivity, once or twice per year, 1–3 times per month, or weekly or more; those categories are the backbone of trend claims about rising sexual inactivity and declining weekly sex among adults 18–44 [1] [2]. How a study defines “sex” matters: some surveys leave the term undefined, producing inconsistent respondent interpretations (vaginal intercourse vs broader sexual activity), and men and women differ in reporting nonpenetrative sex as “sex,” which affects frequency estimates [2].
2. Typical headline numbers by age and relationship status
Aggregated country-level and clinic-focused summaries put typical partnered frequency around once per week for many adults, with younger adults (20s–30s) reporting higher annual counts — psychology summaries have cited figures like ~80 times per year for people in their 20s and roughly 20 times per year for people in their 60s — while other syntheses show that a substantial share of married couples report sex weekly or monthly rather than daily [3] [5] [6]. National survey breakdowns group people into those having sex weekly or more, monthly, a few times a year, or not at all; trend papers document declines in the “weekly or more” category for some age/sex groups [1].
3. The “sex recession” — who is doing less and why analysts differ
Multiple analyses argue that Americans, especially younger cohorts, are having less partnered sex than prior generations: Institute for Family Studies and academic trend papers point to cohort effects — fewer steady partnerships and less marriage — as contributing factors, and some research links increased screen time and changed social habits to reduced partnered time [7] [2]. Interpretations diverge: some commentators emphasize changing norms and technology, while survey authors caution about measurement limits and the need to account for relationship composition and sexual definitions before concluding a long-term behavioral collapse [7] [2].
4. Measurement limits, self‑report bias and cross‑study variation
Comparing numbers across sources quickly runs into problems: different questionnaires, differing age ranges, and whether “sex” includes oral or nonpenetrative acts change reported frequency; response rates and social desirability bias also shape results, and some online compilations rely on convenience samples rather than nationally representative surveys [2] [8]. Authoritative public data sources such as the CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth report partner counts and frequency categories but do not harmonize every definitional difference, so statements like “people in their 20s have sex 80 times per year” should be seen as approximations drawn from select studies rather than universal constants [9] [3] [1].
5. What can be said confidently and what remains uncertain
Confident conclusions: sexual frequency varies strongly by age and relationship status, many partnered adults report sex about weekly or monthly, and trend analyses find increases in sexual inactivity and decreases in weekly sex for some younger age groups between 2000 and 2018 [1] [6] [5]. Less certain: the precise magnitude of decline across the whole population, the causal weight of technology or economic factors, and cross-country comparisons that use inconsistent measures — these areas require more harmonized, longitudinal measurement and clearer definitions of “sex” [7] [4].