How have men's preferred sexual acts changed over the past two decades in survey data?

1. What the big surveys actually measured

Large, probability-based surveys (NSSHB; Sexual Exploration in America; Natsal series) ask about both “appeal” and “behavior” across dozens of acts, and compare waves over time rather than single snapshots, enabling trend estimates ^{[2] [1] [4]}. The 2015 Sexual Exploration study asked about appeal of 50+ behaviors and found >80% lifetime reports for masturbation, vaginal sex and oral sex, and lower but notable lifetime anal sex (43% insertive for men) ^[1]. The NSSHB produces recurring waves (2009 onward) that explicitly track changes in frequency, repertoire, and attitudes ^{[2] [3]}.

2. The clearest change: repertoire broadened, not replaced

Available survey evidence shows men’s repertoires have broadened—more behaviors are being asked about and reported—rather than a wholesale replacement of core acts. Oral, vaginal and solo masturbation remain dominant (>80% lifetime) while anal sex and a range of affectionate or kink-related acts appear with lower but significant prevalence ^[1]. The NSSHB frames this as “enormous variability” in sexual repertoires across adults ^[5].

3. Frequency vs. preference: declining intercourse but more kinds of acts

Longitudinal comparisons show a decline in penile–vaginal intercourse frequency for some cohorts between 2009 and 2018 and rising reports of sexual inactivity among younger men in national data from 2000–2018 ^{[3] [6]}. At the same time, surveys that measure appeal and recent engagement find that the appeal of an act predicts whether someone recently tried it—suggesting preferences and practice move together as cultural exposure changes ^{[1] [3]}.

4. Sexual orientation, roles and reported acts

Surveys repeatedly show that sexual orientation correlates with the kinds of acts reported: homosexual and bisexual men report lower rates of vaginal sex and higher rates of insertive and receptive anal sex compared to heterosexual men ^[7]. NSSHB reporting likewise finds differences in attitudes toward bisexual individuals by gender and ongoing diversity across partner types ^{[5] [2]}.

5. Drivers and competing explanations in the literature

Researchers link repertoire change to social and technological shifts—greater openness, porn access, dating apps and more explicit survey instruments all increase awareness and reporting of diverse acts ^{[3] [7]}. Alternative interpretations exist in different datasets: some national surveys in other countries (e.g., Britain) found stable sexual inactivity across waves while Germany reported marked increases in male sexual inactivity, showing context matters ^[6].

6. Methodological caveats and what the surveys do not say

Survey modality, question wording, and sampling frame shape results: web panels and campus surveys are not interchangeable with probability samples ^{[1] [8]}. Many sources stress that prevalence is not a value judgment about behaviors and that appeal predicts engagement but not healthiness or consent ^[1]. Available sources do not mention long-term causes such as endocrine or genetic shifts explaining these behavioral trends—those explanations are not present in the cited survey reports (not found in current reporting).

7. What to watch next

Researchers publishing repeated waves (NSSHB, national probability studies, and large multi-country efforts) will continue to refine which acts rise or fall in appeal and practice; early signals to monitor are age-cohort differences (younger men reporting more inactivity in some countries), the role of dating apps in partner variety, and shifting attitudes toward bisexuality noted by NSSHB teams ^{[2] [6] [5]}.

Limitations: this summary uses only the listed sources; conclusions are bounded by what those surveys measured and reported ^{[2] [1] [3]}. Alternative datasets and newer waves may nuance or contradict specific percentages.