How does pegging popularity vary by age group among men?
Executive summary
Pegging’s popularity varies by age: most reports find higher experimentation and purchase activity among Millennials (roughly mid‑20s to early‑40s) with Gen Z close behind, while Gen X and older cohorts show lower but non‑negligible participation; multiple surveys and market reports place Millennials as the generation most likely to have tried pegging and identify couples aged 30–40 as the strongest market for gear [1] [2] [3]. Sales and search trends suggest rising interest across younger cohorts (searches concentrated in 18–24) even as self‑reported lifetime experience remains in the low‑teens to high‑teens percentage range for men overall [2] [4] [1].
1. Millennials lead in reported experience and repeat play
Several surveys and industry write‑ups converge on the finding that Millennials report the highest rates of trying pegging—figures cited include about 16–18% of sexually active adults having tried it and Millennials topping pegging participation at roughly 18%—and that many of those who try it repeat it, with one market report saying a third of experimenting couples made it a regular rotation and 80% would do it again [5] [1] [2]. This concentration among Millennials is also tied to broader generational patterns: Millennials report higher engagement in anal sex in general, which correlates with greater likelihood to experiment with pegging [1].
2. Younger adults show high curiosity and searching, but slightly lower tried‑rates
Web search and content‑consumption data point to strong curiosity among younger users—searches for pegging content are most common in the 18–24 age band and searches like “pegging for beginners” have spiked in recent years—yet population surveys place Gen Z slightly below Millennials in actual participation (about 15% reported for Gen Z vs. 18% for Millennials in one source) [2] [1]. This split—higher curiosity/search interest among the youngest adults but marginally lower self‑reported try‑rates—suggests newer cohorts are exploring the idea rapidly even if lifetime experience hasn’t yet caught up [2] [1].
3. Couples in their 30s buy the gear, signaling consolidated practice
Market analyses and retailer data identify couples aged 30–40 as the most active purchasers of pegging equipment, implying that while curiosity may peak younger, practical adoption and investment in tools concentrate in the 30–40 bracket where partnerships, resources, and sexual experimentation often align [2] [4]. Industry figures—rising sales of strap‑ons and pegging kits—support a narrative of normalization and routine use among these age groups rather than isolated one‑time experimentation [4] [6].
4. Sexual orientation, stigma and gender scripts shape age patterns
Age differences intersect with sexual identity and stigma: bisexual and LGBTQ+ respondents show higher pegging rates in some surveys, and stigma—particularly linking receptive anal play with questions about masculinity—remains a reported barrier for many men, potentially depressing self‑reports among older, more conservative cohorts [1] [5] [7]. Sources note alternate explanations such as prostate health interest among older men and cultural shifts that make younger generations more open to role flexibility and kink discussion, which could drive the observed generational uptick [2] [8].
5. Data caveats, competing narratives and what’s unknown
The picture is assembled from market reports, web‑traffic metrics, and convenience surveys that vary in sampling and question wording; reported rates (10–18% tried pegging, 60% fantasized in some polls) differ across sources and may reflect selection biases toward readers of sex‑positive outlets or customers of adult retailers [5] [2] [4]. Some outlets emphasize cultural explanations (gender norms easing), others highlight prostate pleasure or novelty, and industry reporting can exaggerate growth to promote products—none of the provided sources offers a single nationally representative longitudinal study that definitively maps pegging prevalence by narrow age bands over time, so conclusions remain probabilistic and contingent on source methods [2] [9] [1].