How satisfied are adults around the world when it comes to their sex lives?

How do they feel

about sex – and where do they meet partners?

We analyzed survey data from 12,000 adults aged 18 to 49 in 21 countries and found some
surprising results:

Most people like sex – but not all. The majority of adults 18 to 49 surveyed (81%) said they
enjoy having sex. It gets better with age – 77% of adults 18 to 29 and 83% of adults 30 to 49
enjoy sex. However, about one in five said they don’t enjoy it (13%).

Among young adults in particular, virginity is common. Globally, 38% of adults 18 to 24

are virgins. Asia-Pacific countries have the highest concentration of young adult virgins (84%
in Malaysia and Singapore, 78% in Indonesia, 53% in Thailand, 47% in the Philippines).
Virginity is also quite common among adults 18 to 24 in the US, at 53%. After age 25, fewer
global adults are virgins (18% of adults 25 to 29, 9% of adults in their thirties, 6% of adults in
their forties).

For young adults, sex is hard to come by – at least in part because many live with their
parents. Close to half of adults 18 to 24 are not dating anyone currently (44%), 30% have
never been in a serious relationship and 32% have never had a casual fling. The fact that 55%
live with their parents likely has an impact on their love lives. However, when they move out
– for many, around age 24 — they tend to move in with a partner. Among adults 25 to 29,
just 13% say they’ve never had a serious relationship.

Casual sex isn’t as common as it might seem. Among adults 18 to 29, 29% have had a one-
night stand, 15% have hooked up with multiple people within the same time period, and 13%
have had a sexual experience with someone from work.

Most people meet casual flings in person, but technology plays an increasing role in
people’s sex lives. Among adults 18 to 29 who have had a casual fling, 93% met in person
and 48% via an app or website. Interestingly, we found that 20% of men 18 to 29 have had a
fling with someone they met at church! Young adults are more comfortable with digital
sharing than their slightly older peers – 22% of adults 18 to 29 have sent a naked picture to
someone, compared with 16% of adults 30 to 49.

Apps have led to casual flings for some – and to serious relationships for a few. Among
adults 18 to 29 who have used dating or hook-up apps, 30% of men and 23% of women had
casual flings. A lucky few found serious relationships — 19% of men and 10% of women.

Parents are more satisfied with their sex lives than people without children. Parents in
relationships were more likely to say they’re having the right amount of sex (60%, compared
with 53% of child-free couples and 17% of singles). They were also more likely to rate their
sex lives as “good” (74%, compared with 70% of child-free couples and 38% of singles).