Twenty-six percent of Americans surveyed in a poll released Friday stated they had not had sex in the last year, a three percent increase on previous results, suggesting Americans are having less and less sex.
The decline in sexual activity amongst America’s adult population is part of an ongoing trend uncovered by 2021 General Social Survey conducted by University of California, Berkeley. The last two times the survey was conducted, in 2016 and 2018, 23% of Americans stated that they had not had sex in the prior year, according to reports by CNN.
The poll surveyed 4,032 people between December 1, 2020 to May 3, 2021 and collected 27,951 lines of sample. It was conducted as part of the ongoing National Opinion Research Center (NORC) General Social Survey (GSS) using questionnaire-based methodologies.
Fifty percent of respondents stated they had sex once a month or less, the highest recorded statistic for sexless, or almost sexless, Americans, CNN reported.
Survey: 64% Of Men Would Take Team’s Super Bowl Win Over Sex https://t.co/BsNZQeE0GL
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In married couples under the age of 60, 26% stated they had sex once a month or less in 2021, according to CNN. In 1989, only 12% of married couples under the age of 60 had such limited sex lives. Thirty-five percent of American adults had sex once a month or less in 1989, suggesting Americans in this decade were far more sexually active than today, according to the outlet.(RELATED: SURVEY: Arkansas Will Have The Largest Increase In Sexual Activity Following Vaccinations)
Americans are not alone in their declining sexual activity. Many countries in western Europe have reported a steady decline, according to reports from The Atlantic.
Modern technology, relaxed attitudes about masturbation, a decline in drug and alcohol consumption, lower wages and opportunities to pursue intimate partner relationships are all reasons for declining sexual activity, according to Psychology Today.
“From a developmental perspective, this decrease in sexual frequency, both partnered and solo, is alarming. Adolescents and young adults need to explore their sexuality so that they can have the necessary experience and personal insights to build and maintain romantic attachments in their more mature years,” stated Dr. David Ludden, a professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College.