The number of sexual relations tends to decrease over the years, whether per month or per week. Here is the latest data to get your bearings.
How often do you have to have sex to be “normal”? Behind this question, there is above all a need to situate oneself in relation to others. But in practice, there is no ideal frequency: it varies according to couples, periods of life and each person’s desire. However, the latest figures provide a better understanding of the trends. According to the CSF-2023 survey published at the end of 2024 by Inserm, the French today have less sexual intercourse than before, a phenomenon observed in most Western countries.
A decreasing number of sexual relations per month
According to the survey carried out by Inserm among 31,000 French people, the frequency of sexual relations has been decreasing for several decades, regardless of age or gender. In 1992, 86% of women reported having had sexual intercourse during the year, compared to 83% in 2006 and 77% in 2023. Among men, this proportion increased from 92% to 89%, then to 82% in 2023. In detail, the monthly frequency is also declining. Among sexually active people, women now report around 6 sexual acts per month, and men almost 7, or less than twice per week. A decline which concerns both single people and people in couples. These trends are also observed in other Western countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. “As long as sexual intercourse remains a moment of shared pleasure, where everyone takes and receives pleasure, the frequency then naturally becomes that of the number of times we give ourselves the right to open ourselves to sexual pleasure… or not”underlines sexologist Sandra Saint-Aimé to Journal des Femmes.
What is the average age of first sexual intercourse in France?
According to data published by Inserm, the median age at first sexual intercourse in 2023 is 18.2 years for women and 17.7 years for men. It was higher in the 1960s, around 20 years for women and 18.8 years for men, before gradually decreasing until the mid-2000s, when it reached around 17 years for both sexes. Since the end of the 2010s, the trend has been reversed with an increase in the age at first intercourse. This development is also observed in several Western countries, such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
What is the average number of partners in France?
Women have on average 8 partners (sexual) over the course of life and men 16. A constantly increasing number among women: 3.4 partners in and 4.5 in 2006. For men, these figures are stable between 1992 and 2006 (11 partners) and then increase. Having had several sexual partners per year is increasing especially among young people aged 18 to 29. “MuIncreasing partners does not guarantee better learning about sexuality. because in the end, a quality sexual relationship remains above all a moment of sharing and/or discovery of the facets of our sexuality, as a source of pleasure, enjoyment, and therefore of fulfillment” nuance Sandra Saint-Aimé. The number of partners is not an indicator of any sexual competence.
Until what age do men and women have sex?
Sex life doesn’t end at 50. Currently, 57% of women and 74% of men remain sexually active between the ages of 50 and 89. This is even more true among couples where 77% of women and 85% of men have had sexual activity within 12 months. Furthermore, the difference between men and women is less marked when we take into account satisfaction, which declines with age and more quickly among men than among women. When sexuality poses a problem within a couple, consulting a clinical sexologist can help identify and better understand their sexual needs and discover the means at their disposal to better experience them with the other person.
Thanks to Sandra Saint-Aimé, couples therapist and clinical sexologist.
- Sexual health, November 25, 2021, Public Health France
