Not only is the nation’s economy going through a recession, but Americans are also experiencing a sex recession according to a new study that says they are having less sex than ever with a new record low.
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The new study, led by researchers at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), says Americans are having even less sex than they did during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, fear and stress killed libidos everywhere. For decades, sociologists and psychologists have been concerned about the downward shift in sexual activity and the worrying continues.
In the report, called “The Sex Recession,” researchers at IFS reviewed data on sex and intimacy in the latest General Social Survey (GSS) produced by NORC at the University of Chicago. This data was collected in 2024 and just released in May 2025.
Rate Of Young Adults Having Sex Continues To Fall As They Avoid Cohabitation And Marriage
Researchers found that only 37% of people age 18-64 reported having sex at least once a week. This number is down from the 55% reported in 1990. When looking at the young adults studied, the decline is even more striking.
Nearly a quarter of people age 18-29, or 24%, said they had not had sex in the past year. This number is twice as many as reported in 2010. The decline in sex with young people is being attributed to stunted social skills, a rise in internet pornography, and more.
While reviewing the lower sex rates of the younger generation versus their predecessors, the causes also point at a decrease in marriage. In 2016, Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, found that the decline is a cohort effect.
Twenge’s findings still remain true today. Between 2014 and 2024, adults ages 18-29, who reported living with a partner, both married and unmarried, fell 10%. The number dropped from 42% to 32% per the GSS. While partnered adults have the most consistent sex, more young men and women are choosing to remain single. Thus, the share of young adults having sex on the regular continues to fall.
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Rate Of Older Adults Having Sex Similarly Falls With Younger Generation As Persons 64+ Also Avoid Cohabitation And Marriage
When looking at the trend for people up to the age of 64, the data shows the same. Adults of all sexual orientations, both married and single, the trend remains true. It’s also noted that they are other decades-long trends at play. These include declining marriage and cohabitation rates. It’s note that people who live with a significant other tend to have more sex.
Diving deeper into the rise of phone usage and pornography, it’s noted that adults have become so addicted to their screens that they’ve normalized the experience of staring at them for long periods of time rather than interacting with the person sitting right next to them.
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