The average couple in the United States has sex about once a week, or roughly 54 times per year. That said, this number has been dropping steadily for decades. In 1990, 55% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 64 reported having sex at least weekly. By 2024, that figure had fallen to just 37%.
Frequency by Age
Age is the single biggest predictor of how often couples have sex. A global survey of sexual behavior found that weekly sexual activity peaks in the 25 to 34 age range, where 71% of people report having sex at least once a week. The numbers stay relatively high through the late 40s, then drop off noticeably.
- Ages 16 to 19: 55% report weekly sex
- Ages 20 to 24: 70% report weekly sex
- Ages 25 to 34: 71% report weekly sex
- Ages 35 to 49: 65% report weekly sex
- Ages 50 to 64: 39% report weekly sex
- Ages 65 and older: 40% report weekly sex
In raw numbers, men between 44 and 59 report having sex about six times per month, while women in the same age range report closer to five times per month. By the late 50s through early 70s, men average about three times per month and women closer to twice. The gap between men’s and women’s self-reported numbers is a well-known pattern in sex research, likely reflecting differences in how people estimate and report their behavior rather than an actual difference in activity.
How Children Change the Numbers
Having kids puts a noticeable dent in sexual frequency, but not in the way most people assume. Childless couples have the highest frequency, averaging about once per week. After the first baby arrives, frequency drops to roughly two to three times per month, and it stays at that level for couples with two or three children.
Here’s the surprising part: couples with four or more children actually have sex more often than couples with one, two, or three kids. Their frequency rises back toward (though doesn’t quite reach) the level of childless couples. Researchers think this could reflect selection effects, meaning couples who are more sexually active are simply more likely to end up with larger families.
How the U.S. Compares Globally
Americans are toward the lower end of the global spectrum when it comes to sexual frequency. In one large international survey, 57% of Americans reported having sex at least once a week, putting the U.S. roughly on par with Nigeria and well below countries like Greece (89%) and Brazil (85%). Japan reported the lowest rate at 38%. Across all countries surveyed, about 29% of people said they were having sex three to four times per week, regardless of whether they had children.
The “Sex Recession” Is Real
If it feels like couples are having less sex than they used to, the data backs that up. The decline has been steep and consistent. The percentage of Americans having sex weekly dropped from 55% in 1990 to below 50% by 2010 and continued sliding to 37% by 2024. That’s a nearly one-third drop over about 35 years.
Researchers have pointed to several overlapping explanations: more time spent on screens and social media, higher rates of anxiety and depression, longer working hours, and the simple fact that more adults are living without a partner than in previous generations. Couples who are together are also reporting less sex, though, so the trend isn’t only about fewer people being partnered.
Does Frequency Actually Matter for Health?
There’s a real body of evidence linking regular sexual activity to better health outcomes, particularly for men. A 10-year study of 918 men in South Wales found that men who had sex twice or more per week had a 50% lower risk of death compared to men who had sex less than once a month. A review published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people who had sex at least once a week (52 or more times per year) had 44% lower non-cardiac mortality than those who rarely or never had sex.
The benefits extend to cancer risk as well. A large analysis pooling 22 studies and over 55,000 men found that ejaculating two to four times per week was associated with a modest but significant reduction in prostate cancer risk. These findings don’t necessarily prove that sex itself is the cause of better health. People who are healthier, more active, and in happier relationships tend to have more sex, so the relationship runs in both directions.
What Counts as “Having Sex”
Most frequency statistics are based on penetrative intercourse, which means they undercount sexual activity for a lot of couples. This is especially true for older adults, who often shift toward other forms of intimacy as health conditions or physical changes make intercourse less practical. When researchers have looked at broader definitions that include oral sex, manual stimulation, and other partnered activities, the reported frequency of sexual contact goes up, and satisfaction levels often stay high even when intercourse itself becomes less common.
If you and your partner are physically intimate in ways that don’t fit neatly into a survey question about “sex,” the once-a-week average may not be a useful benchmark. What matters more, according to the research, is whether both partners feel satisfied with the frequency they have, whatever form it takes.