Global Sexual Satisfaction Is Mediocre (And Other Facts)

It’s been three years since Durex released the demoralizing results of their Global Sexual Well-Being Study, a survey conducted by Harris Interactive of over 26,000 people in 26 countries about the world. Their summary of global sexual satisfaction: mediocre.

Here is a recap:

60% said sex is fun, enjoyable and a vital part of our lives, but only 44% of people are satisfied with their sex lives.

2/3 of those surveyed didn’t feel they had sex often enough. Half believed their sex lives lacked variety and excitement.

78% of Nigerians and 74% of Mexicans found their sex lives as exciting as could be. Only 10% of Japanese and 36% of the French agree.

In the bedroom, Greeks take part in the most activities (5.8) and Nigerians rank with the least at 1.9. The most popular activity is sensual massage, with almost 59% of us taking part. Oral sex is most common among Austrians (80%) and Brazilians (70%), while the Swiss (77%) lead the way in sexual fantasies and the Thais (68%) are the most likely to prefer erotic materials to boost their libido.

83% of people worldwide have masturbated at some time in their lives. The Swiss lead (96%) and the Nigerians are the least likely to indulge (30%). Globally, a third of people do it once a week. That’s 43% of men compared to 22% of women.

The average number of partners for a heterosexual man is 13. For a heterosexual woman, it’s 7. For homosexual men, it is 108 partners. Homosexual women? 11. Bisexual men: 21 male and 14 female partners. Bisexual women average 13 male and 3 female partners. Austrians take the global cake with regard to partners: their men have an average of 29 sexual partners and Austrian women, 17. The Chinese, on the other hand, have the fewest, with an average of four for men and two for women.

In almost every country, men have had more partners than women, the only exception being New Zealand where women’s average of 20 lovers is three times that of the men’s average. The most sexually active women are in New Zealand (20), Austria (17), Russia (17) and Switzerland (14).

Less than 58% of people are comfortable with telling their partners what they want in bed. Most confident are the Mexicans (80%), the Greeks (76%), the Indians and the Spanish (74%). The British are the most tight-lipped in Europe.

Some 67% of adults have sex weekly. The most active are the Greeks (24%), who do it five times a week or more, compared to a mere 10% globally.

The younger we are and the fresher the relationship, the longer we spend having sex. In the 16-24 bracket, the average is 24 minutes. Those 55 and over average 12 minutes. Couple co-habitating or married couples have sex for an average of 16 minutes, compared to singles who average 22 minutes. The most leisurely lovers are the Mexicans, who spend an average of 45 minutes having sex. The quickest? Lovers in Hong Kong who average 27 minutes.

Less than half of respondents over 55 say they practice oral sex. Only 36% act out sexual fantasies and only 34% look at erotic materials.

Everyone wants to have more fun in sex, but 25 to 34 year-olds crave more fun than respondents in any other age bracket.

A little less than half of adults surveyed expect to become more experimental in the next decade. The Mexicans are the most optimistic this will happen (73%) — and so are the Thais, at 72%.

Durex issued the following suggestions for those seeking to improve their sex lives:

• Write down what you want.
• Sext.
• Use a toy or product you haven’t used before.
• Give feedback.
• Play sex games.

We’re three years into the decade — what have you done to spice things up in your bedroom?

Information via Durex.

Photo by Michael Slone, via FilthyGorgeous Things.