Gen Z Are Having Less Sex: Here’s Why

Most people assume younger adults are the ones having the most sex. Raging hormones, college culture, dating apps at their fingertips - it all seems to add up. But the data tells a very different story.

Research shows that Gen Z - broadly, adults under 25 - are actually less sexually active than adults in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s. A nationally representative survey of 2,000 US adults found that 1 in 4 Gen Z adults say they’ve never had partnered sex. That’s a striking number for a generation that grew up with more access to sexual information and more social acceptance around sexuality than any generation before them.

And here’s the twist: Gen Z is also the kinkiest generation. They’re the most likely to report fantasizing about BDSM and the most likely to have actually tried it. So it’s not that they’re uninterested in sex - it’s more complicated than that.

Why Aren’t Gen Z Having As Much Sex?

Part of the answer is online. Nearly half of Gen Z adults (46%) report engaging in some form of virtual or online sexual activity. But they don’t count this as “having sex.” Of the 1 in 4 who say they haven’t had partnered sex, close to a third of them (31%) had still engaged in sexting or cybersex. So sexual inexperience isn’t quite the right way to frame it. Many are expressing their sexuality differently - just not in person.

But that doesn’t explain the full picture. There are four deeper reasons the data points to.

Reason #2: Stress and anxiety are through the roof, especially for young adults.

Compared to Millennials and Gen X, Gen Z reported the highest levels of stress and anxiety in survey data - and the more stressed people felt, the less sexually active they were.

The reasons behind Gen Z’s stress levels aren’t hard to understand. Student debt, financial pressure, constant exposure to social media toxicity, climate anxiety, and a world that feels increasingly unstable have all played a role. Add in years of pandemic restrictions and the effects of helicopter parenting, and you get a generation that’s had far less freedom to explore, sexually and otherwise.

A follow-up survey found Gen Z’s stress levels were even higher after that ruling than they were during peak COVID. Gen Z is the most supportive of reproductive rights (77% believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to 67% of the general population), and with decades of reproductive capacity ahead of them, they’re the most directly affected by what happens to reproductive healthcare access.

Reason #3: Young adults are increasingly risk-averse when it comes to sex.

Despite the stereotype of reckless youth, the data points the other way. Gen Z adults were the least likely to describe themselves as sexual risk-takers or sensation seekers. They also reported more distrust of sexual partners than older adults - less likely to take at face value what a partner tells them about their sexual health.

That combination - caution plus distrust - makes sex feel like it carries real risk. And for a lot of Gen Z, that means it’s not worth it.

The post-Roe climate has made this worse. The same follow-up survey found that 40% of Gen Z adults say they’re now less likely to hook up, and 15% say they’re less likely to have sexual intercourse at all. Among Gen Z women specifically:

• 78% reported being worried that the ruling would negatively impact their personal health
• 68% said they were worried it would affect their ability to have pleasurable sex
• 37% said they were afraid of becoming pregnant
• 19.5% said they were afraid to have sexual intercourse

Reason #4: Young adults tend to see sex and love as going together.

Gen Z showed a more restricted sociosexual orientation than older generations - meaning they’re more likely to feel that emotional connection should come before sex. They reported the least interest in casual sex and the most interest in long-term relationships. Nearly half (48%) said sex on a first date was a dealbreaker.

College hookup culture might be real, but it’s not what Gen Z wants. For most of them, it’s emotional connection first - and sex comes later, if at all.

The Implications of Less Sexually Active Young Adults

Implication #1: Will we see fewer STIs and unintended pregnancies?

One possible upside: a generation having less sex is likely to see fewer STIs and unintended pregnancies. Teen birth rates have already been hitting record lows, and that trend appears to be continuing.

Implication #2: Will delaying sex create more opportunities for sex ed?

Sex education across the US is notoriously incomplete. If Gen Z is waiting longer before becoming sexually active, that creates more time to actually learn - about bodies, consent, pleasure, and what they personally want from sex. Waiting on your own terms, rather than out of peer pressure, isn’t a bad thing.

Implication #3: Are young adults missing an important opportunity to practice relationships?

 

Sex and relationships both take practice. Early experiences tend to be awkward - that’s just how it works. Delaying those early experiences doesn’t skip the learning curve; it just pushes it back. And pushing it back could mean delaying other things people want from life, like long-term relationships or marriage.

Implication #4: Are young adults missing out on the benefits of sex?

 

Research consistently links sexual activity to both physical and psychological benefits. For a generation that already struggles with stress and anxiety, the absence of those benefits matters. That doesn’t mean everyone needs sex to be happy - but it does mean that finding other effective ways to manage stress and feel good becomes more important.

How Gen Z Can Improve Their Sex Lives

Tip #1: Find ways to manage stress and anxiety.

 

Stress is one of the most effective libido killers, and it can directly interfere with sexual performance and enjoyment. Gen Z reports more difficulty orgasming than older generations - and a big part of that is being too stressed and in-your-head to let go.

Mindfulness, relaxation techniques, regular exercise, and taking practical steps around contraception (like an IUD or combining birth control methods) can all help reduce the mental load that gets in the way of sexual enjoyment.

Tip #2: Explore your body - and maybe get some sex toys.

 

Gen Z may have less experience with partnered sex, but they’re just as likely to masturbate as older generations. That’s actually a great foundation to build on. Solo exploration helps you understand what feels good so that when partnered sex does happen, you’re not starting from zero.

This is also where the right tools help.

Tip #3: Get some lube.

 

Young adults - particularly women - reported more sexual pain in surveys than older adults. Some of that comes back to Tip #1: stress and tension inhibit arousal and natural lubrication. Relaxation helps. So does taking more time with foreplay - research shows that longer buildup leads to more pleasurable sex.

And if discomfort is still present, a water-based lubricant is one of the simplest and most effective ways to make sex more comfortable. Don’t skip it.

Tip #4: Embrace your kinky side.

 

Gen Z is the kinkiest generation - and that’s genuinely useful information. Kink and BDSM are effective ways of getting out of your head and into the moment.

For a generation that struggles with overthinking and anxiety during sex, leaning into what actually excites you can naturally redirect attention away from stress and toward sensation. That’s a good thing.

Conclusion

 

Gen Z adults aren’t having as much sex as older generations, and there are plenty of reasons why this might be the case. However, it’s not yet clear what the implications of this are - and there are potential upsides and downsides, depending on your perspective. We just won’t know until we have more data.

That said, for Gen Z adults who want to have more - and better - sex, there are plenty of things worth trying.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only.