(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

If you haven’t had much bedroom action recently, at least you can take solace in the knowledge that you’re not alone.

British people are having less sex than they used to, new data suggests.

Fewer than half of Britons report having sex at least once a week, and, according to research, rates are declining.

That doesn’t mean we’re in a blissful state of not needing sex anymore – the proportion of people wanting more sex is rising.


Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed data for more than 34,000 men and women between the ages of 16 and 44, who completed the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in 1991, 2001, and 2012.



They found a decline in sexual activity in Britain between 2011 and 2012.

The steepest decline was found in those who were married or living together, and among those over the age of 25.

By the most recent survey, 29/3% of women and 29.2% of men reported having no sex at all in the past month.

The number of people reporting having sex ten times or more in the past month fell over the years, going from 28.5% of women and 30.9% of men in 1991 to 13.2% of women and 14.4% of men in 2012.

The average number of times that 35 to 44 year olds has fallen too, going from four to two among women and from four to three among men.

The trend is more drastic among married or cohabiting couples, who, might we add, don’t tend to be satisfied with their current situations – 50.6% of women and 64.3% of men said they would like to have sex more often.

So we’re having less sex than before. That much we know. What we don’t know yet is why.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

The study’s authors said: ‘Our data show that sexual frequency fell in Britain between Natsal-2 and Natsal-3.

‘The most recent Natsal data show that fewer than half of men and women aged 16 to 44 have sex at least once a week.

‘Those aged under 25 years and those currently single are less likely to be sexually active, but we saw the steepest declines in sexual frequency in those aged 25 and over and those married or cohabiting.

‘At the same time, the proportion of men and women saying that they would prefer more frequent sex increased.

‘The social pressure to over-report sexual activity may have eased.

‘Further, gender equality may now extend to the sexual sphere; where women might previously have felt obliged to meet their partner’s sexual needs irrespective of their own, they might now be less inclined to do so.

‘Most compelling among the explanations, perhaps, given the age and marital status of the people most affected, relates to the stress and ‘busyness’ of modern life, such that work, family life, and leisure are constantly juggled.

‘Life in the digital age is considerably more complex than in previous eras, the boundary between the private space of home and the public world outside is blurred, and the internet offers considerable scope for diversion.’



Some factors were shown to increase the frequency of having sex.

Those who were full-time employed and with higher earnings had sex more frequently, along with men and women in better physical and mental health. That makes sense when you think about it – when you feel rubbish, sex isn’t at the top of your priorities.

It sounds like a wise idea to look after yourself, make yourself feel good in terms of physical and mental health, and hope for more frequent sex as a result. If that doesn’t pan out, at least you’ll be in better health, which is always a win.

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