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The average person has sex more often than many might assume.
In a viral video, Daniel Schaal (@thatschaalfolks) shared:
“The average person has sex about 54 times a year — looks like the next few days are gonna be pretty crazy for me.”
His comment sparked plenty of laughs on TikTok, with users jumping in to add their own humor.
“I’m the reason it’s not 100 times a year lol,” one person joked.
Another added, “I’m bringing down the average so you guys feel better about yourselves.”
A third chimed in with, “Well, someone here must be making up for me with 54 extra times.”
The statistic comes from a 2017 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, which found that the average adult has sex about once a week. Interestingly, the study also pointed out a noticeable decline in sexual activity compared to the 1990s.
Additional research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that a weekly frequency might actually be the sweet spot for happiness. After analyzing over 40 years of data from 30,000 Americans, researchers found that while having sex more than once a week didn’t significantly increase happiness, those who had sex less often tended to report lower levels of satisfaction.
However, external factors—like the pandemic—may have influenced these trends. At the start of lockdowns, many assumed that more time at home would lead to a spike in sexual activity, with some even forecasting a COVID-19 baby boom. But when condom sales dropped in March, it hinted at a different reality entirely.
Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser (the parent company of Durex), noted in a BBC interview that the pandemic had, in fact, led to a decline in intimacy for many couples:
“What you see is this virus is having a toll on the number of intimate occasions in the UK. Intimate occasions are going down, and that is a manifestation of anxiety.”
So, while the “magic number” might catch some off guard, the reality is that a range of factors—from stress and anxiety to broader societal changes—can impact how often people are actually getting intimate.
