Screens, solitary pleasure, rejection of injunctions: the French make love less (and accept it)

The French are slowly but surely losing interest in sexuality, according to a survey. martin-dm/Getty Images

For or against a life as a couple without sex ? If the prospect of a platonic union could make one smile, or not be accepted, forty years ago, today it would pose no problem. problem for almost one in two French people.

A platonic union today would pose no problem for nearly one in two French people. This is what emerges from a survey which looked into the sexuality of the French population, highlighting a certain disinterest in carnal relations, to the point that the authors speak of "sex recession".

Although it seems simplistic to associate the decline in the birth rate with the frequency of sexual intercourse in a given population, it does not remain so less important to look at the evolution of one's sexual activity, a factor to take into account among many others.

More screens, less sex

This is the whole subject of a study carried out by Ifop as part of the LELO observatory on French sexuality , conducted among nearly 2,000 people aged 18 and over. What emerges is a certain lack of interest in carnal relations in France, a propensity to favor screens to the detriment of sex, but also a rejection on the part of women of the numerous injunctions surrounding “marital duty”. ;quot;.

Sexual activity at half mast

First lesson and not the least, the proportion of French people having had carnal knowledge during the last twelve months has never been so low since the 1970s. Barely more than three quarters of those questioned are concerned (76 %), a drop of 15 points compared to 2006 and 1992, and 7 points compared to 1970.

Note that the figures differ very little between men and women, with these gentlemen being slightly more likely to declare themselves sexually active, at 78% (compared to 74% for their female counterparts). If we now look at people who have been sexually inactive during the last twelve months, we notice that age – contrary to popular belief – is anything but a criterion of distinction. Respectively 35% and 39% of 50-59 year olds and 60-69 year olds say they are inactive, a significant increase of 25 and 16 points compared to 2006, but sexual inactivity also concerns 28% of 18-24 year olds. years, i.e. +23 points compared to 2006.

Report frequency decreasing

The frequency of sexual intercourse has also decreased in France, according to the data presented. In 2024, the French say they have on average 6.6 sexual intercourse per month, compared to 8.8 in 1970. Note that 40% of those surveyed say they have on average less than 5 sexual intercourse per month, compared to 28% who estimate they have between 5 and 14 reports monthly.

If we break down even further, 43% of French people say they have sexual intercourse per week on average, compared to 58% in 2009. This mainly concerns 25-34 year olds (65%) and 35-49 year olds ( 59%) while one in two young people (52% of 18-24 year olds) report having sexual intercourse per week. Note that, contrary to popular belief, being in a relationship does not necessarily mean being sexually active. Nearly one in five French people (16%) say they are in a relationship and do not (or no longer) have sex.

Sexuality, not primordial

Mental load, stress, fatigue, and other routine behaviors: sexual inactivity can be explained by many factors, but it seems that the French are disengaging and/or simply disinterested in sexuality. Just over two-thirds of respondents (68%) consider sexuality to be an important thing in their lives, including 49% who see it as "fairly important".

If we look at the case of women, only 62% of them believe that this is an important thing, compared to 82% in 2006 and 1996. And all age groups today attach less importance to sexuality than 18 years ago, starting with those aged 50- 64 years old (-25 points), 35-49 year olds (-19 points), or even 18-24 year olds (-13 points).

"Marital duty"

As a result, platonic love is no longer considered outside the norm. Nearly one in two French people (49%) even say they can continue a relationship without sex, including 54% of women and 42% of men. Once again, young people do not present themselves as a separate category, far from it: more than four out of ten respondents aged 18-29 could cultivate a relationship without the slightest sexual intercourse. Note also that 69% of women and 48% of men do not find it difficult to not have sex.

Among the reasons that could explain this increase in sexual inactivity could be the massive rejection on the part of women of all injunctions relating to marital duty. The survey reveals that more than half of those surveyed (52%) sometimes make love without wanting to, compared to 55% in 2000 and 76% in 1981. "If marital duty has not completely disappeared, this survey highlights the growing proportion of French people who manage to free themselves from a certain 'normality sexual' and particularly social injunctions which necessarily bind the couple to an intensive sexual life", explains François Kraus, from Ifop. Note that women, like men, do it not to offend their partner (87%), but also because they believe that sex is essential to cultivate the flame (79%).

Netflix screens sex

But screens and other digital activities (with a few exceptions) also harm sexual activity. According to the survey, three in ten French people have already avoided or postponed sexual intercourse to watch a series or a film, including 50% of men in a relationship aged under 35. The observation is the same regarding reading a book or an article (27% of the general population, 43% of young men in a relationship), social networks (24% of the population, 48% of young men in a relationship), or even video games (23% of the population, 53% of young men in a relationship).

Solitary Pleasure

Others will seek pleasure elsewhere, particularly alone. Three out of ten French people say they have favored manual masturbation over sexual intercourse, 32% masturbation via pornographic images and videos, 40% sexual intercourse with another partner, and 34% masturbation with a sex toy.

*This study was carried out by Ifop for LELO using a self-administered online questionnaire from December 29, 2023 to January 2, 2024 with a sample of 1,911 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.