Aussies aren't having enough sex, troubling new data shows
It's official: Australians aren't satisfied with their sex lives.
The majority of couples are getting laid 1-2 times a month, but interestingly, almost half are also reporting a desire for increased sexual activity.
The eye-opening new information about the state of our love lives was uncovered in the results of news.com.au's Great Aussie Debate, a 50 question survey that delved into what Australians really think about the hot topics of 2025.
No subject was off the table, including the intimate details of what goes on in bedrooms across the country.
What came to light was a sex secret the majority of Aussies are hiding: we all want more action.
Of the 54,000 respondents, the most common reported frequency of sexual activity was 1-2 times a month (26 per cent), with statistics showing sexual frequency decreases with age.
On top of this, it seems the majority of Aussies aren't satisfied with their current bedroom habits, with 61 per cent of respondents saying they want more sex than they currently have.
The 18-29 age group reported the highest frequency of 2-5 times a week, while older groups reported lower frequencies or preferred not to say.
Interestingly, males reported a higher frequency of 1-2 times a month, (24.5 per cent) compared to females (16.7 per cent). While females had 26.2 per cent for blank responses, indicating higher concerns for privacy.
Overall, 1-2 times a month was the most frequent response across all age-groups, which suggests a decline in the amount of sex Aussies are having.
The most recent Australian Study of Health and Relationships report, described as the 'most important research into sexual and reproductive health', previously found the average couple has sex 1.4 times per week, which translates to about 5.6 times per month.
Lauren Muratore, an accredited psychosexual therapist from Melbourne, said suffering a decline in sexual intimacy is common in monogamous relationships – especially long-term ones.
'One of the most common causes of this is the fact that couples don't prioritise intimacy,' the sexologist told news.com.au.
'There's an assumption that sex just happens naturally and that it should it should just be happening, which puts couples into the issue of having just one person as the initiator, resulting in the task being allocated on one half of the partnership.
'This can create a lot of pressure on the relationship and ultimately become a barrier to intimacy.'
Ms Muratore, who gave a TEDx Talk titled 'Sexual Sovereignty – who is the gatekeeper of sex?' in August 2024, said that there was another frighteningly common act that is killing sex lives.
'Something else I am seeing more and more is technology interfering with relationships,' Ms Muratore explained.
'Just anecdotally, people come home, they cook dinner, and then they sit on the couch and doom scroll.
'And that is just not an environment that leads to great sex.'
The sex expert explained the reason it can have a negative effect on intimacy is because our phones are now essentially providing us with the dopamine hit we'd usually gain from engaging in sexual pleasure.
From the survey, it is clear the majority of people want to be having more sex than they currently are, but 31 per cent said they were happy with what the amount the were presently getting, and only a tiny proportion said they wanted less sex.
When broken down by gender, a significantly higher percentage of males (57.8 per cent) expressed a desire for a more active love life, compared to females (35.4 per cent).
Ms Muratore, the director of Integrated Sex + Relationship Therapy, said the easiest way to reignite the spark with your partner is to focus on spending quality time together without distractions.
'You're not going to have sex if you're not prioritising it, which is why I recommend couples schedule two hours of together time a week,' she said.
'During this time you're making a date for each other, it doesn't have to be for having sex. It's about starting off small and seeing where it leads. It's about creating a space where two people feel safe, comfortable and can start tapping into their erotisicm.'
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