Sex recession among young adults

Young adults are having less sex than in years past. From 1990 to 2010, between 10% and 15% of young adults ages 18 to 29 reported having no sex in the prior year. But into the 2010s, the share of sexless young adults began to rise. In 2024, nearly a quarter of young adults reported having no sex in the prior year. This hockey-stick shaped trend accords with what Jonathon Haidt identified as the “Great Rewiring” of 2010 to 2015. As children and young adults have become more attached to their screens, they’ve become less engaged with those around them. The result: less dating, mating, and marriage.

by Grant Bailey