New study reveals what has changed in French people's sex lives

For five years, teams from Inserm (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research), ANRS (Association Nationale de Réadaptation Sociale) and Santé publique France have been investigating sexual practices among French people.

Not done with titillation in mind but rather to provide a better understanding of the social and cultural issues at play, the ‘Contexte des Sexualités en France’ report is the fourth major study on the subject since 1970 - the last one dating from 2006.

It is based on responses to a telephone questionnaire from more than 31,000 people aged 15 to 89, selected at random in mainland France and four overseas territories (Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion Island).

Here are some key takeaways:

First sexual encounters

Since the end of the 2010s, the median age for first sexual intercourse has risen, reversing the trends observed since the 1960s.

For the 2019-2023 period, women have their first sexual intercourse at the age of 18.2, and men at 17.7.

This phenomenon has already been observed in other European countries, including Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

On the other hand, sexual activity is continuing at an increasingly advanced age: in 2023, 56.6% of women and 73.8% of men remain active between the ages of 50 and 89.

Number of partners

The number of sexual partners reported has increased over time.

The average number of partners in the lifetime of women aged 18-69 who have had sexual intercourse has risen from an average of 3.4 in 1992 to 4.5 in 2006 and 7.9 in 2023. For men, these figures, stable between 1992 and 2006 at around 11, have increased ‘substantially’ to an average of 16.4 partners in 2023.

The new trend is having had several partners in the last 12 months. This phenomenon is on the increase for 18-29 year-olds, for both women (9.6% in 1992, compared with 23.9% in 2023) and men (22.9% in 1992, compared with 32.3% in 2023).

More diversity, less intensity

The French are diversifying their repertoire.

More and more men and women declare that they have experimented with sexual practices other than vaginal intercourse – ie: masturbation, oral sex and anal intercourse.

Masturbation, particularly among women, has soared in three decades (72.9% in 2023 compared to 42.4% in 1992).

The percentage of people who have performed or received oral sex in their lifetime has also increased over the years, rising from 78.3% in 2006 to 84.4% in 2023 among women, and from 85.5% to 90.5% among men. The practice of cunnilingus has risen from 72.1% in 1992 to 83.7% in 2006 and 86.9% in 2023 among women, and from 77.8% to 85.7% and 87.7% among men.

The practice of anal intercourse has risen from 23.4% in 1992 to 35.2% in 2006 and 38.9% in 2023, with a greater increase in the number of women compared to men.

At the same time, certain indicators of sexual activity have declined.

In 2023, 77.2% of women (versus 82.9% in 2006) and 81.6% of men (versus 89.1% in 2006) aged 18-69 said they had been sexually active with a partner in the last 12 months.

The majority of women who have not had sex in the last 12 months say they are satisfied with this situation (76.5%), compared with half of men (55.4%).

The survey also shows that the frequency of sexual intercourse in the last four weeks tends to decrease from year to year. It fell from 8.6 in 2006 to 6.0 in 2023 for women, and from 8.7 to 6.7 over the same period for men.

The results also show that, since 2006, there has been a decline among women in the frequency of sexual relations that are accepted to please their partner without really wanting to do so themselves.

The digital revolution

The evolution of French sexuality also takes place online.

Since 2023, 33% of women and 46.6% of men have had an online sexual experience with another person they have connected with online.

It's also worth noting that a lot of young people are sending nudes: 36.6% of women and 39.6% of men aged 18-29 have already sent an intimate image in their lifetime, while 47.8% of women and 53.6% of men of this age have already received one.

This was the first time that Inserm had measured these practices in the general population.

Questioning heterosexual norms

Social acceptance of homosexuality is growing. Today, 69.9% of women and 56.2% of men aged 18-69 consider it to be a form of sexuality like any other.

Another notable finding is that the proportion of people engaging in sexual activity that is not exclusively heterosexual is “rising sharply”.

In 2023, for the first time, women report having more experiences with people of the same sex than men. 13.4% of women and 7.6% of men say they have been attracted to people of the same sex in their lifetime, and 1.5% of women and 0.6% of men say they have experienced attraction to people regardless of their gender (including non-binary people). These figures are higher among 18-29 year olds than in other age groups.

The study also finds that opinions on transidentity are much less favourable than those on homosexuality. Only 41.9% of women and 31.6% of men consider it to be an identity like any other.

Sexual violence: A worrying picture

The survey shows the extent of violence in sexual relationships, particularly towards women.

In 2023, 29.8% of women aged 18-69 said they had experienced forced or attempted forced sex, compared with 15.9% in 2006. For men, the figures rise from 4.6% in 2006 to 8.7% in 2023.

Click here for more on the ‘Contexte des Sexualités en France’ report.