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Why Did Canadians Stop Having Sex?
32% of Canadians haven’t had sex in a year — and young people are leading this abstinence
One-third of Canadian adults haven’t had sexual relations with partners in the past year. This alarming data emerged from an extensive study investigating the intimate habits of Canada’s population.
The numbers reveal a concerning global trend: sexual frequency is drastically declining across the Western world, with Canada leading this behavioral transformation, especially among young adults aged 22 to 34, who are recording increasingly longer periods of involuntary abstinence.
The reality of these numbers challenges traditional perceptions about youth and sexuality in Canada. Among young Canadians aged 18 to 49, the percentage who reported zero sexual activity in the previous year jumped from 24% in 2009 to an impressive 28% in 2018. The phenomenon is even more pronounced among teenagers: the proportion of youth without any sexual experience, whether individual or with partners, has increased significantly, reaching 43.3% of boys and 74% of girls.
The scenario becomes even more complex when analyzing sexually active Canadians. A significant number report that their last sexual encounter occurred in a gray area of “unenthusiastic consent.”
