Singles and couples have probably asked themselves, "How much sex should I have per week? A recirculated study from the Kinsey Institute for research in Sex, Reproduction and Gender suggests age can act as a predictor for average sex frequency, ranging from once a week to once a month. Unsurprisingly, researchers at the Kinsey Institute found people between 18 and 29 are having the most sex, with an average of sex sessions per year, or twice a week. Meanwhile, 30 to 39 year olds have sex 86 times per year, which equates to 1. Those in the 40 to 49 age group manage to have sex only 69 times per year, about half the total for 18 to 29 year olds.

Since the answer to such a question is not easily discerned in polite company, it devolves to research organizations to pursue accurate data and dispel or reinforce myths. While many young adults—saturated in Hollywood narratives about the single life—worry that marriage spells the end of stable sex, is such a piece of conventional wisdom accurate? Not really. Married Americans reported having sex an average of 1. But when we restrict the analyses to those people who have never been married but who are currently romantically involved with someone, they report having sex 1.

Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. To examine sexual frequency decline among American men and women between the ages of 44 and 72 born from to We examine the contribution of both changes in the composition of the population with respect to these factors as well as changes in the association between these factors and sexual frequency by age.

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. A recirculated study by the Kinsey Institute suggests that age can reliably predict how often a person has sex.