Fewer one night stands, more AI lovers: the data behind generation Z’s sex lives | Sex

The intercourse lives of gen Z are of nice curiosity – to politicians, to oldsters, to influencers and courting app executives and to you, apparently. Are gen Z so lonely they’re falling in love with AI robots? Are they forming polycules throughout the US? Are they having sufficient intercourse? Are they having intercourse in any respect?Gen Z is outlined roughly as younger People aged 13 to twenty-eight. This technology got here of age with details about intercourse available to them, for higher (the web gives each intercourse training and neighborhood) and arguably for worse, too (in 2022, 54% of US teenagers reported first seeing on-line pornography at age 13 or youthful). They’re extra prone to embrace non-traditional identities and are progressive on points reminiscent of abortion rights and same-sex marriage – particularly gen Z ladies.However they’ve additionally seen the world formed by pandemic-era isolation and two Trump presidencies which have celebrated the gutting of reproductive freedoms and LGBTQ+ rights. Sexual conservatives need gen Z to be straight, get married and have youngsters, a number of them – however to not educate themselves about intercourse or enterprise throughout heteronormative boundaries. As a political gender hole emerges between younger women and men, the precise are urging gen Z males to fulfil their masculine destinies and gen Z ladies to fall in line, minding the house and fireside.Amid this tug of struggle between progressive beliefs and stifling sexual conservatism, within the wake of a loneliness-breeding lockdown, gen Z is making an attempt thus far, to hook up, to fall in love. It’s a lot to grapple with, for these residing it and for these making an attempt to grasp it.As a part of our intercourse lives of gen Z sequence, we gathered 13 information factors that, whereas not almost conclusive, start to indicate what younger folks take into consideration intercourse and the companions they’re having it with.1 Gen Z is the queerest generationNearly 1 / 4 of gen Z adults determine as LGBTQ+, in contrast with 10% of all US adults. Millennials come subsequent, at 15%, with gen X (6%), child boomers (4%) and the silent technology (2%) trailing far behind. (PRRI, 2024)2 They’re in the course of a intercourse recessionThe nice “intercourse recession” is the buzzword of the second in the event you like making sweeping assumptions about gen Z’s intercourse lives. But, there’s something to it: gen Z are having intercourse much less and later than millennials did. (CDC Youth Danger Habits Survey, 2024) Illustration: Mona Chalabi3 Gen Z males are having much less sexA survey carried out by the Kinsey Institute in partnership with the sexual wellness model Lovehoney discovered that one in 4 gen Z adults aged 18 to 24 haven’t had partnered intercourse but. Break that down by gender, and one can find that one in three gen Z males reported by no means having partnered intercourse, in contrast with just one in 5 gen Z ladies. (Kinsey Institute + Lovehoney, 2022)4 Gen Z males usually tend to expertise singledomYou may say that gen Z males are grappling with a terrific “relationship recession” too, primarily based on their chance of being single. (Pew Analysis Middle, 2023) Illustration: Mona Chalabi5 Gen Z ladies are extra queerIf ladies below 30 usually tend to be in a relationship than males below 30, it begs the query: who’re they courting? Older males, despite some gen Z seeing age hole relationships as exploitative and taboo? Different younger ladies? In any case, gen Z ladies are considerably extra prone to determine as LGBTQ+ than gen Z males. (PRRI, 2024) Illustration: Mona Chalabi6 A political chasm is dividing gen ZThere is a rising divide between younger males and younger ladies’s political beliefs within the US, as evidenced by the 2024 election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Greater than half of gen Z males (56%) voted for Trump, whereas a majority of gen Z ladies turned out for Harris (58%). The election was in some ways formed by this vast gender hole. In April 2025, younger ladies had been far much less prone to determine as Republican than younger males. (Tufts CIRCLE, 2024; NBC Information Keep Tuned Ballot, 2025) Illustration: Mona Chalabi7 They don’t wish to date throughout the political divideGen Z’s gender break up alongside celebration traces is likely to be affecting its relationship and marriage objectives, greater than older generations. (NPR/PBS/Marist, 2025) Illustration: Mona Chalabi8 Conservative coverage results in worry of sexSome ladies’s intercourse lives have been adversely affected by latest conservative political triumphs. On social media, the uncooked emotion of Trump’s election quickly made itself clear: discuss of a 4B motion spiked within the US as younger ladies mentioned boycotting heterosexual marriage, courting, intercourse and childbirth in protest of institutionalized misogyny and abuse.The autumn of Roe v Wade in 2022 was additionally devastating to many younger ladies. As reproductive restrictions rippled by way of the US, almost 20% of gen Z ladies stated they had been afraid of getting intercourse. (Kinsey Institute + Lovehoney, 2022)The political state of affairs within the US can also be having a chilling impact on younger LGBTQ+ folks: Greater than a 3rd of LGBTQ+ adults say they don’t really feel snug being open about their identification whereas courting in 2025. Much more gen Z LGBTQ+ folks – 44% of these ages 18 to 24 – stated as a lot. (Kinsey Institute + DatingNews.com, 2025)9 Gen Z adults eye conventional monogamyNow on to how gen Z dates: Non-monogamy is on the desk, however gen Z doesn’t appear to be as taken with it as different generations – maybe as a result of some younger folks haven’t skilled monogamous relationships but and yearn for what they have no idea.These figures are from a survey of the customers of Feeld, a courting app that makes a speciality of kink, open relationships and different non-traditional courting conditions, so take it with a grain of salt … (Kinsey Institute+ Feeld, 2024) Illustration: Mona Chalabi10 Making a transfer is difficult for gen ZAs dismay with the stagnant state of affairs on courting apps grows, one survey discovered that 72% of gen Z singles say passivity in making the primary transfer has elevated, in comparison with 63% of all singles. (Match, 2025)11 One evening stands is likely to be going extinctIn 2004, 78% of millennials stated their buddies generally have one evening stands; simply 23% of gen Z stated the identical 20 years later, in 2024. (YouGov/The Occasions & Populus, 2025)12 First date intercourse generally is a no-noGen Z is extra prone to need long-term relationships and fewer prone to be into informal intercourse than millennials or gen X, per one survey. Intercourse on the primary date is a relationship “dealbreaker” for 48% of gen Z. (Kinsey Institute + Lovehoney, 2022)13 Gen Z daters are into AIGen Z is the primary technology to have generative AI and chatbot know-how obtainable to them early and infrequently of their romantic lives, and it seems to be as if they’re taking benefit – whether or not for companionship or for courting recommendation. In fact, customers beware. (Match, 2025) Illustration: Mona Chalabi