While social media and dating apps may tout a perception of sexual openness and positivity, the “everyone’s having sex” stereotype may be nothing more than just a stereotype.
More than one in five (22%) surveyed U.S. adults say they have never had partnered sex, with younger adults leading the tide, according to The State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025, a survey conducted in partnership by DatingAdvice.com and the Kinsey Institute.
This finding reflects a growing trend of sexual abstinence among younger adults. Sex is no longer seen as a cultural rite of passage tied to adulthood.
Instead, many young Americans may be opting to delay their sexual experiences due to a range of socioeconomic factors, such as mental health, changing values, economic pressures, or a re-prioritization of relationships.
Our study dives into how America’s sex landscape may be shifting and how it’s affecting the modern dating world.
48% of Gen Z Adults and 26% of Millennials Are Virgins
The long-prevalent hookup culture may be waning among younger adults, as virginity becomes more of a common experience.
We found that nearly half (48%) of Gen Z aged 18 and over have never had any form of partnered sex, showing that sex may not be as prominent a universal milestone as it was for prior generations.
Millennials also stood out. Once labeled the “hookup culture” generation, millennials reported higher rates of virginity than their older counterparts. About 26% of millennials say they consider themselves a virgin when asked, revealing a willingness to abstain well into adulthood.
Our results show that the issue of virginity is multigenerational. Surveyed adults from both boomer (7.6%) and Gen X (15.4%) generations also reported virginity, although at lower levels. The reality is that: Sexual recession isn’t limited to teens and college-aged adults — it’s persisting into respondents’ late 20s and 30s.
We have to recognize how a complex social and economic landscape could influence how each generation approaches intimacy and connection, explaining the variances among generational groups.
Contrary to societal perceptions, virginity isn’t a one-sided gender experience, either. Our study found that men and women were nearly equal in their reporting of being virgins — 23% vs. 21%. This challenges long-standing assumptions that virginity is either more stigmatized or more common in one gender.
Would You Date a Virgin? 64% of Men Say Yes
Being a virgin isn’t as big a dating dealbreaker as many may assume. In fact, more than half (55%) of our respondents reported a high willingness to date a virgin, in contrast to the 17% who reported low willingness.
However, we found some gaps in gender and age. Men (64%) were far more likely to show a high willingness to date a virgin than women (45%) — nearly a 20% difference. These results suggest that men may view virginity as a non-issue, while women may be more cautious.
Age and life stage also influenced how respondents viewed virginity whilst in the dating world. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z and millennials led the ranks in showing higher interest in the idea of dating a virgin, while Boomers were the most hesitant.
Here is the breakdown of willingness by generation:
- Gen Z: 69% showed a high willingness; 6.7% showed low interest
- Millennials: 60% showed a high willingness; 15% showed low interest
- Gen X: 51% showed a high willingness, 19% showed low interest
- Boomers: 43% showed a high willingness, 23% showed low interest
Interest progressively faded as age increased. While younger generations were more accepting and may have normalized virginity, older generations were least likely to consider dating a virgin, showing that attitudes toward virginity are shaped as much by age as by gender.
Abstaining from sex isn’t just a Gen Z phenomenon like recent news has publicized — it’s a multigenerational and multilayered issue influenced by a variety of factors. Sex may no longer be a universal rite of passage for younger adults, but rather a personal choice shaped by shifting norms and economic pressures.
Methodology
The DatingAdvice.com and Kinsey Institute State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025 was led by Dr. Justin Lehmiller and Dr. Amanda Gesselman, with data collected and conducted by Prodege.com among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 single U.S. adults ages 18 to 91 via an online survey from April 29, 2025, to May 8, 2025.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.
For the interviews conducted in this study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
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