Health

How the Average 'Sex Number' in the U.S. Compares to Other Countries

September 2nd 2016

Have you ever wondered if your number of sexual partners is above or below what's considered average?

Wonder no more: Superdrug Online Doctor and Pharmacy Service surveyed more than 2,000 people in the U.S. and Europe to determine what people in each country consider "too promiscuous," "too conservative," and "ideal."

Numbers by Country

number of sexual partners by countrySuperdrug Online Doctor - superdrug.com

In this chart, pink = "too sexually conservative" (not enough partners), green = "ideal number of sexual partners" (not too many, not too few), and blue = "too promiscuous" (too many partners). The number of partners is for a lifetime (as opposed to a year).

Austrians considered the highest number of partners in the "too sexually conservative" category: They felt that seven partners were too few for a lifetime. By contrast, Spaniards rated the fewest number of partners as too conservative: one.

The people of the United States fell somewhere in between: Americans think that 15 partners in one lifetime is "too promiscuous," while seven partners is "ideal."

Let's take a closer look at the U.S.

Here's a rough look at the average number of sexual partners per state.

number of sexual partners by stateSuperdrug Online Doctor - superdrug.com

In the country as a whole, the average number of partners is 7.2. Louisiana had the highest average: 15 partners is the norm. 

Utah had the lowest average number of sexual partners: two.

Of course, it's up to you and only you to decide whether any of these numbers actually matter.

Watch ATTN:'s video on "sex numbers" below.

Share your opinion

Do you think having 15 sexual partners in one lifetime is too many?

Yes 31%No 69%