In 2023, the difference between the number of times men and women masturbated increased compared to the previous year. In that year, men masturbated on average more than 179 times a year, while women masturbated on average roughly 90 times a year.

This statistic shows a comparison of the percentage of American women and men who masturbated alone in 2009, sorted by age group. The findings were published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a publication on sexual behavior in the United States.72 percent of female respondents aged 25 to 29 stated they masturbated alone in 2009, while 84 percent of male respondents from the same age group stated the same.

As of March 2022, 80 percent of French males aged 18 to 34 years old and 64 percent of French females the same age declared that they practiced and enjoyed masturbation. When looking at other studies, it may be stated that men tend to masturbate more than women. However, younger generations, influenced by feminism and the #MeToo movement, appear to be more open-minded about women’s sexuality.

A gender gap in masturbation?

According to results of the survey, conducted among French Millennials (which means people born between 1980 and 1999), young males practiced masturbation more than their female counterparts. Moreover, 15 percent of young French women declared that they have never masturbated, compared to three percent of males. This gap also seems to be relevant when it comes to the frequency of masturbation. In a survey from 2014, most of French women who had masturbated in the last three months declared that they masturbated at least once a month. When the same question was asked to French men, the majority of them answered that they masturbated at least once a week.

Women’s sexuality

Generally speaking, gender differences in masturbation practices can be seen in every country. In the United States men seem to masturbate alone more than women, regardless of age. In the Netherlands, 33 percent of females never masturbate, compared to 16 percent of males. In 2015 in France, 70 percent of women declared that masturbation was one of the sexual practices that makes it easy for them to reach orgasm, while 65 percent said that penetration allowed them to easily reach orgasm.

This statistic indicates the frequency at which French women masturbated in 2014. It is observed that that year, less than 20 percent of female respondents said they masturbated at least once a month.

In 2023, more than 90 percent of Spaniards masturbated. Some 14 percent of respondents between the ages of 27 and 41 said they masturbated daily, 5 percent more than those between the ages of 18 and 26. Among those over the age of 55, 27 percent reported masturbating two to three times a week.

According to a 2020 survey on sex in India, 90 percent of respondents reported that they masturbate at least once per month. 85 percent of survey respondents reported having an interest in trying sex toys.

This statistic displays the starting age of masturbation in Spain in 2019. According to the survey, men started to masturbate around the age of 13, almost three years earlier than women, who started around the age of 16.

This statistic shows the share of American men who have ever masturbated alone in their lifetime, sorted by age group. The findings were acquired in early 2009 and published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a publication on sexual behavior in the United States, in 2010. 94.3 percent of respondents aged 25 to 29 stated they have masturbated alone at some time during their life.

This statistic shows the results of a survey among women on their reasons for masturbation during the past year. 31.9 percent of women surveyed said they masturbated to cope with stress.

According to this survey, 43 percent of respondents quarantined with a partner in Spain stated that they experienced no change in their masturbation frequency during coronavirus self-isolation or quarantine as of 2020. In contrast, 11 percent answered that they masturbated a lot more often.

This graph illustrates the distribution of young people aged 15 to 24 years in France in 2013, according to the age of their first masturbation. More than 30 percent of respondents said they had been between 13 and 14 years old the first time they masturbated.

According to a survey conducted among young people in China in 2021, nearly 60 percent of male and 72 percent of female respondents believed masturbation is a normal physical need that needs to be addressed and enjoyed. In comparison, around 5.6 percent of female and less than one percent of male respondents stated that they do not have the physical need to masturbate.

This statistic displays the frequency with which Spaniards masturbated in 2020. According to the survey, the largest proportion of Spaniards masturbated at least once a week, with 33 percent of respondents. Spaniards who masturbate a few times a month take up 20 percent of respondents in 2020.

This statistic displays the approval of partner's masturbation habits in a relationship in Spain in 2020, broken down by gender. According to the survey, 60 percent of the male respondents answered that they were comfortable with their partners masturbating by themselves while being in a relationship. The approval of female respondents was slightly higher with 73 percent giving an affirmative answer to the question*.

According to a survey conducted in February 2020, about three percent of female respondents in Japan aged 30 to 39 years masturbated almost every day. At the same time, an overall share of around 43 percent of surveyed women never masturbated in their lives.

This statistic reveals the proportion of women who have ever practiced masturbation at least once during their lifetime in France between 1970 and 2019. It can be seen that the proportion of French women who have already masturbated increased over the years: less than 20 percent of responding women stated that they have already masturbated in 1970, compared to 76 percent in 2019.

In 2022, more than 40 percent of Spaniards who masturbated said that their masturbation sessions lasted 5 to 10 minutes. In contrast, only 16 percent of those with penises and nearly 13 percent of those with vulvas said their sessions lasted more than 20 minutes.

According to the survey, 93 percent of Spaniards thinks that masturbation has a positive impact on health, which represented the highest perceived positive impact among the study aspects. Followed close behind by brain function with 92 percent of respondents.

This statistic displays the share of respondents who have masturbated while being in a relationship in Spain in 2020 broken down by gender. According to the survey, 77 percent of the female respondents answered that they had masturbated while being in a relationship. The percentage of male respondents who have masturbated while in a relationship was slightly higher with 78 percent giving an affirmative answer to the question*.

This statistic shows the share of American men who have masturbated with someone else (spouse, boy- or girlfriend, friend) in the past month, the past year, or in their lifetime. The findings were acquired in early 2015 and published in 2017. During the survey, 57.5 percent of male respondents stated they have masturbated with someone else at some time during their life.