Survey: Nearly 55% of Czech men under 25 have never had sex
An increasing number of young Czechs aged 18 to 25 have never had sex - nearly 55% of men and about 30% of women, according to a recent survey by the Czech National Institute of Mental Health. What is behind this surprising trend?
It is not a new phenomenon that men start their sexual lives later than women, but the low level of sexual activity among young people continues to surprise researchers, especially as casual sex no longer carries the social stigma it once did. Amidst this seeming contradiction, what do young Czech’s sexual habits look like?
Everything begins with meeting someone. In recent years, this has moved online to dating apps, which should, in theory, make meeting people easier than ever. And indeed 20.7% of young people meet online compared to 13.4% across all ages. Yet this has not translated into more sex and meeting partners through traditional venues like pubs, bars, or parties is surprisingly low - only 11.2% of 18 to 25-year-olds, the lowest among all age groups. The decline in early sexual activity may then reflect a broader shift in lifestyle and a choice to focus less on intimate relationships.
It is not just meeting people that has moved online - digital media are also shaping how people perceive intimacy. A major part of this is pornography. Men are significantly more likely to watch porn, with 89.5% having done so, compared to just 67.6% of women. However, the highest rates of porn consumption are found among middle-aged adults and not the youngest age group.
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Experts from the Sexology Institute at the General Faculty Hospital in Prague have pointed out that new technological tools related to sex are constantly emerging, including AI-based erotic apps increasingly used by younger generations. With the availability of new forms of ‘virtual satisfaction’, some young people express concerns and anxiety about engaging in real sexual relationships outside the virtual world.
Another factor contributing to lower sexual activity at a younger age may be the pervasive presence of technology and social media during childhood and adolescence. The isolating nature of social media use - intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic - has further limited opportunities to develop social skills crucial for meeting potential partners. This global trend is examined in depth in Jonathon Haidt’s 2024 book The Anxious Generation.
A concerning phenomenon highlighting the impact of social media on views of relationships and the opposite sex is the rise of ‘incels.’ Involuntary Celibates (‘incels’) is an internationally used term for men, who believe they are denied love and intimacy by society, often leading them to ideologies based on distrust and hatred towards women. According to the Czech Interior Ministry, misogynistic and hateful ideologies do spread online in the country, but no specific data on ‘incels’ is available.
All this does not necessarily mean that young Czechs are giving up on sex altogether. Perhaps their sexual lives are simply changing in new directions with new expectations and technologies.
