July 2024
Sexuality is a relatively easy topic to discuss with a partner or friends, but less so with family, regardless of age group. It is an important part of French people’s lives, particularly for men and for French people who have been in a relationship for less than 10 years.
French people are generally satisfied with their sex lives and romantic relationships, rating them 6.1 and 6.7 out of 10 respectively. One in four even say they are very satisfied.
86% of French people agree with the saying that when it comes to sex, “it’s not the size that matters, but what you do with it.” More broadly, nearly half of French people would like to try new sexual practices, with this proportion being higher among younger people and men. Men also place greater importance on sexuality and find it more difficult than women to remain faithful to one person.
Two-thirds of French people consider themselves fairly experienced when it comes to sex. This experience is strongly correlated with age, but not with gender. Although French people consider themselves experienced, two-thirds do not care about the number of previous partners when “choosing” a partner. However, 18–34-year-olds are somewhat more demanding and are more likely to say that this matters.
Four out of ten French people have sex with a partner at least once a week, including 4% who do so every day. As for masturbation, 35% masturbate every week, including 8% every day or almost every day. This figure rises to 13% among men. Although these practices are fairly common, only one-third say they have an orgasm every time they have sex or masturbate, with the frequency of orgasms being even lower among women than among men.
The most common practice among French people is watching free pornographic content, which half of them have already done. Connected sex toys are still rarely used compared with their non-connected counterparts, although they are of interest to 1 in 5 French people. Technology-related practices such as nudes, sexting and remote sex via video calls are more popular among younger people.
Communicating about fantasies with one’s partner is important for 56% of French people, particularly those under 50 and single people. Nevertheless, almost half of French people also say that their fantasies could not be fulfilled in their sex lives.
Despite this, the most commonly cited fantasy is having sex in a public place, followed by sex involving several people. Among younger people and young couples, however, role-playing and uniforms/costumes are more popular. There is no difference between women and men in their top three fantasies, although men are more likely than women to feel that they are the ones with the higher sex drive in their relationship.
During this Olympic Games period, gymnastics and swimming are considered the sexiest sports by French people. Opinions on these sports differ considerably between those aged 66+ and those aged 18–34, with younger people finding them less sexy than their elders.
French people generally have a negative view of the impact of smartphones and social media on sexuality. Three-quarters believe that they encourage the spread of misinformation on the subject and hinder real-life social interactions. Few believe that they contribute to sex education and awareness.
Younger people have a more positive view of this impact. In particular, they are more likely to believe that smartphones and social media make it easier to meet partners, help people explore a wide range of topics related to sexuality, and contribute to awareness and sex education.
Similarly, 51% of young people believe that technological devices such as sex toys have a positive impact on sexual relationships with a partner, compared with 40% of French people overall.
Two-thirds of French people describe themselves as experienced when it comes to sexuality, while only 8% say they are not experienced at all. Unsurprisingly, this experience is strongly correlated with age, but not necessarily with gender.
When it comes to experience, two-thirds of French people do not care about the number of a potential partner’s previous sexual partners. However, younger people seem more demanding than the rest of the population, with nearly half saying that it matters.
The main criterion when choosing a sexual partner is kindness, far ahead of other criteria, particularly intelligence and physical attractiveness. Men, however, place less importance on kindness than French people overall and more importance on intelligence. The same is true for people over 65.
It is easier to discuss sexuality with a partner than with friends, and much more difficult with family. The topic is also harder to discuss for those who consider themselves less sexually experienced. Younger people, meanwhile, find it easier to talk about sexuality with their friends than French people overall.
Nearly two-thirds of French people say that sexuality plays an important role in their lives. It is more important to men than to women and to younger couples. When it comes to their romantic and sex lives, French people are generally satisfied with both aspects, with around one-quarter even saying they are very satisfied.
Does size really not matter? Nearly 9 out of 10 French people agree with the saying that “it’s not the size that matters, but what you do with it,” regardless of age group. When it comes to exploring new experiences, 45% of French people would like to try new sexual practices. This desire is stronger among younger people, men, and people for whom sexuality plays an important role. It also seems more difficult for men than for women to remain faithful to one person.
Four out of ten French people have sex with a partner every week, including 4% who do so almost every day. 35% masturbate every week, including 8% every day or almost every day. Daily masturbation is less common among older people and more common among men. Regarding these practices, one-third of French people have an orgasm every time they have sex or masturbate. This result is largely driven by men, who appear to have orgasms more frequently than women.
In terms of sexual practices, half of French people have already watched free pornographic content. Although one-third have already used traditional sex toys, fewer than 1 in 10 have tried connected sex toys. Nevertheless, connected sex toys appear to generate the most interest, with 19% of French people who have never tried them saying they might be interested.
Younger people are more likely to try practices involving new technologies, such as sexting, nudes or remote sex. A lack of sexual experience also appears to be associated with the various practices that go beyond conventional sex.
Men believe they have a higher libido than women, with three-quarters saying that they want to have sex more often than their partner. Communication remains important to French people, with more than half believing that it is important to discuss fantasies with their partners. However, nearly half also say that their fantasies are purely imaginary and could not actually be fulfilled.
The three situations French people fantasize about most are having sex in a public place, having sex with several people at the same time, and watching other people have sex. This top three differs considerably among younger people, particularly younger couples, for whom role-playing and costumes are more prominent.
During this Olympic Games period, one-third of French people say that gymnastics is one of the sexiest sports in the competition, closely followed by swimming. Opinions on these sports differ significantly between younger and older French people.
French people generally have a negative view of the impact of smartphones and social media on sexuality. Three-quarters say that they contribute to the spread of misinformation on the subject and hinder real-life social interactions. Ultimately, only one-third believe that they help raise awareness about sexuality and contribute to sex education. Younger people are more positive: they are more likely to believe that smartphones and social media make it easier to meet people, help people explore a wide range of topics related to sexuality, and contribute to sex education, although they can also create expectations around sex.
When it comes to technology such as sex toys, 40% of French people believe that it has a positive impact on sexual relationships with a partner, while another 40% believe it has no impact. More specifically, one-third believe that using sex toys improves the quality of their sexual relationships, and one-quarter say that technology plays a key role in their sexuality. Younger people have a more positive view of technology.
A study led by:
Audrey Mandefield, Senior Account Manager
Pauline Poché, Insights Team Leader
TO CITE THIS STUDY, AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING WORDING MUST BE USED
“Discurv study for XLoveCam conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire from July 12 to 15, 2024, among a sample of 500 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over.”