Xlovecam – The Sexuality of Italians
October 2025
This new study follows the surveys conducted by Discurv on Italians and their sexuality.
The vast majority of respondents are in a relationship (73%), and most live under the same roof (62%), confirming strong relationship stability. Single people represent just over a quarter of the sample (27%), but many have already experienced a relationship before (17%). Finally, among those in a relationship, relationships tend to be long-term: 61% report being together for more than 15 years.
The first chart presents Italians’ personal relationship situation.
It shows that 73% of Italians say they are currently in a relationship. Among them, the large majority (62%) live with their partner under the same roof, while 11% are in a relationship but live separately.
By contrast, 27% identify as single. Among these single respondents, 17% have already been in a relationship before, while 10% have never been in a relationship.
The chart also highlights a slight overrepresentation of single people who have previously been in a relationship in northwestern Italy (22%).
The second chart looks at the duration of relationships among those concerned.
It shows that 61% of people in a relationship have been together for more than 15 years, indicating strong relationship stability within the sample.
By contrast, 17% have been together for 7 to 14 years, 13% for 3 to 6 years, and only 9% for less than 3 years.
These results show that the majority of Italians surveyed are engaged in long-term relationships, making it possible to analyze their relationship to sexuality and intimacy within a stable relational framework.
The first chart focuses on Italians’ satisfaction with the frequency of their sexual relations within their relationship. It shows that 71% of people in a relationship say they are satisfied with the frequency and quality of their sexual activity. Among them, 27% say they are very satisfied and 44% fairly satisfied.
By contrast, 13% say they are not very satisfied, while 8% declare they are not satisfied at all. Finally, 8% prefer not to answer.
Satisfaction appears higher in southern Italy (79%) and among those under 45 (84%), compared with 65% among those aged 45 and over.
The second chart looks at sexual fulfillment over time, among people who have been in a relationship for more than 7 years. It shows that 37% say they are happier today than at the beginning of their relationship, a sign of growing fulfillment over time.
By contrast, 38% say they are less happy today than at the beginning, while 24% say they are neither happier nor less happy.
The feeling of improvement is stronger among people living on the islands (37%) and among those under 45 (37%), while emotional stability is more often observed in central Italy (49%).
The third chart focuses on the perception of love within the couple. It shows that 90% of Italians in a relationship say they are still in love with their partner.
Among them, 45% say they are in love just like at the beginning, a proportion that rises among those under 45 (54%).
Meanwhile, 44% say they are still in love, but tenderness has gradually replaced passion, a feeling more often expressed by those aged 45 and over (33%).
Finally, 10% say they are no longer truly in love with their partner.
These results show that despite the long duration of many relationships, most Italian couples maintain a satisfying emotional and sexual life, with strong emotional attachment over time.
Expectations and reality regarding the frequency of sexual intercourse differ significantly. Ideally, a large majority (58%) would like to have sex twice a week, and more than a quarter (26%) would even imagine it as a daily occurrence.
In reality, only 25% say they have sex several times a week, and around 26% once a week, while 28% report a lower frequency (2 to 3 times a month or less).
This gap highlights a difference between desire and practice, which can become a source of frustration or misalignment in intimate life.
The first chart explores the ideal frequency of sexual intercourse according to Italians — the rhythm they would consider satisfying in their intimate lives.
The majority of respondents (58%) believe that the ideal would be to have sex twice a week, which appears to be the most widely desired standard.
More than a quarter (26%) aspire to an even higher frequency, saying that once a day would be their ideal.
By contrast, less frequent expectations remain marginal: 10% believe that once a month would be sufficient, while 6% consider that less than once a month would suit them.
These preferences vary by profile: the desire for more frequent sexual activity is stronger in southern Italy (32%) and among those under 45 (36%).
The second chart compares this ideal with the actual frequency of sexual intercourse over the past three months.
In practice, 25% report having sex several times a week, and 26% about once a week. Together, this represents just over half of respondents, but still remains below the ideal frequency expressed in the first chart.
Additionally, 15% report having sex two to three times a month, while 13% mention an even more occasional frequency.
A significant proportion (17%) say they have had no sexual intercourse at all during this period, while 4% prefer not to answer.
Regular sexual activity appears more frequent in the south (32%) and among those under 45 (37%), while lower frequencies are more often observed among those aged 45 and over.
Overall, these results reveal a gap between desired sexuality and lived sexuality: expectations remain high, but reality often shows a more moderate rhythm.
The first chart looks at the current evolution in the frequency of sexual intercourse compared to the past.
The dominant trend shows a decline: 43% of Italians feel they have less sex today than before, making it the most common situation. This decrease is even more pronounced among those aged 45 and over, where it concerns nearly one in two respondents (49%).
By contrast, 13% say they have more sex than before, a situation more common among those under 45 (24%), reflecting a more active sexual dynamic among younger generations.
Meanwhile, 24% indicate that their frequency has remained stable, at the same level as before.
Finally, 16% say they are currently not sexually active, while 5% prefer not to answer.
The second chart offers a qualitative self-assessment of current sexual life.
For a majority of respondents (62%), their sexual life is perceived as normal, meaning balanced and without major dissatisfaction.
However, nearly a quarter (23%) describe it as routine or monotonous, reflecting a sense of repetition or boredom.
By contrast, 10% describe their sexuality as uninhibited, while a minority (4%) define it as wild or intense, a perception more common in southern Italy (8%) and among those under 45 (24%).
Overall, these results show a sexuality that is mostly stable and conventional, but marked for many Italians by declining frequency and a certain routine.
Most sexual experiences outside the bedroom take place in intimate and easily accessible settings such as the car (76%), the shower (70%), or the kitchen (63%).
More unusual spaces, such as the table (53%) or the sea (45%), concern a significant but smaller share of respondents.
By contrast, truly public or more transgressive locations remain highly marginal and practiced by only a minority.
The most widespread practice remains masturbation, practiced regularly by more than 70% of respondents.
Oral practices (cunnilingus and fellatio) concern about half of respondents, most often occasionally.
By contrast, practices perceived as more transgressive (sex toys, group sex, domination practices) remain very marginal and concern only a small proportion of the population.
Consulting online pornographic content appears to be the most common activity: more than a third of respondents have already used it, including 13% on a regular basis.
Other activities remain much more marginal: searching for sexual partners online (22%), visiting sex shops (34%), or attending swingers’ clubs (10%).
These results show that exploratory sexual behaviors exist but remain limited to a minority.
Among the accessories used in intimate life, sexy lingerie stands out as the most common item: more than one in two respondents have used it, and nearly one in five use it frequently.
Pornographic content, erotic massage oils, and sex toys concern between one third and half of the population, most often on an occasional basis.
By contrast, more transgressive accessories (aphrodisiacs, masks, handcuffs, whips) remain marginal.
This chart focuses on the accessories and materials used in Italians’ sexual lives, distinguishing between regular, occasional, rare, or no usage.
The most integrated element is sexy lingerie. More than half of Italians (54%) say they use it at least occasionally, including 19% often and 35% sometimes. Only 33% say they never use it.
Pornographic content comes next among the most widespread practices: 28% of respondents say they consume it at least from time to time, including 8% regularly. However, a majority (57%) say they never use it.
Erotic massage oil occupies an intermediate position: 32% of Italians say they use it sometimes or often, while 56% never use it.
Sex toys remain more marginal: 23% say they use them occasionally or regularly, but nearly two-thirds (65%) never do.
The use of aphrodisiacs is even more limited: only 17% use them at least sometimes, while 72% never do.
Accessories linked to more specific or BDSM-related practices remain highly marginal. Masks or blindfolds are never used by 80% of respondents, handcuffs by 82%, and accessories such as whips or paddles by 87%.
Overall, these results show that Italians’ sexual practices remain mostly centered on more traditional or accessible accessories, while more experimental or domination-related objects remain rare.
The majority of Italians surveyed are in a relationship (73%); 62% live together and more than half (61%) have been together for over 15 years. Sexual satisfaction is generally high: 71% of people in a relationship say they are satisfied with the frequency of sexual intercourse, although 38% say they feel less fulfilled than at the beginning of their relationship. Emotionally, attachment remains strong: 90% still consider themselves in love, often with an evolution toward greater tenderness.
Expectations regarding the frequency of sexual intercourse (58% would like it twice a week and 26% every day) contrast sharply with reality: 25% have sex several times a week, 26% once a week, 15% two to three times a month, 13% less often, and 17% never. Compared to the past, 43% feel their current frequency is lower, 24% stable, and 13% higher, while 16% no longer have sex. Sexual life is mainly described as “normal” (62%), but 23% see it as routine; a minority perceive it as more uninhibited (10%) or wild (4%).
Just over half of people in a relationship (54%) say they make efforts to maintain a dynamic relationship, and 55% talk about their sexual desires with their partner; 43% admit to having felt bored at least occasionally during sex.
Outside the bedroom, the most frequently cited places are the car (76%), the shower (70%), and the kitchen (63%), while public or more transgressive spaces remain marginal.
In terms of practices, masturbation is the most common (72% have practiced it), followed by oral practices (cunnilingus and fellatio, around 51% each). More transgressive practices (anal penetration, sex toys, group sex, choking/erotic strangulation) remain minority behaviors.
In terms of activities, 36% report consuming pornographic websites at least occasionally, while online partner searching (22%), sex shop visits (34%), or swingers’ clubs (10%) concern only a minority.
Finally, among accessories, sexy lingerie dominates (68% have already used it), followed by massage oils, sex toys, and pornographic content, while aphrodisiacs, masks, handcuffs, and whips remain rarely used.
Study conducted by:
Grégoire Besançon, Head of Department
Charlène Canal, Insight Director
TO CITE THIS STUDY, PLEASE USE AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING WORDING:
"Discurv study for XloveCam conducted in October 2025 through a self-administered online questionnaire among a representative sample of 1,000 residents in Italy aged 18 and over."