We’ve come a long way regarding attitudes to masturbation. Gone are the days when it was labeled unnatural and unhealthy, and the myths about it making you go blind have long been dispelled too. 

Now, masturbation is dinner party conversation, it’s made its way into mainstream TV, and it’s an activity that’s encouraged and enjoyed around the globe. May has even been designated National Masturbation Month (aka International Masturbation Month), and some people participate in Masturbate-a-thons to raise money for charity. This is an expansion from National Masturbation Day, held for the first time on May 9, 1995, to honor Surgeon General Dr. Joycelen Elders and celebrate the “right to masturbate.”

Looking at masturbation statistics and trends, it’s safe to say that just about everyone really is doing it:

  • 73.8% of men say they masturbate regularly, compared to 48.1% of women.
  • On average, women start masturbating at the age of 14.
  • Women aged between 25-29 masturbate more than women aged 60-69 years.
  • 4 in 10 women prefer masturbation over sex.
  • 53% of women use vibrators.
  • Trans women masturbate more than trans men.
  • Portugal has the highest number of women who masturbate.
  • The sex toy market was predicted to grow by $9.92 billion between 2019-2023.

Despite its known wellness and mental health benefits, masturbation has been mostly ignored in sexual research—until fairly recently. Fortunately, as attitudes and times change, there’s a lot more focus on this solo sexual activity, and delving deeper into the statistics reveals who’s getting in touch with their sensual side. 



Masturbation Remains Male-Dominated

In a 2022 study representing the whole of the US, the National Library of Medicine (NIH) reviewed preferences and the frequency, the reasons behind choices to masturbate, and its association with partnered sex. The report also revealed that married people still masturbate extensively and that in some cases, it may even be a driving factor behind a desire for partnered sex.

While a lot of people masturbate, the report still shows that way more men than women reported lifelong masturbation, past month masturbation, and greater masturbation frequency.



Reasons for Masturbating

The most frequently cited reasons for masturbating are:

  • Pleasure
  • Stress relief
  • Feeling horny
  • Wanting to relax

However, the reasons given for not wanting to masturbate that are most common include:

  • Being in a relationship
  • Masturbation being against religious beliefs
  • A lack of interest or sex drive

For men, the reasons for masturbation are multiple and multi-faceted, and include the desire to fulfill biological, social, and personal needs. For women, the same needs may arise. However, masturbation is often looked at from more of a health angle.



Differences Between Male and Female Masturbation

Do women masturbate? You bet they do. They just may be a bit quieter and more private about it than men. However, stats reveal that 21.8% of women say they have never masturbated, so there is a definite gender gap.

What’s interesting to note though is that although 73.8% of men say they masturbate regularly, 4 in 10 women chose masturbation over sex. That’s almost half!

According to YourTango, around 53% percent of women use vibrators, and the majority of women (in the younger age groups) masturbate up to three times a week. However, the reasons behind female masturbation are often medical. Orgasms provide many health benefits, can help to relieve period cramps and treat restless leg syndrome, can offer natural pain relief, and help to prevent endometriosis.

The way that men and women masturbate also differs. While self-pleasure using fingers and hands is the most common, getting a little helping hand from an inanimate object is certainly not uncommon. 

According to Statista, 82% of American women own at least one sex toy, while 69% of sex toys are bought by women globally. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults spend 13.4% more on sex toys every year than their straight counterparts. Men are also more likely to buy lube than women. While these statistics don’t specify that the toys are used for masturbation, they generally fulfill the criteria needed for self-pleasure.

Additionally, studies show that transgender women masturbate more than trans men, although further studies are required to confirm this post full conversion treatment.  



Global Masturbation Statistics

The global statistics relating to women and masturbation shed some more light on which countries are more sexually liberated:

In the UK 71.2% of British women said they had masturbated at some point in their lives.

Surprisingly in France, which has pretty liberal attitudes to sexuality, a mere 34% of French women aged 18 to 19 and 38% of women aged 20 to 24 reported that they `masturbated.

Conversely, German women appear to be far more liberated, with 94.5% of German women saying they had masturbated at least once in their life.

And who says Catholic countries are sexless? In Portugal, 91% of Portuguese women reported they had masturbated in their lifetime.

The percentage of women reporting that lied when asked if they masturbate is around 22%. Some of the reasons given by these women said they feared being judged and were embarrassed to answer the question truthfully. This number is very close to the 21.8% of women who say they have never masturbated. So, if all respondents in surveys and studies were honest, it may well bring the number close to zero.



How Often Do Men and Women Masturbate?

While men tend to masturbate with regularity, the exact weekly or monthly figures vary widely from 2-3 times a week to once a month. 

However, the frequency of masturbation varies quite widely for women. According to a 2022 medically-reviewed article by The Kinsey Institute, women masturbated at least once every three months. Others reported a few times a year. 

OnlineDoctor conducted a survey of US and European participants that showed both men and women were happily self-pleasuring and using a range of sex toys to heighten their pleasure. They also revealed that of the 900 participants they surveyed, the average time spent masturbating was only 1 minute apart, with women at 13 minutes and men at 14. 

However, as men masturbate more regularly, they spend 46 hours a year pleasuring themselves, while women only spend 27 hours. This means that men spend almost a full day more annually enjoying solo sexual activities.



What’s Age Got To Do With It?

According to Health, age has a lot to do with masturbation.

A study by Indiana University revealed that in the age category of 18-19 years old, 60% of women masturbated on a regular basis, 72 % of women aged between 25-29 years old self-pleasured, and in the 60-69 age group, 47% of women masturbated.

For men, a study from the same university revealed that men’s masturbation habits peak between ages 18-29. From the age of 30, men slow down a bit, but often it’s health and not sex drive or desire that results in fewer solo sex sessions.

It might sound strange to think of trends in terms of self-pleasure, but we only need to look at the sex toy industry to see how things change. 

Sex toy industry growth:

According to BusinessWire, the sex toy market was expected to grow by $9.92 billion from 2019-2023, and by 2032 it’s expected to be worth more than $50 billion. Yahoo! reports that this value is based on an 8.7% CAGR between 2023 and 2032, which will be driven by rising sexual awareness and increasing investment from sex tech companies. 

Tech toys on the rise:

Bluetooth or wireless-controlled sex toys are becoming more commonplace, and sex or “fucking” machines are also hitting the mainstream marketplace. Remote-controlled sex toys that integrate into the Internet of Things are also emerging now, allowing partners to control each other’s pleasure from afar.

Top sex toys:

In 2022, the following sex toys were the most purchased online:

  • Dildos
  • Vibrators
  • Male masturbators or sleeves
  • Butt plugs
  • Cock rings  

Global market penetration:

When it comes to the global sex toy export market, China leads the way. The country produces between 70-90% of sex toys. According to sex toy investment firm Audacia.

The U.S. enjoys the biggest market share and has the most purchasing power.

Media coverage:

Masturbation is now fully mainstream. So much so that we can expect to see more of it on TV. Films such as Good Luck To You, Leo Grande starring Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack generated a lot of interest in 2022 because of their openness about sexual desires and fantasies. Then, Netflix went one step further and aired Obsession, complete with the pillow-humping scene, and self-pleasure was thrust firmly into the spotlight. 

Sexual fluidity:

In a world where sexuality has become incredibly fluid, Millenials and Gen Z have played a huge role in making topics like masturbation a common talking point. The spotlight on sexual equality and transgender rights has also played a role in ensuring everyone has the right to self-pleasure and self-expression.


Masturbation Now Has Its Own Market

Driven by a change in attitudes to sexuality, sex, and the acceptance of sexual fluidity by Gen Z and Millennials masturbation is now a major player in the global market. Just about everyone is doing it, and they’re not afraid to use toys to enhance the experience. 

In fact, according to a visual.ly infographic published in May 2023, almost 800,000 (797,151) Americans were masturbating while you read this post—that’s a larger number than the population of Alaska.