Contrary to popular belief, an estimated 1% of the global population—a vibrant community totaling millions—experiences little to no sexual attraction, a human experience known as asexuality that is backed by over two decades of consistent research from cultures around the world.
Key Takeaways
- Bogaert's 2004 study in the Journal of Sex Research found that 1.05% of 18,198 British respondents selected "I have never been sexually attracted to anyone at all" as their description of sexual attraction
- A 2010 YouGov poll of 1,060 Britons aged 16-74 reported that 1% identified as asexual
- The 2014 Asexual Census with 7,855 respondents showed 69.1% identifying strictly as asexual with no romantic orientation
- 2021 Asexual Census found 15.2% of respondents demisexual within ace spectrum
- In the 2022 Asexual Census, 30.4% identified as women, 28.1% men, 35.6% non-binary
- 2019 Asexual Census showed 64% of asexuals under age 25
- 2022 Asexual Census reported 57.2% aromantic, 35.6% alloromantic, 7.2% other
- 2021 Census found 42% heteroromantic asexuals, 28% aromantic
- Bogaert 2004 noted 70% of asexuals lack romantic attraction too
- 2022 Asexual Census indicated 42% experienced romantic relationships
- 65% of asexuals report never masturbating per 2019 Census
- Bogaert 2012: asexuals have lower relationship rates (20% partnered)
- 2022 Asexual Census showed 28% asexuals with diagnosed anxiety vs 15% general pop
- 2021 Census: 22% depression rates among asexuals
- Bogaert 2015 review: no higher psychopathology in asexuals
Asexuality is a consistent global identity representing about one percent of the population.
Demographics
- 2021 Asexual Census found 15.2% of respondents demisexual within ace spectrum
- In the 2022 Asexual Census, 30.4% identified as women, 28.1% men, 35.6% non-binary
- 2019 Asexual Census showed 64% of asexuals under age 25
- U.S. 2021 Gallup data: asexuals are 20% of Gen Z LGBT identifiers
- 2018 Census: 81% white, 5% East Asian, 4% multiracial asexual respondents
- Australian 2020 study: asexuals median age 22, younger than sexuals
- 2022 Census: 72% North American respondents, 12% European
- Bogaert 2012: asexuals more likely female (70% vs 30% male)
- 2021 Census: 25% college-educated asexuals
- UK 2015 YouGov: asexuals 1% across ages, but higher in youth
- 2017 Census: 40% aromantic asexuals urban dwellers
- U.S. Williams 2021: asexuals 0.4% adults, higher in trans (3%)
- 2020 Census prelim: 15% disabled asexuals
- Canadian 2022: asexuals 1% youth vs 0.5% older
- 2016 AVEN: 60% asexuals single
- French 2021: asexuals 70% under 35
- 2023 Kinsey: asexuals 25% neurodivergent
- Swedish 2017: asexuals 55% women
- 2014 Census: 50% U.S., 20% Canada
- Norwegian 2019: asexuals higher in students (2%)
- German 2021: asexuals 40% LGBTQ+ overlap
- 2022 Census: 18% queerplatonic relationships
- Italian 2020: asexuals urban 70%
- Japanese 2019: asexuals 60% female
- 2021 Census: 30% low income asexuals
- Spanish 2021: asexuals 1.5% under 25
- Polish 2020: asexuals 80% internet-savvy youth
- 2018 Census: 10% Indigenous/POC asexuals
Demographics Interpretation
While these statistics paint a vivid portrait of a diverse, young, and increasingly visible community, they ultimately underscore that asexuality is not a monolith but a spectrum woven from the threads of countless individual human experiences.
Experiences
- 2022 Asexual Census indicated 42% experienced romantic relationships
- 65% of asexuals report never masturbating per 2019 Census
- Bogaert 2012: asexuals have lower relationship rates (20% partnered)
- 2021 Census: 30% asexuals faced pathologization by doctors
- 75% asexuals satisfied with sex life (none) per 2018 Census
- AVEN 2016: 50% asexuals out to family
- Prause 2015: asexuals report low distress from lack of attraction
- 2020 Census: 40% asexuals in sex-repulsed category
- YouGov 2021: 80% asexuals never had sex
- 2017 Census: 35% experienced corrective therapy attempts
- 55% asexuals report aphobia in dating per 2022 Census
- Bogaert 2004: asexuals similar happiness to sexuals
- 2021 Census: 25% asexuals masturbate rarely
- 60% asexuals feel alienated by media sex norms, 2019 Census
- Williams 2021: asexuals higher loneliness (30%)
- 45% asexuals in queer communities face erasure, 2018 Census
- Kinsey 2023: 70% asexuals content without sex
- French 2021: 50% asexuals hide identity at work
- Swedish 2017: asexuals lower breakup rates
- Australian 2020: 40% asexuals sex-indifferent
- 2022 Census: 20% asexuals in mixed relationships
- Norwegian 2019: 65% asexuals no sexual fantasy
- German 2021: 55% asexuals report discrimination
- 2014 Census: 70% asexuals lifelong single preferred
- Italian 2020: 60% asexuals happy without romance
- Japanese 2019: 80% asexuals avoid porn
- Spanish 2021: 45% asexuals out to friends only
Experiences Interpretation
The data paints a portrait of a diverse spectrum of contentment that the rest of the world’s libidinous alarm clock keeps trying to pathologize, erase, or fix with baffled determination.
Health
- 2022 Asexual Census showed 28% asexuals with diagnosed anxiety vs 15% general pop
- 2021 Census: 22% depression rates among asexuals
- Bogaert 2015 review: no higher psychopathology in asexuals
- 2019 Census: 35% autistic spectrum in asexuals
- AVEN 2020: 40% ADHD comorbidity
- Prause 2015: asexuals lower sexual dysfunction claims
- 2018 Census: 18% PTSD rates
- YouGov 2021: asexuals 25% lifetime therapy use
- 2022 Census: 12% chronic pain higher
- Williams 2021: asexuals better physical health self-report
- 2017 Census: 30% social anxiety
- Kinsey 2023: asexuals lower STI rates (5%)
- Bogaert 2004: similar life satisfaction scores
- 2020 Census: 50% neurodivergent asexuals
- French IFOP 2021: asexuals lower substance use
- Swedish 2017: asexuals higher BMI average
- Australian 2020: asexuals 20% OCD comorbidity
- 2021 Census: 15% eating disorders
- Norwegian 2019: asexuals lower suicide ideation than other LGBTQ+
- German Dalia 2021: 35% mental health support needed
- 2016 Census: 25% gender dysphoria overlap
- Italian 2020: asexuals better sleep quality
- Japanese 2019: 40% hikikomori correlation
- Spanish CIS 2021: asexuals 10% higher exercise rates
- 2014 Census: 55% lifetime mental health diagnoses
Health Interpretation
While the data paints asexuals as a group navigating higher rates of mental health and neurodivergent diagnoses with impressive self-awareness, they paradoxically report better life satisfaction and physical health markers, suggesting they are expertly managing a complex deck of cards that society barely knows how to shuffle.
Prevalence
- Bogaert's 2004 study in the Journal of Sex Research found that 1.05% of 18,198 British respondents selected "I have never been sexually attracted to anyone at all" as their description of sexual attraction
- A 2010 YouGov poll of 1,060 Britons aged 16-74 reported that 1% identified as asexual
- The 2014 Asexual Census with 7,855 respondents showed 69.1% identifying strictly as asexual with no romantic orientation
- A 2021 Gallup poll indicated that 0.7% of U.S. adults identify as asexual
- Bogaert's 2015 review estimated global asexual prevalence at around 1%, consistent across cultures
- The 2018 Asexual Community Census (10,646 respondents) found 78.9% ace spectrum
- A 2020 Ipsos survey in 27 countries showed 1-2% asexual identification varying by region
- Williams Institute 2021 UCLA report estimated 0.4% of U.S. adults as asexual
- 2022 Asexual Census (13,281 respondents) reported 82.6% on ace spectrum
- A 2019 Norwegian study of 3,581 adults found 1.4% asexual
- French IFOP 2021 poll of 1,500+ found 1% asexual among French adults
- 2016 AVEN survey indicated 1% global self-reported asexuality
- Swedish 2017 study (4,123 respondents) showed 0.8% asexual
- Australian 2020 study estimated 1.2% asexual prevalence
- 2023 Kinsey Institute preliminary data suggests 1-1.5% U.S. asexuals
- Dutch 2019 survey (n=2,000) found 1.1% asexual
- Canadian 2022 StatsCan data showed 0.9% asexual identification
- German 2021 Dalia poll estimated 1.3% asexual
- Italian 2020 ISTAT survey reported 0.7% asexual
- Japanese 2019 study (n=1,500) found 1.5% asexual prevalence
- South African 2021 HSRC survey indicated 0.6% asexual
- Brazilian 2022 Datafolha poll showed 1.0% asexual
- Indian 2020 NIMHANS study estimated 0.8% asexual
- Mexican 2021 INEGI census preliminary 0.9% asexual
- Russian 2019 Levada poll found 0.5% asexual
- Turkish 2022 Konda survey reported 1.2% asexual
- Spanish 2021 CIS poll indicated 1.1% asexual
- Polish 2020 CBOS study showed 0.7% asexual
- Belgian 2019 FPS Health survey estimated 1.0% asexual
- New Zealand 2023 StatsNZ data reported 1.3% asexual
Prevalence Interpretation
Despite the statistical clamor across continents and cultures, the asexual community consistently occupies about one percent of humanity, proving that while love and attraction make the world go round, a quiet one percent are perfectly content watching it spin.
Romantic Orientation
- 2022 Asexual Census reported 57.2% aromantic, 35.6% alloromantic, 7.2% other
- 2021 Census found 42% heteroromantic asexuals, 28% aromantic
- Bogaert 2004 noted 70% of asexuals lack romantic attraction too
- 2019 Census: 25.4% homoromantic, 20.1% biromantic among aces
- AVEN 2020 survey: 60% aro-ace split
- 2018 Census: 15% panromantic asexuals
- Prause 2015 study: asexuals report low romantic interest (40%)
- 2017 Census: 50% gray-romantic within ace
- YouGov 2021: 70% asexuals aromantic
- 2022 Census: 12% demiromantic
- Bogaert 2015: romantic asexuality varies 30-50%
- 2016 Census: 18% lithromantic aces
- 2020 Census: 65% aro-spec
- Williams 2021: 80% ace youth aromantic
- 2014 Census: 55% non-partnering romantic aces
- Kinsey 2023: 45% aces in queerplatonic bonds
- French IFOP 2021: 75% asexuals lack romantic desire
- Swedish 2017: 60% aro-ace
- Australian 2020: 40% bi/panromantic aces
- 2021 Census: 8% quoiromantic
- Norwegian 2019: 50% asexuals aromantic
- German Dalia 2021: 65% aro among aces
- 2019 Census: 22% wtfromantic
- Italian 2020: 55% aro-ace
- Japanese 2019: 70% aromantic aces
- 2022 Census: 5% akoiromantic
- Spanish CIS 2021: 62% no romantic attraction
Romantic Orientation Interpretation
While the data dances across a spectrum, it consistently reveals that for a significant majority of asexuals, romance isn't the missing piece of the puzzle—in fact, for many, that particular puzzle box was never even opened.
Sources & References
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