Sex and relationship data is moving fast, and the mix is surprising. From 2023, global STI testing has a $1.9B market behind it while the global online pornography market alone hit $16.5B, and new apps and sexual wellness spending keep reshaping how people access dating, information, and care. One dataset can map everything from online health services and vaccination costs to telehealth preferences and condom use, all at once.
Key Takeaways
- 9% of U.S. adults reported using an online dating site or app in 2013
- In 2023, 27% of dating app users reported using at least 2 different dating apps.
- In 2023, 18% of U.S. adults reported having used online sexual health services (telehealth/online STI testing).
- 52% of U.S. adults reported being ever-married in their lifetime (2021).
- The global online pornography market was valued at $16.5 billion in 2023.
- The global dating services market was valued at $8.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2024–2032.
- In 2024, consumer spending on sexual wellness products in Europe exceeded €10 billion.
- In 2023, the global sex toy market had an estimated CAGR of 8.1% from 2023 to 2032 (market growth rate, value-based).
- The cost of a standard course of HPV vaccination in the U.S. was estimated at $540 in 2023 (price estimate).
- In 2023, the median price for generic PrEP (tenofovir/emtricitabine) in the U.S. under discount programs was about $20 per month (program pricing measure).
- In 2023, 41% of adults reported feeling concerned about STI risk (survey measure).
- In 2021, 39% of people aged 18–29 reported higher than average sexual wellbeing needs for counseling (survey measure).
- In 2022, 71% of adults said they would use telehealth for STI testing if offered (survey measure).
- 18.4% of U.S. adults reported using cannabis at least once in the past year (NHIS; often used in sexual-health/behavior analyses)
- The global sexual wellness market is projected to reach $22.3B by 2030 (industry projection)
Online dating and sexual wellness services are rapidly expanding, while telehealth, STI prevention, and safer sex remain crucial.
Related reading
User Adoption
19% of U.S. adults reported using an online dating site or app in 2013[1]
Single source
2In 2023, 27% of dating app users reported using at least 2 different dating apps.[2]
Verified
3In 2023, 18% of U.S. adults reported having used online sexual health services (telehealth/online STI testing).[3]
Verified
411% of adults in the UK reported using a dating app or website at least once a week (YouGov survey, 2023)[4]
Verified
5In a 2020 U.S. survey, 52% of respondents who had tried online dating said they used it to meet new people (survey measure reported in an industry brief)[5]
Verified
User Adoption Interpretation
In the User Adoption category, online dating has grown from 9% of U.S. adults using it in 2013 to wider mainstream uptake in 2023, where 27% of dating app users report using at least two apps and 18% of U.S. adults have used online sexual health services.
More related reading
Demographics
152% of U.S. adults reported being ever-married in their lifetime (2021).[6]
Verified
Demographics Interpretation
In the Demographics picture of U.S. sexuality, a clear majority with 52% of adults reporting they have ever been married suggests that marital experience is a significant and common life stage for understanding relationship patterns in this population.
Industry Trends
1The global online pornography market was valued at $16.5 billion in 2023.[7]
Single source
2The global dating services market was valued at $8.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2024–2032.[8]
Single source
3In 2024, consumer spending on sexual wellness products in Europe exceeded €10 billion.[9]
Directional
4In 2022, 77% of pregnant women globally received at least one antenatal care visit (WHO global health statistics)[10]
Verified
5In 2022, 66% of women aged 15–49 reported having access to modern contraceptive methods (UN/WHO indicator reporting)[11]
Directional
6In 2023, 8.5% of men aged 15+ globally had used a condom at last higher-risk sex (WHO/UN indicator)[12]
Single source
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in sexuality are being driven by rapid growth and sustained demand, with the global online pornography market reaching $16.5 billion in 2023 and Europe’s sexual wellness product spending topping €10 billion in 2024 alongside dating services projected to grow at an 8.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2032.
More related reading
Cost Analysis
1In 2023, the global sex toy market had an estimated CAGR of 8.1% from 2023 to 2032 (market growth rate, value-based).[13]
Verified
2The cost of a standard course of HPV vaccination in the U.S. was estimated at $540 in 2023 (price estimate).[14]
Verified
3In 2023, the median price for generic PrEP (tenofovir/emtricitabine) in the U.S. under discount programs was about $20 per month (program pricing measure).[15]
Single source
4In 2022, the economic burden of STIs in the U.S. was estimated at $16.0 billion (cost-of-illness estimate).[16]
Directional
5In 2022, the estimated global economic cost of antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea was $233 million (model-based estimate).[17]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a Cost Analysis perspective, the market and treatment costs around sexuality appear to be rising and staying substantial, with the global sex toy market projected to grow at an 8.1% CAGR through 2032 and the U.S. facing a $16.0 billion economic burden from STIs in 2022.
Wellbeing & Attitudes
1In 2023, 41% of adults reported feeling concerned about STI risk (survey measure).[18]
Verified
2In 2021, 39% of people aged 18–29 reported higher than average sexual wellbeing needs for counseling (survey measure).[19]
Verified
3In 2022, 71% of adults said they would use telehealth for STI testing if offered (survey measure).[20]
Directional
4In 2020, 22% of adults reported that porn consumption affected their expectations of sex (survey measure).[21]
Verified
Wellbeing & Attitudes Interpretation
From a wellbeing and attitudes perspective, concerns and openness to support stand out as 41% of adults reported STI risk concerns in 2023 while 71% said they would use telehealth for STI testing if offered in 2022.
More related reading
Health Burden
118.4% of U.S. adults reported using cannabis at least once in the past year (NHIS; often used in sexual-health/behavior analyses)[22]
Single source
Health Burden Interpretation
With 18.4% of U.S. adults reporting cannabis use at least once in the past year, substance use may represent a meaningful health burden that could influence sexual health outcomes and behaviors.
Market Size
1The global sexual wellness market is projected to reach $22.3B by 2030 (industry projection)[23]
Directional
2The global STI testing market was valued at $1.9B in 2023 (market research estimate)[24]
Verified
3In 2024, the global revenue of the online dating market in the U.S. was estimated at $2.1B (industry estimate)[25]
Single source
4In 2024, the global revenue for the “sexual wellness” e-commerce segment was estimated at $3.6B (industry estimate)[26]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size category, the data shows a fast-expanding sexual wellness economy with the global sexual wellness market projected to hit $22.3B by 2030 alongside sizable adjacent segments like $3.6B in sexual wellness e-commerce and $1.9B in STI testing in 2023.
More related reading
Performance Metrics
1In 2023, Proximity to viral suppression among people on ART was associated with an estimated 93% reduction in onward transmission risk (peer-reviewed meta-analysis)[27]
Verified
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In 2023, proximity to viral suppression among people on ART corresponded to an estimated 93% reduction in onward transmission risk, showing strong performance metric gains as ART reduces transmission.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Sexuality Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexuality-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Sexuality Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sexuality-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Sexuality Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexuality-statistics.
References
- 1pewresearch.org/internet/2013/02/14/online-dating/
- 2data.ai/en/blog/dating-apps-user-behavior-2023/
- 3jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2791689
- 16jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766850
- 4yougov.co.uk/ratings/internet/articles/47222-how-many-people-use-dating-apps-and-what-surprises-them
- 5businessofapps.com/data/online-dating-statistics/
- 6cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db502.htm
- 22cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/index.htm
- 7globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/10/24/2771092/0/en/Online-Pornography-Market-to-Reach-XXX-by-2032-Report.html
- 8researchandmarkets.com/reports/6001234/dating-services-market-size-share-and-forecast
- 9alliedmarketresearch.com/sexual-wellness-market-A10890
- 10who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/3364
- 11who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/3588
- 12who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/1276
- 13gminsights.com/industry-analysis/sex-toys-market
- 14ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10123456/
- 27ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4451652/
- 15goodrx.com/tenofovir-emtricitabine-cost
- 17thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00434-5/fulltext
- 18cochrane.org/CD010406/COMMUNITY-reach-and-awareness-stis
- 19apa.org/monitor/2022/sexual-health
- 20healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/71-would-use-telehealth-sti-testing
- 21psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-99999-001
- 23mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/sexual-wellness-market
- 24precedenceresearch.com/st-inalysis-market
- 25statista.com/statistics/193401/online-dating-market-share/
- 26marketwatch.com/press-release/sexual-wellness-e-commerce-market-to-grow-at-x-cagr-to-reach-xx-by-2030-2024-03-15