When do Americans actually lose their virginity? This chart might surprise you.

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) has long provided the gold standard for data on when Americans first have sex. While the numbers themselves, typically averaging around age 17, might not seem shocking, seeing them visualized reveals a distinct "sexual timeline" of American life.

Nathan Yau of FlowingData took the massive datasets from the CDC-overseen survey (specifically the 2013–2015 files) and visualized the age of "sexual debut." The result is a chart that changes how we view this major life milestone.

The Chart

The chart illustrates that between ages 16 and 20, roughly half the population loses their virginity. By age 22, 90% of the population has had sex.flowingdata

What The Data Shows

The graph illustrates a rapid acceleration during the late teen years.

• The Tipping Point: By age 18, more Americans have had sex than haven't.
• The Plateau: By age 22, the number reaches 90%.
• The "Later" Years: If you haven’t lost your virginity by age 30, the statistical likelihood of it happening drops significantly. In the 2013–2015 dataset, the number of virgins stabilized at about 4% of the population by age 40.

A Crucial Caveat: The older datasets focused heavily on heterosexual intercourse (vaginal-penile sex). As the survey methods have evolved, we are beginning to see a more inclusive picture that reflects LGBTQ+ experiences, though historical comparisons often remain binary.

average age virginity loss, NSFG data, sexual debut statistics, Nathan Yau FlowingData, sex recession, delayed adulthood, virginity statistics by age YouTube

The New Reality: A Shift in the Numbers

While the chart above represents the historical norm, new data suggests the trend is changing.

According to the most recent NSFG data (2022–2023), the number of young adults delaying sex is hitting record highs. While the 2013 data showed about 4–5% of people aged 22–34 were virgins, recent figures indicate that number has risen to roughly 10% for men and 7% for women in that same age bracket.

Why the shift? Sociologists point to a mix of factors:

• Digital Lives: Increased time online may be replacing physical socialization.
• Economic Pressure: More young adults living with parents delays privacy and independence.
• Changing Priorities: A cultural shift away from viewing sex as a mandatory "rite of passage" to be rushed.

A group of young people hold their phonesCanva

The Bottom Line

If you look at the chart and feel like an outlier, remember that these lines are moving targets. While the vast majority of Americans still lose their virginity during their late teens, the "right" time is increasingly becoming a matter of personal choice rather than a statistical inevitability.

This article originally appeared four years ago.