Sex lives revealed: What’s normal?

Do you wonder what goes on in other people’s bedrooms? Well, we’re here to satisfy your curiosity and give you a glimpse into what your fellow Australians are doing (or not doing) in between the sheets.

How do we measure up internationally?

Australia might be a hot country but it turns out that we’re not as hot-blooded as we’d like to think. In fact, Aussies are fairly average when it comes to sex — but the good news is, these stats can be changed if we just put in a little more time and effort (if you catch my drift).

So, here’s how our sex lives compare to other countries:

• Aussies have sex around 106 times a year. This is better than the US (85 times) and the UK (92) and very impressive in comparison to the unlucky people of Japan, who jump into bed only 48 times. But our numbers are downright embarrassing next to the passionate Greeks, who came out on top with 164 sex sessions.
• 40 per cent of Aussies would describe their sex life as “exciting”. While that’s great for those who fall in this category, that means six out of 10 of us are bored to one degree or another. That’s disappointing to hear, so try mixing it up a little bit and let’s see if that changes the results of the next sex survey. Be inspired by the 73 per cent of Mexicans who really and truly believe they have an awesome sex life.
• 60 per cent of sexually active Aussies have sex every week. The worldwide average is 67 per cent, so we have some catching up to do there. Just in case you were wondering, a quarter of Greeks have sex five or more times a week! (Anyone for an island holiday?)
• Sex lasts an average of 17 minutes Down Under. The Nigerians take first place at 24 minutes, while the Indians get it done in 13.
• 58 per cent of Aussies say they almost always or always have an orgasm. That’s not too bad, but it would be nice to be up there with the 66 per cent of South Africans who enjoy themselves the most.
• Aussie men have (on average) 24 sexual partners, while women have 11. In every country around the world, males had more partners than women, and our guys beat both the US and UK.
• Interestingly, Australia is the fifth most promiscuous country in the world. (Thanks to our long summers, perhaps?) Finland and Britain took the top spots (it must be the accents).

How do the states stack up against each other?

Australia is such a big country, so it makes sense that our sex lives and tastes vary between states.

The people of our nation’s capital are getting between the sheets more often than the rest. Just in case you were curious, the missionary position is a favourite. But before you Canberrans start bragging, the ACT is also the state of cheaters: A whopping 58 per cent have already or would consider cheating.

NSW isn’t much better: Over one in two claimed to have been cheated on by a partner. In Tasmania, 15 per cent admitted to cheating.

South Australians are the country’s most sexually satisfied people, while 44 per cent of Tasmanians aren’t content at all. Victorians are the least satisfied, but they’re making up for it in fantasies: Their collective bucket list included threesomes and having sex with a celebrity.

Who’s having more fun?

Now, onto the question many of us will be dying to ask: Who’s having more fun — the single ladies or the girlfriends and wives?

The Great Australian Sex Census of 2012 found that 42 per cent of singles have a regular sex partner, or are enjoying a “friends with benefits” situation. While that’s not a bad figure, the survey also found that only 23 per cent of singles were satisfied with the sex they were having. In comparison, 61 per cent of dating couples and 44 per cent of married couples were happy with their activities in the bedroom. However, 11 per cent of married women never have sex.

But as it turns out, most of us don’t think sex is the most important thing in a relationship. Two-thirds of attached Aussies said they are with their current partner for love despite the fact that their sex life is unsatisfactory. Now, that’s commitment!

What women want

Guys, listen up: Australian women want more sex and they want it more often. While 33 per cent of us are having sex 1–2 times a week, a huge 46 per cent want it 3–5 times.

Although 23 per cent of us love the corporate suit-and-tie look, tradies really do get the ladies: Aussie women voted tradies the sexiest men in the country.

When it comes to fantasies, the sex survey revealed some interesting insights. Nearly one in 10 women want to see what it’s like to be in an, ahem, adult film, while — and this is a bit of a shock — four in 10 would sleep with a friend’s partner if the opportunity arose. (To put our wishful thinking into context, 71 per cent of men fantasise about sleeping with a co-worker).

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