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GPI - Total Score

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Most Promiscuous Countries 2024

Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in casual sexual activity frequently and with different partners. A common example of promiscuous behavior is participating in "one-night stands," in which two (or more) people engage in sex strictly for the purpose of physical pleasure, with no previous commitment or expected obligation after the act. Exactly which sexual behaviors are considered promiscuous varies widely from one culture to the next, as well as by gender, age group, etc. Many modern cultures are known for holding men and women to separate and unequal standards of promiscuity. Men who have many sexual partners are often glamorized as a "player" or "stud" and admired for their sexual prowess. Conversely, women who enjoy many sexual partners are often labeled as "loose" or "a harlot" and treated with disrespect. A similar double standard frequently applies between heterosexuals and the LGBTQ+ community.

Using the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI) to measure promiscuity

Determining a country's level of promiscuity is often challenging. Most data are self-reported, and strong social or personal motivations can skew results heavily toward minimizing or exaggerating sexual activity. Some of the most widely respected work in the area of nation-to-nation sexual habits has been done by psychologist Dr. David P. Schmitt, Founding Director of the International Sexuality Description Project. Schmitt's 2005 study, "Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of human mating," compiled interview responses from more than 14,000 people and is the most comprehensive and most frequently referenced clinical study on the subject of promiscuity.

Schmitt's research distilled each person's responses to a detailed interview into a single measure called the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, or SOI. A high SOI indicates a person with an unrestricted (non-monogamous) mating strategy, and a lower SOI indicates a more restricted, or monogamous strategy. Once complete, the study revealed that the countries with the most promiscuous sexual partnering behaviors were Finland, New Zealand, and Slovenia.

Top 10 Most Promiscuous Countries in the World (by SOI, 2005)

Country
GPI - Total Score
Australia360.14
Brazil340.66
Greece336.53
Chile334.64
New Zealand327.49
Germany322.41
Italy317.73
Switzerland316.16
Thailand312.99
South Africa310.05

Alternate studies of sexuality and promiscuity

A 2008 U.S. university study evaluated the promiscuity among countries around the world based on one-night stands, attitudes towards casual sex, and the number of sexual partners the average person enjoyed. The study found that Finns have the largest number of sexual partners in the industrialized world. Additionally, British people have the largest number of sexual partners among western industrial nations. This study further showed that the top ten OECD countries on the promiscuity index are the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Australia, the United States, France, Turkey, Mexico, and Canada.

Condom-maker Durex has conducted multiple surveys that measured sexual behaviors including promiscuity among nations. Durex found that Austrian men had the highest number of sex partners of males around the world of 29.3 partners on average. New Zealand's women had the highest number of sexual partners with an average of 20.4. In general, people from developed Western countries have more sex partners than people in developing countries; however, those in developing countries have higher STI rates. Additionally, the "most promiscuous" countries do not have the highest fertility rates; those are typically also seen in developing countries. For Western countries high on the index, especially in the United Kingdom, their positions can be linked to increasing social acceptance of promiscuity among women and men.

Notes:
- The Global Promiscuity Index (GPI) analyzes the promiscuity of 45 countries by compiling six indicators.
- 1. Mean Age Virginity Was Lost
- 2. Average Number of Sexual Partners
- 3. STD Rate per 100k People
- 4. % of People Who Consider Premarital Sex Between Adults Morally Acceptable
- 5. Legality of Prostitution
- 6. Legality of Premarital Sex
- Higher GPI scores indicate greater promiscuity.

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Country
GPI - Total Score
GPI - Avg Age Viriginity Lost
GPI - Avg Sexual Partners
GPI - STD Rate per 100k
GPI - Premarital Sex Acceptable Pct
GPI - Prostitution Legal
GPI - Premarital Sex Illegal
Australia360.1417.9013.3014,45481Legal
Brazil340.6617.409.0031,74661Partial
Greece336.5318.1010.6011,45886Legal
Chile334.6417.2010.1020,57380Partial
New Zealand327.4917.8013.2011,898Legal
Germany322.4117.605.8015,05591Legal
Italy317.7318.9011.8012,98583Partial
Switzerland316.1618.2011.1013,524Legal
Thailand312.9920.5010.6024,709Partial
South Africa310.0518.7012.5032,05438Illegal
Czech Republic305.5017.209.0011,95985Partial
Finland304.4716.5012.4012,087Partial
United Kingdom299.0318.309.8010,88782Partial
Japan292.9519.4010.2012,67173Partial
United States291.6918.0010.7019,90065Illegal
Netherlands290.9718.107.0014,363Legal
Mexico289.0518.709.0021,97547Partial
Denmark288.9916.109.3013,225Partial
Iceland288.5515.6013.0011,921Illegal
Canada288.4018.1010.7013,54381Illegal
Turkey285.8317.8014.5013,0597Legal
Sweden283.8116.2011.8014,244Illegal
Spain281.3919.206.1011,62491Partial
Austria280.3517.309.7011,724Partial
France277.5918.508.1011,98994Illegal
Hungary277.0318.406.6011,229Legal
Norway276.9116.5012.1011,930Illegal
Slovakia276.7817.805.4012,885Legal
Portugal268.7416.907.0013,290Partial
Belgium266.5517.207.5011,997Partial
Ireland264.1417.3011.1011,450Illegal
Russia258.7218.709.0019,24650Illegal
Israel257.7216.7010.609,45558Illegal
Poland254.6519.006.0011,86665Partial
Singapore250.9922.807.2014,815Partial
Croatia246.4917.307.5013,750Illegal
Taiwan246.0418.906.6018,042Illegal
South Korea238.2822.1056Illegal
Hong Kong236.6620.203.70Partial
Nigeria229.3319.7016Partial
Vietnam223.4219.703.2019,382Illegal
Malaysia175.5523.005.8018,9798Partial
Indonesia174.6819.105.1017,8552Partial
China170.0422.103.1029Illegal
India169.7322.903.0010,76321Partial
showing: 45 rows

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Most Promiscuous Countries 2024

What is the most sexually active country?

The most sexually active country in the world is Finland.

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