Roughly half to three-quarters of adults around age 60 are sexually active, and those who are tend to have sex about once a week on average. That range sounds wide because it depends heavily on which survey you look at, whether the sample includes single people or only partnered ones, and how “sexually active” is defined. But across large national studies in the United States and Europe, the picture is surprisingly consistent: a clear majority of 60-year-olds are still having sex, and the frequency, while lower than at 30, is higher than most people assume.
What the Large Surveys Report
The most-cited U.S. data comes from a nationally representative study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Among adults aged 57 to 64, about 73% reported being sexually active. That figure dropped to roughly 53% for the 65-to-74 bracket and to about 26% for those 75 to 85.1PubMed Central. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States So a 60-year-old falls squarely in the age range where nearly three out of four people are still having some form of partnered sex.
An earlier study focused specifically on married people aged 60 and older found that about 53% had been sexually active in the prior month. Among that sexually active group, the average frequency was about four times a month, or roughly once a week.2Journal of Gerontology. Sexual Relations in Later Life: a National Study of Married Persons That “once a week” figure tends to hold up as the most common self-reported frequency for sexually active couples in their early 60s across multiple datasets.
Keep in mind that these are averages. Some couples in their 60s are having sex several times a week; others are intimate a few times a month. And a meaningful minority have stopped entirely, sometimes by choice, sometimes due to health or the absence of a partner. The averages mask enormous individual variation, which is the single most important thing to understand about sex at this age.
The Gender Gap in Sexual Activity
Women at every age past midlife report lower rates of sexual activity than men. The New England Journal of Medicine study found this gap at every age bracket examined, and it widens with time.1PubMed Central. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States A large German community survey found that sexual desire declined with age for both sexes, but the decline started earlier in women.3BJU International. Sexual desire and sexual activity of men and women across their lifespans: results from a representative German community survey
Part of the explanation is biological, but a large part is demographic. Women tend to outlive their male partners, and partner availability is one of the strongest predictors of whether an older adult is sexually active. A 60-year-old woman who is widowed or divorced faces a much smaller pool of potential partners than a man of the same age. Studies consistently find that having a partner is the single biggest predictor of ongoing sexual activity in later life, which means the gender gap in sexual activity is partly a gap in opportunity, not just in desire.
Hormonal and Physical Changes That Affect Frequency
For women, the hormonal shift around menopause brings drops in estrogen and testosterone. Lower estrogen leads to physical changes in the vagina and surrounding tissue, including dryness and thinning of vaginal walls, which can make intercourse uncomfortable or painful.4PubMed. Sexuality among older women Declining testosterone, meanwhile, is linked to reduced desire and slower arousal.5PubMed. Menopause and sexuality: prevalence of symptoms and impact on quality of life These are treatable problems, but many women either don’t know treatments exist or feel uncomfortable raising the subject with a doctor.
For men, testosterone dips more gradually. In older men, lower testosterone levels are linked to more severe erectile difficulties and less frequent intercourse.6International Journal of Andrology. The age‐related decline of testosterone is associated with different specific symptoms and signs in patients with sexual dysfunction Erectile difficulties don’t necessarily end a man’s sex life, but they do tend to reduce frequency and can shift the kinds of sexual activity a couple engages in.
Chronic Illness Matters More Than Age Itself
One of the more striking findings in the research is that declining health, rather than advancing birthdays, accounts for much of the drop in sexual activity after 60. A study using regression analysis found that sexual dysfunction was significantly related to poor self-rated health, diabetes, and incontinence, even after controlling for age. The researchers concluded that sexual problems in older adults are more often tied to illness than to aging on its own.7PubMed. The role of aging and chronic disease in sexual dysfunction
Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung conditions can all dampen desire and physical capacity. Just as importantly, the medications used to manage those conditions, including certain blood-pressure drugs, antidepressants, and some heart medications, carry sexual side effects of their own.8PubMed Central. Sexuality and elderly with chronic diseases: A review of the existing literature A healthy 65-year-old may have a sex life that looks much like it did at 50, while someone the same age managing multiple chronic conditions might find sexual activity far more difficult. If you’re 60 and wondering where you “should” be on the frequency spectrum, your overall health profile tells you more than your age does.
Relationship Quality and Why It Outweighs Frequency
Researchers who study sexuality in older couples have increasingly shifted focus from “how often” to “how good.” A study of male-female couples found that the vast majority (about 86%) fell into a profile where both partners were highly satisfied and had sex just under once a week. The much smaller group with infrequent sex (less than two to three times a month) also reported low satisfaction, but the link ran in both directions: couples with less conflict, more openness, and stronger commitment were far more likely to land in the frequent-and-satisfied group.9PubMed. How are sexual frequency and relationship satisfaction intertwined? A latent profile analysis of male-female couples
A scoping review of partnered adults over 60 found that relationship satisfaction and emotional intimacy were among the most important correlates of sexual well-being, often outweighing physical health factors.10Sexual Medicine Reviews. Sexual well-being among partnered adults and couples over 60: a scoping review A separate study looked at this at the couple level and found that when one partner reported higher relationship quality, the other partner showed better adaptation to age-related sexual changes.11The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. Are associations between relationship satisfaction, emotional intimacy, and successful sexual aging gender-specific? In other words, the quality of your relationship acts as a buffer against the physical changes that come with aging.
This is worth sitting with for a moment. If you’re in a relationship and your frequency has dropped but your emotional connection is strong, the research suggests you’re probably doing fine. Chasing a number on a frequency chart can actually backfire if it creates pressure where there was previously contentment.
How Intimacy Expands Beyond Intercourse
One of the limitations of asking people “how often do you have sex” is that the question usually means penetrative intercourse, and for many people over 60, sex has come to mean a broader set of activities. A study of older adults in Belgium found that only about 31% reported being sexually active in the conventional sense, but among those who weren’t, nearly half still engaged in regular physical tenderness like cuddling, kissing, and caressing.12The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Sexual Activity and Physical Tenderness in Older Adults: Prevalence and Associated Characteristics from a Belgian Study Another study found that older participants mostly engaged in these subtler forms of sexual expression rather than intercourse.13Psychogeriatrics. Sexual activity and life satisfaction in older adults
This doesn’t mean intercourse disappears from the picture. It means that for many couples, the menu gets wider. Some of this is adaptive: when erectile difficulties or vaginal discomfort make intercourse less reliable, couples often shift toward other forms of physical closeness. Some of it is simply preference. Research on enjoyment of life among older adults in England found that frequent kissing, petting, and fondling were associated with higher life enjoyment in both men and women. Interestingly, for women, frequent intercourse specifically was not significantly linked to greater life enjoyment, while those broader forms of physical affection were.14PubMed Central. Sexual Activity is Associated with Greater Enjoyment of Life in Older Adults For men, both intercourse and affection mattered.
The practical takeaway: if you or your partner are focusing narrowly on intercourse frequency as the measure of a healthy sex life, you may be missing the forms of physical closeness that actually contribute most to well-being.
Medical Help When You Want It
For men dealing with erectile difficulties, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (the drug class that includes sildenafil and tadalafil) remain the recommended first-line treatment, including for older men, when there are no medical reasons to avoid them.15Sexual Medicine Reviews. Sexuality and sexual health in older adults—recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024) These medications work well for many men, but when testosterone is also low, the drugs alone may not be enough. Research shows that combining testosterone replacement with these medications can restore erectile function in men who didn’t respond to either treatment alone.16PubMed Central. Androgen Deficiency and Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Expression Changes in Aging Male: Therapeutic Implications A review of studies confirmed that the combination therapy is both safe and effective for men with low testosterone.17PubMed. Efficacy and safety of PDE5 inhibitors in middle-aged and old patients with and without hypogonadism
For women, the most common treatable issue is vaginal dryness and discomfort related to menopause. International clinical guidelines now recommend local vaginal hormone therapies, either estrogen-based or DHEA-based, as a front-line approach.15Sexual Medicine Reviews. Sexuality and sexual health in older adults—recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024) For women whose primary concern is low desire rather than physical discomfort, testosterone therapy is an option that clinicians may consider, though it’s used more cautiously. Sex therapy or couples counseling is also recommended when psychological or relationship factors are at play.
The biggest barrier to treatment isn’t availability; it’s the conversation. Doctors rarely bring up sexual health with older patients unless asked, and patients often assume that sexual problems after 60 are just something to accept. They’re frequently not.
How Culture and Geography Shift the Numbers
Sexual frequency among older adults varies meaningfully across countries. A study comparing older adults in Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Portugal found that men’s rates of sexual activity in the past year ranged from 83% in Portugal to 91% in Norway. For women, the range was 61% in Belgium to 78% in Denmark. Partnered intercourse was more common in Southern Europe, while masturbation was more common in Northern Europe, with Norwegian men (65%) and women (40%) reporting the highest rates of solo sexual activity.18PubMed. Sexual Activity and Sexual Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Four European Countries
These differences likely reflect cultural attitudes more than biology. A larger global survey of nearly 27,500 men and women aged 40 to 80 across 29 countries found distinct clusters of sexual well-being that mapped onto cultural norms rather than health outcomes. Some clusters reflected more gender-equal approaches to sexuality, while others were more male-centered.19PubMed. A cross-national study of subjective sexual well-being among older women and men: findings from the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors A study comparing Portugal and Spain found that even between two neighboring countries, cultural factors significantly shaped sexual satisfaction and attitudes toward aging.20PubMed Central. Sexual Well-Being and Aging Patterns: Findings of a Cluster Analysis among Older Adults in Portugal and Spain
What this means for you: if you’ve been comparing yourself to a statistic, remember that the statistic was generated in a particular cultural context. A 60-year-old in Lisbon and a 60-year-old in Oslo may be equally satisfied with their sex lives while reporting quite different frequencies.
When a Partner’s Health Changes the Equation
One factor rarely discussed in frequency statistics is what happens when one partner becomes a caregiver. A study of couples in which one partner had Alzheimer’s disease found that caregiver burden was negatively correlated with both sexual and emotional satisfaction within the marriage.21PubMed. The influence of caregiver burden on sexual intimacy and marital satisfaction in couples with an Alzheimer spouse The caregiving role doesn’t automatically end a couple’s sexual connection, but exhaustion, role confusion, and grief over the partner’s cognitive changes make intimacy far more complicated than any frequency statistic captures.
Caregiving isn’t limited to dementia. A partner recovering from surgery, managing chronic pain, or going through cancer treatment may not be available for sexual activity for weeks or months at a time. These disruptions are common in the 60-and-older demographic and account for some of the drop-off that gets attributed simply to “aging.” When the medical situation improves, sexual activity often returns, sometimes with adjustments, but the temporary interruptions can become permanent if the couple doesn’t find ways to maintain physical closeness in the meantime.
STI Risk and Why It’s Underestimated After 60
Sexually transmitted infections among older adults are an increasingly recognized issue. Rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have been rising in the over-60 population in many countries over the past two decades. Several factors converge to create this: low condom use (since pregnancy is no longer a concern, many older adults skip barrier protection), limited sexual health education aimed at this age group, and doctors who don’t think to screen for STIs in older patients.22PubMed Central. Sexually transmitted infections in the elderly: A growing concern in geriatric care
Physiological changes also play a role. Thinner vaginal tissue in postmenopausal women is more susceptible to microtears, which can increase vulnerability to infection. And immune function naturally declines with age, making it harder to fight off infections that a younger body might handle more easily. If you’re entering a new sexual relationship after 60, STI screening and condom use are just as relevant as they were at 25, maybe more so given that the body’s defenses have changed.
Technology and New Partnerships Later in Life
Dating apps are no longer just a young person’s domain. Data cited in a scoping review on digital media and older adults found that about 19% of people aged 55 to 64 had tried dating apps, along with roughly 13% of those 64 and older. European research found that older adults use digital platforms not only to find new partners but also for sexual self-enhancement, including seeking information and exploring their own sexuality online.23Oxford Academic (The Gerontologist). Sex and Love Among Older Adults in the Digital World: A Scoping Review
This matters for the frequency question because partner availability, as noted earlier, is one of the strongest predictors of whether someone over 60 is sexually active at all. For the growing population of divorced and widowed older adults, technology has opened a door that barely existed a generation ago. The people entering new relationships through these platforms often report renewed sexual activity after periods of dormancy, though long-term data on how these relationships compare to lifelong partnerships is still thin. What’s clear is that the assumption of a steady, inevitable decline in sexual life after 60 doesn’t account for the reality that many people are starting entirely new chapters.
Living Arrangements and Sexual Expression
Where you live can shape your sex life in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. A study comparing older adults in age-segregated retirement communities with those living in typical mixed-age neighborhoods found that residents of retirement communities reported significantly more sexual interest, more sexual activity, and more liberal attitudes toward sex.24The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. Senior Adult Sexuality in Age Segregated and Age Integrated Communities The study couldn’t fully untangle whether sexually active people self-select into those communities or whether the environment itself fosters more openness. Either way, the finding is a reminder that social context matters. Being surrounded by peers who treat sexuality as a normal part of later life appears to make it easier to maintain that part of your own life.
The flip side is that institutional settings like nursing homes often create barriers to sexual expression, from lack of privacy to staff discomfort to policies that effectively prevent partnered residents from spending time alone together. For adults who eventually move into assisted living or long-term care, the loss of sexual autonomy can be an underappreciated part of the transition, one that rarely makes it into the brochure.