The large majority of 14-year-olds in the United States have not had sex. Based on the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, roughly 84% or more of 9th graders (most of whom are 14 or 15) reported never having had sexual intercourse as of 2021, and that number has likely held steady or increased through the most recent 2023 survey cycle.
What the National Data Shows
The CDC tracks adolescent sexual behavior through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which surveys high school students across the country every two years. While the survey doesn’t break results down by exact age, it does report by grade level, and 9th grade is the closest proxy for 14-year-olds.
In 2021, only 16% of 9th graders reported ever having had sexual intercourse. That means about 84% had not. This was a dramatic drop from 1991, when 39% of 9th graders said they had already had sex. In other words, the share of young teens who are sexually active has been cut by more than half over three decades. The CDC’s most recent data covers through 2023 and confirms the broader trend of declining adolescent sexual activity since 2013.
The Bigger Picture Across High School
Sexual experience increases steadily with each year of high school, but the overall trend has moved sharply downward for every grade. In 2021, 23% of 10th graders, 35% of 11th graders, and 48% of 12th graders reported ever having had sex. Compare that to 1991, when the numbers were 48%, 62%, and 67% respectively. At every age, today’s teens are significantly less likely to have had sex than their parents’ generation was.
The average age of first sexual intercourse in the U.S. is around 17 for both males and females, according to the CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth. That puts 14 well below the typical age of sexual debut, which is consistent with the survey data showing that the vast majority of young teens have not yet had sex.
Why Teen Sexual Activity Has Declined
Researchers point to several overlapping factors. Teens today spend more time socializing online and less time in unsupervised in-person settings. Access to sex education and contraception awareness has expanded in many states. Cultural shifts around dating have also played a role: fewer teens report being in romantic relationships compared to earlier decades. Some researchers also note that broader trends in adolescent risk behavior, including declines in alcohol use and drug experimentation, track alongside the decline in early sexual activity.
The teen birth rate reflects these changes. In 2022, there were 13.6 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, down 78% from the 1991 peak of 61.8. That steep decline mirrors the drop in sexual activity and the increased use of effective contraception among teens who are sexually active.
What “Normal” Looks Like at 14
If you’re 14 and haven’t had sex, you’re in the clear majority of your peers. The data is unambiguous on this point. Most 14-year-olds are not sexually active, and the share who are has been shrinking for over 30 years. Even by senior year of high school, roughly half of students still report never having had intercourse.
There’s no developmental timeline that says a 14-year-old “should” be having any particular experience. The national data simply confirms that most aren’t, and that this has become increasingly true with each generation surveyed.