The majority of adults masturbate. In the largest nationally representative U.S. survey on the topic, the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), roughly 80% of men and 60% of women between the ages of 18 and 49 reported masturbating within the past year. Those numbers shift with age and gender, but the overall picture is clear: masturbation is one of the most common sexual behaviors across the lifespan.
How Common Is It for Men?
Among men, masturbation rates climb through adolescence and peak in the late twenties. About 62% of 14- to 15-year-old boys reported having masturbated in the past year, and that figure rose to around 83% for men aged 20 to 29. In terms of how often, a study of over 2,000 men found the most common frequency was one to two times per week, reported by about 41%. Around 22% said they never masturbated, while about 14% reported more than four times per week.
After age 30, the numbers gradually decline but remain high. About 80% of men in their thirties and 76% in their forties reported past-year masturbation. Even among men 60 to 69, roughly 61% had masturbated in the prior year. For men 70 and older, the figure dropped to about 46%, though that still represents nearly half of elderly men.
How Common Is It for Women?
Women report lower rates than men at every age, though the gap narrows in midlife. Among teenage girls aged 14 to 17, about 40 to 45% reported past-year masturbation. That number jumped to around 64% for women in their early twenties and peaked near 72% for women aged 25 to 29.
Through the thirties and forties, roughly 63 to 65% of women reported masturbating in the past year. The rate then declined to about 54% in the fifties and 47% in the sixties. Among women 70 and older, about 33% reported past-year masturbation. Hormonal changes play a role in this decline: research from the Kinsey Institute found that postmenopausal women reported significantly lower masturbation frequency compared to premenopausal and perimenopausal women.
Why the Gender Gap Exists
The consistent difference between men and women likely reflects a mix of biology and culture. Testosterone, which is present at much higher levels in men, is closely linked to sex drive. But social stigma also plays a significant part. Women historically face more cultural taboo around masturbation, which can affect both behavior and willingness to report it on a survey. Because these numbers rely on self-reporting, the actual rates for women may be higher than what shows up in the data.
How Rates Change With Age
Masturbation doesn’t stop at any particular age. Among adults 50 and older, 63% of men and 47% of women reported masturbating in the past year, according to the NSSHB. Even among people 80 and older, a meaningful number continued to masturbate. The decline that does happen appears gradual and tracks with broader changes in sexual desire, physical health, and hormone levels rather than any sharp cutoff.
Relationship status also matters at every age. People in sexual relationships still masturbate regularly, sometimes more than those who are single. Masturbation and partnered sex tend to complement each other rather than substitute for one another.
Physical and Mental Health Effects
Masturbation is considered a normal part of sexual health by major medical institutions. Cleveland Clinic lists several documented benefits: it can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost mood, relieve tension, and help alleviate aches and pain. During pregnancy, it may ease symptoms like lower back pain.
There is no established medical threshold at which masturbation becomes harmful to physical health. The point where it becomes a concern is when it interferes with daily responsibilities, causes distress, or replaces activities and relationships in a way that feels compulsive. For the vast majority of people, it does none of those things.
What the Numbers Actually Tell Us
All of these figures come with an important caveat: they depend on people honestly answering questions about a private behavior. Researchers widely acknowledge that masturbation is likely underreported, particularly among women and older adults. The true percentages are almost certainly higher than what surveys capture.
Still, even the reported numbers make the picture clear. Masturbation is practiced by a strong majority of men and a majority of women across nearly every age group. It is, by the data, one of the most universal human sexual behaviors.