‘Sex is not a priority’: Gen Z on why they’re not hooking up

Playboy has resurrected its 1983 sex questionnaire for Generation Z, and according to the magazine, what it found was surprising. Back in the 1980s, the magazine said the question of whether 18-to-29-year-olds had ever had sex “was not even worth asking.” But things have changed. Results from its new 2026 Gen Z Sex Survey show 19% of respondents report they have never had sex. One in three Gen Z men and close to half of Gen Z women surveyed also report not having masturbated a single time in the last three months. Yet, 74% say they have moderate to high sexual desire. While the discrepancy remains unclear, Playboy summarizes: “Gen Z isn’t just having less sex with each other; a lot of them are having less sex with themselves too.” The survey of more than 2,300 adults, aged 18 to 29, was conducted by Playboy and the Kinsey Institute, along with women’s sexual health brand Julie. (Gen Z includes people born between 1997 and 2012, who are now roughly 14 to 29 years old.) A further look at the data shows that only 30% of young men surveyed masturbate daily, while 34% report that porn completely satisfies their sexual desires. They also report being too broke to date: 39% said that “th…