
76 Orgasm Statistics
By Bedbible Research Center / March 28, 2023
This is a meta-analysis of the phenomenon that is orgasms. The study looks at all available orgasm statistics and combines the results to provide the most accurate statistics on age-old questions surrounding male and female orgasm.

Some of the questions you will likely find answers to include but are not limited to: How many women orgasm from intercourse? Is there an orgasm gap (based on orgasm frequency and time to orgasm) between men and women? And if so, how big is this? How many have never orgasmed before? How likely are different sexual orientations to orgasm during intercourse?
For access to the full dataset or questions regarding the findings presented in this article, please reach out to researchcenter@bedbible.com
Key orgasm statistics
- Only 12.9% of women report consistently reaching orgasm through penetration alone, while 18.4% of women can reach orgasm in this way.
- 81.6% of women / females can’t orgasm from penetration/intercourse alone.
- 65% of heterosexual women report they usually experience orgasm during intercourse, while 95% of men usually orgasm.
- Men on average take 5 minutes to climax during partnered sex, while women on average take 14 minutes (while only 8 minutes during masturbation)
- 59% of women have faked an orgasm.
- Women report that 51-60% of the time they have intercourse they climax (orgasm) only if they are simultaneously stimulated externally.
- 25% of women report that they almost always reach orgasm during intercourse.
Orgasm frequency
- 64% of women report that they orgasmed in their last sexual encounter.
- 91% of men report that they orgasmed in their last sexual encounter.
- 18.4% of women say that intercourse without any external stimulation is sufficient for them to orgasm.
- 25% of women report almost always reaching orgasm during intercourse.
- 95.1% of men report that they almost always reach orgasm during intercourse.
- 51% (to 60%) of women report that they can easily orgasm during vaginal sex if they simultaneously get clitoris stimulation.
The Orgasm gap between men and women
- Men are 42% more likely to have reached orgasm during their last sexual encounter compared to women.
- Men are 280% more likely to report that they almost always orgasm during intercourse compared to women.
- Women are twice as likely to have faked an orgasm compared to men.

Have never had an orgasm
- 8.5% of women have never had an orgasm (5-12%, depending on the survey).
- 92% of women who never had an orgasm before manage to reach orgasm after clinical treatment.
- 12% of women aged 17-28 years old report that they have never had an orgasm at any point.
- It is estimated that 4% of all women go through life getting an orgasm.
- 30% of women report that they “rarely or never” orgasm during vaginal intercourse.
Sexual orientation – homo-, hetero- and bisexual
During our meta-analysis we looked at how the data showed differences depending on the sexual orientation of both respondents or study participants.
What we found was quite interesting:

- 95% of heterosexual men orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
- 65% of heterosexual women orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
- 89% of homosexual men orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
- 86% of homosexual women orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
- 88% of bisexual men orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
- 66% of bisexual women orgasmed during their last sexual encounter.
By looking into comparing these different groups we find that:
- Heterosexual men are 42% more likely to orgasm compared to heterosexual women (95% vs. 65% for heterosexual women).
- Homosexual women are almost as likely as homosexual men to orgasm (86% vs. 89% for homosexual men).
- Heterosexual females are the least likely group to orgasm compared to both men of all sexual orientations as well as compared to both bisexual and homosexual women.
- Bisexuality is the sexual orientation amongst men with the lowest chance of reaching orgasm of all other sexual orientations.
- Homosexual women are 32% more likely to orgasm compared to heterosexual women (86% vs 65% for heterosexual women, and 66% for bisexual women).
- Sexual orientation is a bigger pre-determinant of orgasm frequency amongst women compared to men.
We also look at asexuality, and found that:
- Asexuality is not predetermining sexuality for never having reached an orgasm. 77% of asexual women report that they have climaxed before.
Relationships status – the effects over time on orgasms
While looking at the metadata for how different types of relationships and the time they lasted affected the rate of orgasm during intercourse the results were significant. Especially when isolating by gender.
- Only 11% of women orgasm during their first-time hookup with a new partner.
- 16% of women have experienced an orgasm during the first or second hookup with a new partner.
- 34% of women report getting orgasms with partners they have had more than 3 hookups with prior.
- 67% of women in relationships (>6 months) report experiencing orgasms.
- Women that have been in a relationship for more than half a year are x6 more likely to get an orgasm during sex compared to first-time hookups.
- Hooking up for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th time improved the odds of reaching an orgasm for women by 40% compared to the first and second hook-ups with a new partner.
- Hooking up more than six times makes it twice as likely that the woman will reach orgasm compared to the first hookup.
What you do in bed matters for if you reach an orgasm
In the below table, we found the following likelihoods of certain sexual practices to improve the chances of reaching orgasm during sexual intercourse.
- If you stimulated yourself, you are 2.2 to 2.3 times more likely to reach an orgasm during both hookups and in relationships.
- If your partner stimulated you, you are 2.3 times more likely during hookups to orgasm (while only 2 times more likely in relationships).
- Stimulating your partner with your hands increases the odds of reaching an orgasm by 1.6 too 1.8 times.
- Receiving oral sex has a lower chance of getting you to orgasm (1.9 times more likely) compared to if you stimulated yourself with your hands (2.2 times), or if your partner stimulated you with their hands (2.3 times).
- Performing oral sex only increases the chance of reaching orgasm if you are in a relationship.
- Anal sex does not increase the chance of reaching orgasm in hookups, while it does improve the chance of orgasms by 1.6 times in relationships.
- In relationships, receiving oral sex has the biggest effect on the chance of reaching orgasm (by 2.9 times), while it is hand stimulation in hookups that increases the chance of reaching orgasms the most (2.3 times more likely).
Sexual Practices determinant of orgasms | All Hookups | All Relationship Events |
---|---|---|
Own hand stimulated own genitals | 2.19** | 2.31** |
Partners hand stimulated own genitals | 2.25** | 1.98** |
Own hand stimulated partners genitals | 1.62** | 1.84** |
Received oral sex | 1.94** | 2.88** |
Performed oral sex | 1.18 | 1.20* |
Had anal sex | 1.43 | 1.62* |
Some studies also show specific results that differ from the above:
Masturbation
- 92.4% of women report that they are able to achieve orgasm during masturbation.
- 98.7% of men report that they are able to achieve orgasm during masturbation.
- 82.9% of women report to have had their first orgasm through masturbation.
Anal sex
- One study reported that all men who reported to have received anal sex achieved orgasm during.
- The same study indicated that 94% of women orgasmed while recieving anal sex.
Oral sex
- Women who receive oral sex are 23% more likely to orgasm during intercourse, compared to men who receive oral sex.
Using vibrators
- 53% of women and 45% of men report to have used a vibrator before.
- For heterosexual women knowing that their partner enjoy their use of a vibrator is a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction.
Preferred type of stimulation:
When women are asked what type of stimulation they most prefer to achieve orgasm during intercourse respondents answer the following:
- 48% of women prefer their partners hand or mouth to any other type of stimulation to achieve orgasm.
- 37% of women prefer to used their own hands to any other type of stimulation to achieve orgasm.
- 29% of women prefer to use vibrators or other sex toys to any other type of stimulation to achieve orgasm.
Faking orgasms
- 75% of women report to have faked an orgasm at some point.
- 25% of men report to have faked an orgasm at some point.
- 67% of women who had previously faked an orgasm report that they do not intend to do so again.
- 42% of women report that they faked an orgasm to avoid hurting the feelings of a partner.
- Women who make more money than their partner are more than twice as likely to have faked an orgasm.
- Faking orgasms have become increasingly more prevalent (from 57% in 1976 too 75% in 2014).

- 7% of women felt annoyed that they felt they “had to” fake an orgasm.
- 25% of women say that they “sometimes” fake an orgasm.
How long do you take to orgasm? And, for how long do you orgasm?

- Men on average take 5 minutes and 24 seconds to ejaculate/orgasm.
- 30% of men report to experience frequent premature ejaculation/orgasm.
- Women on average take 14 minutes during intercourse with a partner to reach orgasm (of the sessions they reach an orgasm)
- During masturbation women report that reaching orgasm takes just 8 minutes on average.
- A male orgasm lasts from 5 to 30 seconds.
- A female orgasm lasts from 13 to 51 seconds.
Fantasies and orgasming without stimulation
- 20% of women report to have reached orgasm just thinking about a sexual fantasy without stimulating themselves.
- 10% of men say that they have reached orgasm without touching themselves.
Multiple orgasms
- 43% of women report that they have experienced multiple orgasms.
- 2% of women report that they have been able to climax over 20 times during a single session of intercourse/masturbation.
- 8% of women report to have had more than 10 orgasms during a single session of intercourse/masturbation.
Cannabis and orgasms
- People report that they on average experience stronger orgasms when using cannabis.
- Women on average report to have more satisfying orgasms after using cannabis compared to women that did not.
- Daily cannabis use in men have been correlated significantly with both reporting of premature ejaculation, and not being able to reach orgasms.
Male prostate orgasms
- The frequency of prostate-induced orgasms has a statistically significant positive relationship with lowered risk of prostate cancer in men.
- Men that have experienced prostate orgasms report them to be more pleasurable orgasms compared to penile stimulation-induced orgasms.
References
Paper | Main findings | Citations |
---|---|---|
C. Meston, E. Hull, R. Levin, M. Sipski (2004). Disorders of orgasm in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine | • 24% of randomly-sampled U.S. women reported an orgasmic dysfunction. • Cognitive-behavioral therapy and sex education are recommended for treating Female Orgasmic Disorder. • To date, no pharmacological agents have been proven to be beneficial beyond placebo in enhancing orgasmic function in women. | 225 |
A. Safron (2016). What is orgasm? A model of sexual trance and climax via rhythmic entrainment Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology | • A novel mechanistic model of sexual stimulation and orgasm is proposed, wherein rhythmic entrainment of mechanical and neuronal oscillatory systems creates synchronized functional networks that contribute to sexual experience. • Differential orgasmic responding between individuals or with different partners may serve as a mechanism for ensuring adaptive mate choice. • Rhythmic stimulation combines honest indicators of fitness with cues relating to potential for investment, influencing the probability of continued sexual encounters with specific mates. | 31 |
J Janszky, A Ebner, Z Szupera, R Schulz, A Hollo, A Szücs, B Clemens (2004). Orgasmic aura—a report of seven cases Seizure | • Seven patients experienced an orgasmic aura at the start of their seizures. • All patients had temporal lobe epilepsy, with the epileptogenic region localised in the right temporal lobe in six patients and the left temporal lobe in one patient. • Orgasmic aura could be considered as an ictal lateralising sign to the right hemisphere, however, it has no 100% lateralising value. | 55 |
Amjad Alwaal, Benjamin N Breyer, Tom F Lue (2015). Normal male sexual function: emphasis on orgasm and ejaculation. Fertility and sterility | • Orgasm and ejaculation are two separate physiological processes. • Ejaculatory dysfunction is a common disorder with no definitive cure. • Understanding the complex physiology of orgasm and ejaculation allows the development of therapeutic targets for ejaculatory dysfunction. | 101 |
K Mah, Y M Binik (2001). The nature of human orgasm: a critical review of major trends. Clinical psychology review | • A synthesis of the available theoretical and empirical literatures on human orgasm is presented. • Two major trends in the literature, the dichotomization of biological and psychological perspectives and the assumption of gender differences, are highlighted. • A new multidimensional model of the psychological experience of orgasm is described with a view to furthering a biopsychological approach applicable to both sexes. | 188 |
W. Ishak, Anna Bokarius, J. Jeffrey, Michael C Davis, Yekaterina Bakhta (2010). Disorders of orgasm in women: a literature review of etiology and current treatments. Journal of Sexual Medicine | • Disorders of orgasm in women affect up to a quarter of the female population. • Literature on prevalence and causes of disorders of orgasm in women is abundant, yet more reports of successful treatments are needed. • Several potential treatments have been suggested, such as bupropion, sildenafil, estrogen, and testosterone, and data support their efficacy. | 48 |
M. L. Allen, W. B. Lemmon (1981). Orgasm in female primates American journal of primatology | • Female primates experience vasocongestion and vaginal lubrication during arousal. • Orgasm is indicated by rhythmic vaginal and anal contractions, hyperventilation, involuntary muscle tension, arm and leg spasms, grimacing, and uterine contractions. • Orgasm may exist as a result of phylogenetic inertia, not as a novel response selected during protohominid or hominid evolution. | 30 |
M J Sholty, P H Ephross, S M Plaut, S H Fischman, J F Charnas, C A Cody (1984). Female orgasmic experience: A subjective study Archives of sexual behavior | • Almost all women reported some level of conscious control over whether or not they reached orgasm. • Women differed widely as to preferred types of physical stimulation and/or mental activities to facilitate orgasm. • Orgasms were experienced as centered in the clitoral and/or vaginal areas. | 21 |
Delcea Cristian (2019). Orgasmic disorder in women International Journal of Advanced Studies in Sexology | • Worldwide prevalence of orgasmic disorder in women is 42%. • Orgasmic disorder can be maintained regardless of partner, stimulation, situation, etc. • Orgasmic disorder can emerge from the beginning of sexual life or after a period of relatively normal sexual function. | 3 |
Krisztina Hevesi, Barbara Gergely Hevesi, Tiffany N. Kolba, D. Rowland (2020). Self-reported reasons for having difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex: relation to orgasmic pleasure Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology | • The most frequently endorsed reasons for orgasmic difficulty were general stress/anxiety, arousal difficulty, sex-specific anxiety and issues with the partner. • Women who were distressed by their condition more frequently cited partner issues. • Variance in orgasmic pleasure was most related to partner issues, sexual inhibition/lack of interest and insufficient experience. | 16 |
R J Levin, G Wagner (1985). Orgasm in women in the laboratory—quantitative studies on duration, intensity, latency, and vaginal blood flow Archives of sexual behavior | • The mean measured orgasm duration was 19.9 seconds (SD, ± 12, n =26). • The estimated duration of the orgasm was greatly underestimated compared with the measured duration. • The increase in vaginal blood flow at orgasm was not significantly correlated with the subjective gradings of orgasm, the orgasm latency, or the measured duration of orgasm. | 60 |
D. Rowland, C. McMahon, C. Abdo, Juza Chen, E. Jannini, M. Waldinger, T. Ahn (2004). Disorders of orgasm and ejaculation in men. Journal of Sexual Medicine | • Lifelong premature ejaculation is best managed with pharmacotherapy (SSRI and/or topical anesthetics). • Behavioral therapy is indicated when psychogenic or relationship factors are present and is often best combined with PE pharmacotherapy in an integrated treatment program. • Delayed ejaculation, anejaculation, and/or anorgasmia may have a biogenic and/or psychogenic atiology. | 422 |
Nan J Wise, Eleni Frangos, Barry R Komisaruk (2017). Brain Activity Unique to Orgasm in Women: An fMRI Analysis. The journal of sexual medicine | • Brain activity gradually increased leading up to orgasm, peaked at orgasm, and then decreased. • Activated brain regions included sensory, motor, reward, frontal cortical, and brainstem regions. • Insight gained from the present findings could provide guidance toward a rational basis for treatment of orgasmic disorders, including anorgasmia. | 27 |
M. Exton, A. Bindert, T. Krüger, F. Scheller, U. Hartmann, M. Schedlowski (1999). Cardiovascular and endocrine alterations after masturbation-induced orgasm in women. Psychosomatic Medicine |