German teenagers now report having sex significantly later than they did five years ago, according to a new youth sexuality study conducted by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BiÖG). The weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” highlighted the findings in its current issue.
In the most recent survey, participants largely said their first sexual experience occurred at 19 years old, compared with 17 in the 2019 study. Dr. Sara Scharmanski, the study’s lead researcher, remarked that the jump in such a short period surprised her. Until now, the trend toward later sexual activity had been evident only among girls; it now applies to both genders.
The study also shows a shift in the age of first kisses. In 2019, 70 % of 15‑year‑olds had already had a kiss; today that figure has fallen to 51 %.
Experts at BiÖG point to a decline in real‑world social contacts, fueled by increased social‑media consumption, as a primary cause. “Teenagers spend far less time with friends today” Scharmanski said. “Without those opportunities to get close, flirt, or build relationships, sexual activities are delayed”. She added that young people’s lives have become more structured, partly due to school running into the afternoon, leaving less time for simply “hanging out with the clique”.
Another positive outcome of the study is better contraceptive behaviour compared to 2019. “Our international benchmark scores are excellent, showing that sexual education here is working very effectively” Scharmanski noted. Only 5 % of teenagers reported that they did not use protection against an unintended pregnancy during their first sex.
The Federal Institute for Public Health – formerly the Federal Centre for Health Education – has now collected data on youth sexuality for the tenth time.
