One in five admit to first having sex before their 16th birthday
New YouGov Surveys research has revealed that one in five Britons (19%) who were willing to say when they lost their virginity confess to having done so when they were under the legal age of consent of 16.
The median age at which Britons lost their virginity is 17, with half of Britons having sex for the first time between the ages of 16 and 18. One in six (17%) lost their virginity at the age of 16, with similar numbers doing so at age 17 (16%) and age 18 (17%).
Almost four in five (78%) say they had slept with someone before they turned 20, with 82% of women who opted to share the information saying they had lost their virginity before their 20th birthday compared to 73% of men.
Just 5% of Britons - including 4% of women and 6% of men who were willing to give an answer - were 25 or older before they first did the deed. At the other end of the scale, 3% say they lost their virginity at the age of 13 or younger.
Women are noticeably more likely than men to have first had sex at age 16 (21% vs 13%). Men are slightly more likely to have had sex for the first time later than women in general – the median age for men is 18 compared to 17 for women.
Britons aged 60 and over are more likely to have had sex for the first time later than younger generations - the median age for the eldest age group is 18 compared to 17 for all other age groups.
One in five of those in the under-40 age groups (21-23%) say they lost their virginity before their 16th birthday compared to 14% of those aged 60 and over.
See also the accompanying study: How many sexual partners have Britons had?
