How Common is BDSM [Facts & Statistics]

This is the first comprehensive mapping of BDSM participation, interests, and behaviors.

The analysis covers data from an independent survey with more than 12,700 individuals. It is by far the largest study of BDSM ever with a focus on the US population.

Unlike previous studies done through telephone interviews (inducing social desirability bias), this study was conducted with an extensive online survey thereby minimizing social biases.

Additionally the term ‘BDSM’ was explained in the survey. Thereby avoiding any contrarian understandings of what BDSM is (often perceived as more ‘hardcore’ than it is).

Here’s what you can find in this article:

• How common is BDSM
• Interest in BDSM
• Geographic
• Demographics
• Behaviour facts

Key Takeaways

• 86% of Americans have either tried BDSM at least once (42%) or expressed an interest in doing so (44%).
• Germany is the most active BDSM country where 47% have tried it (US is 3rd).
• The first BDSM experience is on average had at the age of 22 years old.
• Frequent BDSM participants are on average 5 years younger compared to other sexually active adults
• People who have tried BDSM report having lost their virginity on average 2 years earlier (at 15 years old) than the rest of the population (at 17 years old).
• Men (59.6%) reported fantasizing about dominating someone significantly more than women (46.7%).
• Women (64.6%) reported fantasizing about being dominated significantly more than men (53.5%).
• Active BDSM participants have a significantly higher median household income ($70,030) compared to the rest of the population ($67,521).
• Whites are 34% more likely to engage or be interested in BDSM compared to other ethnicities – except for Asians (28% more likely).
• 26.5% of those that have tried BDSM report being bi-sexual (6.6 times higher in the general population)

How common is BDSM

• 42.4% of Americans report that they have tried BDSM at one point or another
• 34% of all Americans participate in BDSM play regularly (at least every other month).

How common is BDSM play amongst the 42.4 percent, that have tried BDSM before?

• More than 60% of those who have tried BDSM once, do it at least once a month.
• 19% of those, who have tried BDSM have never tried it again.

Interest in BDSM

Of those, who have said they never tried BDSM before, how many have an interest? (7.414 people)

• 77% of Americans who haven’t tried BDSM express an interest in doing so.
• 86% of Americans have either tried BDSM at least once (42%) or expressed an interest in doing so (44%).

Geographic

So, is America the kinkiest country when it comes to BDSM play?

The least kinky countries on the list:

1. Greece (13 % tried BDSM, 8% do it regularly)
2. Italy (19 % tried BDSM, 13% do it regularly)
3. France (23 % tried BDSM, 16% do it regularly)

Demographics

In this next section, we will go through the demographics of the BDSM community!

• BDSM practitioners are typically white, well-educated, and old.

Age

• The average age of the first BDSM experience was 22.5 years old.
• The average age of the first BDSM fantasy was 19 years old.
• Frequent BDSM participants are on average 5 years younger compared to the other sexually active adults
• People who have tried BDSM report having lost their virginity on average 2 years earlier (at 15 years old) than the rest of the population (at 17 years old).

Gender

• Men (59.6%) reported fantasizing about dominating someone significantly more than women (46.7%).
• Women (64.6%) reported fantasizing about being dominated significantly more than men (53.5%).
  
• Men (9.5%) reported a desire to engage in sadism* significantly more than women (5.1%).
• Women (23.7%) reported a desire to engage in masochism* significantly more than men (13.9%) – find more statistics about masochism here.
• Fetishism was found to be an interest for 40.4% of men and 47.9% of women.

*Masochism = Experiencing pain
*Sadism = Inflicting pain

Across studies, men are found to be much more likely to report engaging in unusual sexual behaviors compared to women. This can be partly an explanation combined with the fact that men also report having higher sexual activity.

Sexuality

• Of those who have tried BDSM at least once only 63.2% report being exclusively heterosexual.
• 26.5% of those that have tried BDSM report being bi-sexual (6.6 times higher in the general population)

Compared to the general public, this is a huge difference:

Income

You might be asking yourself: Are BDSM interests and activities associated with enormous wealth like in the E. L. James novels (Fifty Shades of Grey)?

Or are BDSM users just ordinary people?

Here is a pie chart of people who have tried BDSM at least once – and their earnings:

• BDSM participants have a significantly higher median household income ($70,030) compared to the rest of the population ($67,521).

Religion and Politics

No data was available in the dataset that allowed for comparison to population data, unfortunately.

Race/ethnicity

• Whites are 34% more likely to engage in or be interested in BDSM compared to other ethnicities (except for Asians – who are 28% more likely to be interested or engage in BDSM).
• BDSM participation and interest are lowest amongst Hispanics (only 23% of Hispanics have tried BDSM at one point versus +42% in the population).

Behaviour facts

In the data set, multiple factors are available to allow for behavioral analysis. If you are interested in

• Pay for sexual services
• How hardcore the BDSM experiences
• Sexual activity
• Swinging and non-monogamy
• Happiness
• BDSM Sex toy usage
• Roleplay