Youth sexuality 10th iteration
Findings and interactive graphics
The representative BIÖG study on ‘Youth Sexuality’ follows on methodologically from previous studies dating from 1980 to 2019. The data is based on 5,855 interviews conducted throughout Germany between February and July 2025. The survey was conducted with 3,514 adolescents aged 14 to 17 and 2,341 young adults aged 18 to 25.
The first time: planned and in relationship
The first sexual intercourse is planned and takes place within a relationship. The majority of adolescents and young adults are in a steady relationship with their partner (female: 65 %, male: 53 %) or are well acquainted with them (female: 25 %, male: 31 %). For the majority of respondents, their first sexual intercourse took place ‘at just the right point in time’ (2025: 65 %, 2019: 65 %).
Delaying first sexual experiences
The age of first sexual intercourse keeps getting later
Currently, 18 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds have had their first sexual intercourse, compared to 28 percent in 2019. There has been a significant decline in the proportion of young people aged 17 to 20 who have had sexual experiences. While 61 percent of 17-year-olds had sexual intercourse in 2019, this figure falls to 40 percent in 2025.
Kissing also occures later
In 2019, 53 percent of 14-year-olds reported having kissed; in 2025, this proportion had fallen significantly to 33 percent. Among 15-year-olds, roughly half (51 %) had had their first kiss (2019: 70 %). As age increases, the deviations from 2019 decrease, but the current values for all age groups are between two and 20 percentage points below those recorded in 2019.
Sexual restraint due to lack of a right partner
The ‘right one’ is missing
Among young people who have not yet had sexual encounters, half say that they have not yet met the right partner (51%). Thirty-seven percent say they are ‘too shy’ and 41% consider themselves ‘too young’.
Contraception: safe, mainly using condoms
Safe and reliable contraceptive behaviour
Current data indicates that only six percent of adolescents and young adults report not using contraception during their first sexual intercourse (females: 4%,males: 8%).
In nearly nine out of ten relationships, young people discuss contraception as a matter of course. A majority (67 %) also talk about protection against sexually transmitted infections.
Use of the pill and condoms
When having sexual intercourse for the first time, young people (76%) predominantly use condoms (2019: 77%).The pill is used significantly less frequently (2025: 34 %, 2019: 30 %). However, the importance of the pill increases with sexual experience: 50 percent of young people who have had multiple sexual experiences (2019: 53 %) and 48 percent of young adults (2019: 59 %) currently use it. Six percent of respondents currently are using an intrauterine device (IUD/IUS).
Sexuality education: primarily in schools and on the internet
School classes are still the most important source of sexuality education for young people
78 percent of young people say they have received information about sexuality and contraception at school (2019: 69 %). Teachers (2025: 45 %, 2019: 36 %) and parents (2025: 64 %, 2019: 56 %) continue to gain importance as people to talk to, unlike peers (2025: 54 %, 2019: 65 %).
The internet has become less important in sexuality education
53 percent of young people use the internet as a source of information on contraception and sexuality (2019: 59 %). Search engines are the most commonly used tool (66 %). Sexuality education and advice websites are particularly important for girls (39 %, boys: 25 %). When it comes to social media, 40 percent mention YouTube, 24 percent TikTok and 23 percent Instagram. Young people consider sexuality education and advice websites (85 %) to be particularly reliable, while levels of trust are lower for AI-generated content (48 %) and social media (YouTube: 41 %, Instagram: 27 %, TikTok: 20 %).
