Attitudes Toward Nomarital Sex in 24 Countries

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 1998 by Eric D. Widmer, Judith Treas, Robert Newcomb

Table 1. Attitudes Towards Nonmarital Sex by Country (Percentages)

                       Sex before marriage wrong?

Countries                   Almost     Only      Not Wrong
                   Always   always   sometimes    at all

Australia            13       8         19         59
Austria               4       8         19         69
Bulgaria             23       9         11         57
Canada               12       5         15         69
Czech Republic        5       6         20         68
Germany (East)        2       1         10         87
Germany (West)       12       3         14         79
Great Britain        19       5         14         70
Hungary              19      10         17         54
Ireland              35       8         15         42
Israel               19       7          9         65
Italy                19       7         15         59
Japan                19      21         44         15
Netherland            7       3         13         77
New Zealand          19       6         14         62
Northern Ireland     31       8         13         48
Norway                7       3         13         77
Philippines          60      16         13         11
Poland               18       9         13         60
Russia               13      12         18         57
Slovenia              3       3         12         82
Spain                20       8          9         63
Sweden                4       2          5         89
USA                  29      12         18         41
Overall              17       7         15         61

                             Sex before 16 wrong?

Countries          Always   Almost      Only     Not wrong
                            Always   sometimes    at all

Australia            61      20         10          9
Austria              36      38         18          8
Bulgaria             71      14          7          8
Canada               55      20         16          9
Czech Republic       59      21         12          8
Germany (East)       27      22         34         16
Germany (West)       34      24         29         13
Great Britain        67      21          9          3
Hungary              50      26         17          7
Ireland              84       9          6          1
Israel               67      14          9          9
Italy                58      19         14          9
Japan                60      30          7          3
Netherland           45      24         25          5
New Zealand          71      18          8          4
Northern Ireland     81      12          5          2
Norway               55      24         15          6
Philippines          77      16          5          3
Poland               77      14          4          4
Russia               45      30         14         11
Slovenia             44      27         23          6
Spain                59      18          9         14
Sweden               32      28         22         17
USA                  71      16          9          4
Overall              58      21         14          7

                         Extramarital sex wrong?

Countries          Always   Almost      Only     Not wrong
                            Always   sometimes    at all

Australia            59      24         10          7
Austria              67      28          3          2
Bulgaria             51      20         14         16
Canada               68      19         10          2
Czech Republic       43      26         21          9
Germany (East)       60      23         13          4
Germany (West)       55      27         13          4
Great Britain        67      23          8          2
Hungary              62      20         15          3
Ireland              80      13          5          2
Israel               73      17          6          4
Italy                67      13         15          5
Japan                58      33          7          2
Netherland           63      24         11          2
New Zealand          75      17          6          1
Northern Ireland     81      12          6          2
Norway               70      25          5          1
Philippines          88      10          1          1
Poland               74      14          7          5
Russia               36      26         21         17
Slovenia             57      27         13          3
Spain                76      13          7          5
Sweden               68      26          5          1
USA                  80      14          4          2
Overall              66      21          9          4

                          Homosexual sex wrong?

Countries          Always   Almost      Only     Not wrong
                            Always   sometimes    at all

Australia            55       8         10         27
Austria              52      18         15         15
Bulgaria             81       5          4         10
Canada               39       5         10         46
Czech Republic       29      12         21         39

Germany (East)       51       9         10         30
Germany (West)       42      10         14         33
Great Britain        58       6         10         26
Hungary              83       8          5          4
Ireland              71       6          6         17
Israel               57       8          7         27
Italy                67       7          7         19
Japan                65      22         11          2
Netherland           19       4         12         65
New Zealand          56       5          8         31
Northern Ireland     80       4          6         10
Norway               47       6         11         37
Philippines          84       9          3          3
Poland               77       6          4         14
Russia               57      17          7         19
Slovenia             70      13          9          8
Spain                45       7          6         42
Sweden               56       6          6         32
USA                  70       4          7         19
Overall              59       9          9         24