Japanese Students are Kissing Less: Girls Kiss More Than Boys
The percentage of Japanese high school students who’ve kissed or lost their virginity has plummeted compared to early 2000s levels. Every six years, the Japanese Association for Sex Education conducts the National Survey of Youth Sexual Behavior.
The latest survey, which includes responses from middle school, high school, and university students, shows a significant decline in physical intimacy among high schoolers, particularly in kissing. The latest data reveal that the number of students with kissing experience has fallen to levels last seen nearly 30 years ago.
Japanese Students are Kissing Less: Girls Kiss More Than Boys
This ninth iteration of the survey, conducted between August 2023 and March 2024, involved 12,562 participants, including 4,627 middle schoolers, 4,321 high schoolers, and 3,614 university students. The results indicate that only 22.8% of high school boys have kissed someone, marking a steep drop of 11.1% from the last survey six years ago.
Among girls, the decrease is even larger, with 25.7% having kissed someone, a 13.6% drop from the 39.3% reported in the previous survey.
While it remains unclear whether this gender disparity is due to some boys having kissed multiple girls or whether girls are more likely to kiss someone outside of their school environment, the survey highlights a noticeable shift in teen behavior.
Compared to the peak levels recorded in 2005, when around 45% of boys and 50% of girls had kissed, the current figures suggest that only 1 in 4 high schoolers have had this experience. Sexual activity has also declined, with 12% of boys and 14.8% of girls reporting they’ve had sex, representing roughly half of the numbers from 2005.
Researchers suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic might have contributed to this decrease by implementing protocols that discouraged physical contact during a period when teens typically experience heightened physical curiosity.
However, university and middle school students showed little change in kissing or sexual activity rates. Pandemic-related disruptions to daily life, such as remote learning and the increased presence of parents working from home, likely also made it harder for high schoolers to engage in physical intimacy.
via Voce Sabia Anime