In Projekt SEXUS, more than one in four Danish adults reported no sexual activity in the previous year, and over four in five reported sexual desire. That gap between wanting and doing is now at the center of a new nationwide study tracking over 250,000 Danes.
When a Danish woman recently shared that she and her partner had not had sex in four months and felt better for it, the story landed in a cultural moment that Denmark’s public health researchers are watching closely. The pause was not an outlier. It was statistically normal.
Projekt SEXUS, the largest sexual health survey in Danish history, found that 27.4 percent of women and 25.4 percent of men reported no sexual activity in the previous year. According to the same survey, 84.8 percent of women and 86.9 percent of men reported sexual desire. That documented gap between what Danes want and what they do applies to relationships across age groups.
According to Projekt SEXUS, just over half of sexually active Danes reported having a good or very good sex life in the past year, while the rest reported more moderate or poorer satisfaction. Sweden’s national SRHR survey found that 58 percent of adults were satisfied with their sex life, a level comparable to Danish findings.
The new survey
Denmark is now running SEXUS 2, a follow-up study launched in April 2026 by Statens Serum Institut and Aalborg University. Over 250,000 randomly selected residents received questionnaires via Digital Post. By mid-2026, more than 20,000 had already responded.
The survey asks about sexual experiences, desire, satisfaction, boundary violations, use of porn and dating apps, and contact with the healthcare system around sexuality. The goal is to understand how modern pressures like work stress, social media, and changing relationship forms affect intimacy. Data collection runs through autumn 2026, with initial findings expected afterward.
For internationals living in Denmark, the numbers matter. They show that long pauses in sexual activity are common, not culturally exceptional. Statens Serum Institut frames sexual well-being as part of general health, not a performance metric.
What therapists say
Ulla Hinge, a Danish couples therapist, describes sex droughts as widespread and not inherently problematic. She tells couples to start by asking each other what sex means to them. Does it mean penetration, touch, kissing, shared fantasies? What role does it play in their relationship? What factors accelerate or brake desire?
The point is not to prescribe frequency but to align expectations. As reported by Sex & Samfund in its SexLiv 2025 youth report, Danish sexual health guidance emphasizes consent, boundaries, and readiness. The report notes that some young people feel pressured to have sex before they are ready, which is linked to poorer sexual well-being.
The mismatch problem
The data also reveal a second issue. Persistent mismatched desire can create loneliness and resentment if left unaddressed. One partner wanting sex and the other not, over months, can erode closeness if communication is weak. Sexologists warn that avoiding the topic out of shame often makes it harder to rebuild intimacy later.
Many private sexologists and therapists advertise services for couples, including some who offer sessions in English. Youth and students can access free or low-cost sexual health counselling through Sex & Samfund and municipal clinics.
The broader pattern
Danish figures fit a wider European trend. Sweden’s national SRHR survey found that 58 percent of adults were satisfied with their sex life, and that almost half of women had experienced some form of sexual harassment, including unwanted digital contact. These findings echo Danish concerns about pressure and boundary violations among youth documented in SexLiv 2025.
For older adults, the picture shifts. A four-country study, as reported by Videnskab.dk, found that 89 percent of Danish men and 78.4 percent of Danish women aged 60 to 75 were sexually active. That undermines the stereotype that sexless periods are about ageing. They may occur earlier in life due to stress, parenting, or relationship transitions.
Relationship stability
One analysis based on Statistics Denmark figures, cited by Lovecast.dk, suggests that around 22 percent of couples separate within their first three years together. According to Lovecast.dk, based on preliminary data, there were 12,856 divorces registered in 2024. While the surveys do not directly link long periods without sex to breakups, sexual dissatisfaction is often cited as one of several risk factors for relationship dissolution.
The message from Danish public health is clear. As demonstrated by Statens Serum Institut and Sex & Samfund, sexual well-being is monitored, discussed, and treated as part of general health. For internationals, that means the experience of a four-month pause, or a year without sex despite wanting it, is not a private failure. It is a known pattern that Denmark is now measuring at national scale.
