Pornography has been around much longer than anyone knows. With the birth of the internet, porn has bloomed, especially in America.
We researched and gathered interesting porn statistics we are sharing with you in this article.
Let’s face it, pornography, erotica, and sexual content has become part of society’s mainstream entertainment sector.
There are websites that even “normalize” pornography to the point of making it seem like it’s taking over the world.
Everywhere you look, some form of pornography can be seen online whether you’re looking for it or not.
There’s much debate about how good or bad porn viewing is, but the statistics will clear a few things up about porn.
Essentially, it’s less about pornography being readily available and more about how easy it is for underaged children to access it.
Without further ado, let’s take a look into the statistics about pornography for knowledge’s sake.
Key Statistics
- Pornography accounts for 35% of all internet downloads in the United States.
- 40 million American adults regularly visit porn sites.
- There are an estimated 103 large pornographic sites in the United States.
- Research shows that 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women in the United States watch pornographic videos.
- The United States Hosts 60% of the World’s Porn Sites.
- 10% of American Adults Admit That They Have a Porn Addiction.
- An estimated 200,000 Americans are classified as porn addicts.
- A Majority of those addicted to porn claim it harms their personal and intimate relationships.
- Addiction to pornographic content comes with adverse effects.
- Porn addiction can cause serious mental health problems.
General Porn Statistics in 2024
1. Pornography Accounts for 35% of All Internet Downloads in the United States.
An estimated 35% of all downloads from the internet in the United States are pornographic.
Let’s face it, internet pornography has been around for a long time, but it’s been growing in the United States and across the globe.
The issue of it being publicly available is less troublesome than the ease of access to porn.
(The Recovery Village, Webroot)
2. 40 million American Adults Regularly Visit Porn Sites.
In America, a person is considered an adult at the age of 18.
Therefore, when we cite that 40 million American adults regularly visit porn sites, we are addressing the demographic of those 18 and older.
(The Recovery Village, Thought Hub, Webroot)
3. There are Over 1.13 Billion Global Websites Online, of Which an Estimated 103 are Porn Sites in the USA.
From the data we gathered, there are an estimated 103 large pornographic websites in the USA out of the over 1.13 billion sites in the world.
The United States is known for its leniency regarding sexually explicit content, which exacerbates the idea of having easy access to pornographic websites and adult-related sexual material.
(EarthWeb, Forbes Advisor)
4. Research Shows that 91.5% of Men and 60.2% of Women in the United States Watch Pornographic Videos.
Research from 2020 revealed that 91.5% of men in the United States said they watched pornography content in the past month.
Likewise, 60.2% of women said the same thing. This data was extracted from data across 18- to 73-year-old participants.
(NIH, Truth About Porn)
5. The United States Hosts 60% of the World’s Porn Sites.
The United States owns the largest market share in the world’s pornographic websites.
Out of those sites in the United States, California hosts 66% of those porn sites.
This consists of 428 million web pages across 4.2 million unique domains.
(Statista)
Porn Addiction Statistics
6. 10% of American Adults Admit That They Have a Porn Addiction.
According to the porn addiction statistics, roughly 10% of adults admitted to having addictions to online sexual content in a survey. Of that percentage, 17% of women admit to being addicted to porn.
Also, women feel guiltier about their porn addiction than men.
(The Guardian, Thought Hub)
7. An estimated 200,000 Americans are Classified as Porn Addicts.
To be a “porn addict”, one must consume at least 11 hours or more of pornographic content per week. Most Americans view porn online.
This would likely include time spent watching porn at home and at work. 20% of men say they watch porn at work compared to 13% of women.
(The Personal Growth Center, Thought Hub)
8. A Majority of Those Addicted to Porn Claim It Harms Their Personal and Intimate Relationships.
Most people who are addicted to porn say that this addiction has negatively impacted their personal relationship(s).
According to some studies, porn addiction causes problems between couples.
However, for some couples, they claim it enhances their sex life.
(MGB Relationships, The Recovery Village)
9. Addiction to Pornographic Content Comes with Adverse Effects.
When pornography overtakes a person’s life their sex life becomes less gratifying. It can also cause someone to be less happy with their partner.
Some people who are addicted to porn report feeling shame for watching porn, though they don’t quit. Like any addiction, it’s difficult to stop.
(MedicalNewsToday)
10. Porn Addiction Can Cause Mental Health Problems.
Keeping in mind that watching porn impacts everyone differently, some people experience mental health problems from porn addiction.
They find themselves feeling more aggressive, anxious, sad, and experience insomnia. They find it hard to cope with these emotions.
(MedicalNewsToday)
11. Porn Addiction Can Successfully Be Treated.
There is hope for porn addiction with the proper treatments.
For those who want to stop watching porn, psychotherapy, behavior modification, support groups, medicinal approaches, holistic therapies, and other forms of therapy can be used to treat porn addiction.
(Addiction Center)
Working in Porn
12. 79% of Pornography Performers Have Consumed Marijuana.
Besides the fact that 79% of performers in the porn entertainment industry have used marijuana another 50% have admitted to using ecstasy.
Whether that’s to increase their performance in videos or for personal use, many are using these drugs.
Remember, marijuana is legal in California, which is where most porn videos are produced.
(Covenant Eyes)
13. 88% of Porn Videos Contain Physical Aggression.
Acts of verbal physical aggression is found in 88% of porn films. Another 49% of these films include verbal aggression.
While we can’t and won’t blame porn for those watching it acting out and committing violent sex crimes, watching porn can certainly normalize it and make it seem okay to those predisposed to sexual aggression.
(Covenant Eyes)
Porn Perception Statistics
14. 90% of Teenagers are Either Neutral, Accepting, or Encouraging When They Talk About Pornography with Friends.
Teenagers have a neutral, accepting, or encouraging perception of porn when they talk among their friends. Another 96% of young adults feel the same way.
On the other hand, 43% of teens perceive porn as a bad thing for society compared to 31% of young adults.
(Covenant Eyes, Washington Times)
15. 55% of Adults Aged 25 and Older Perceive Porn as Wrong.
Just like any sensitive topic, perceptions of porn vary from neutrality or apathy to acceptance or disapproval of porn.
However, among adults 25 and over, 55% perceive porn as immoral.
(Covenant Eyes)
16. Teenagers and Young Adults Between the Ages of 13 and 24 Think Not Recycling is Worse than Watching Porn.
It seems everyone picks their own cause to disapprove of in society.
Teenagers and young adults have chosen the concept of not recycling to be worse than watching porn. This seems like an odd statistic.
(Covenant Eyes)
17. 59% of Baby Boomers Perceive Porn as Bad for Society.
Baby Boomers have the worst perception of porn’s impact on society with 59% of this demographic believing it’s bad for society.
The figure for Millennials who feel the same as Baby Boomers is 51%, while 44% of the Gen-X demographic see porn as a bad thing for society.
(Covenant Eyes)
Porn Revenue and Spending Statistics
18. Pornography is a $97 Million (USD) Global Industry.
The global worth of the overall porn industry accounts for $97 billion (USD).
While this data is from 2015 and reported on the NBC News site, it’s more likely to have grown than it has to decrease in worth.
A lot of money is spent and made in the porn industry.
(NBC)
19. Porn Companies Generate Revenues from Subscriptions and Ad Space.
How do porn companies generate revenue?
They make their money from subscription-based content and from ads placed on their websites.
Porn websites that offer ad space often offer free pornographic content to users.
(Fight the New Drug)
20. Every second, about $3,075.64 (USD) is Spent on Porn.
Imagine an industry that can generate over $3,000 per second. Well, the porn industry generates around $3,075.64 per second among the 28,258 users who watch it.
No wonder porn has a reported estimated value of $97 billion (USD).
(Webroot)
FAQs
Is Pornography Harmful to Teenagers?
Research shows that porn can have a significant impact on teenagers and young adults.
It increases the risk of an unwanted pregnancy, hinders sexual development, increases the risk of depression, and it creates a distorted perception of healthy sexual development.
Sexually explicit content has a negative impact on teenagers and young adults in terms of reducing their self-esteem, impacting their mental health by causing feelings of loneliness, and puts them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases.
How Does Porn Affect Marriage and Family?
More research shows that there are negative effects of porn on the family unit. Just like it’s harmful to teenagers and young adults, porn adversely affects the family unit.
In fact, 47% of families in America said that porn was a problem in the home in 2010.
Studies revealed that infidelity in the marital realm increased by 300% due to porn. Also, 40% of people who claim to be “sex addicts” lose their marital partners.
Furthermore, 66% of divorces are related to one party or the other obsessively watching porn.
Moreover, 58% of married people who watch porn suffer significant monetary losses and 33% said they lost their job.
What are the Signs of Porn Addiction?
Here is a list of signs that can point to porn addiction.
• Can’t quit watching.
• Crave more porn.
• Lose track of time while watching porn.
• Unrealistic expectations of sex that create more demands.
• Loss of physical attraction to the partner.
• Loss of money from spending it on more and more porn.
Feeling distracted at work, home, or school.
• Anger and irritability.
These are just a few warning signs that a person has become or is becoming addicted to porn.
Keep in mind that these symptoms and signs can also be caused by other factors, so learn what you can about porn addiction before you suspect it.
How Many People Watch Porn?
It’s estimated that about 2.4 million people across the globe watch pro across the three major porn sites.
The top three porn sites include PornHub, XVideos, and XNXX, according to Similarweb.
Some reasons people watch porn include for personal sexual pleasure, because they are curious and what to learn about sex, for coping with negative feelings, and because they are bored.
What are Some Negative Effects on Society?
Not everyone thinks that porn has a negative effect on society, but for those who do, here are some studies that show it can be harmful and is not a victimless activity.
Watching pornography can have a negative impact on sex drive and satisfaction among men and women.
Some of this is caused by a distorted fantastical view of sex and unhealthy sexual activities.
Porn also sexualizes men, women, and often promotes toxic stereotypes.
For instance, it degrades people of color and depicts certain communities in a poor way.
Pornography can fuel abuse and violence in those who are predisposed to it.
Sexual violence and abuse is widely used in porn films, which is unfortunately a major theme in the industry.
In fact, it can promote sexual violence, verbal and physical abuse, and even rape.
Due to its very nature, porn films make abuse seem normal.
One out of every eight titles recommended for first-time viewers involves sexual violence.
Peer-to-peer reviewed studies have discovered a link between consuming porn and mental health.
Mental health problems like loneliness, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, low satisfaction in life and other mental health issues.
Conclusion
We have shared the latest statistics about porn available online.
We’ve learned that millions of people watch porn across the largest porn websites.
You also know that the United States hosts the most porn sites and California is the state with the most porn sites in America.
There’s also the interesting statistics about the size of the porn industry at $97 million (USD) and that the industry makes money from ad space and subscriptions.
Less than shocking is the information about porn addiction and how it impacts society and marriages.
Does it come as a surprise to you that people perceive porn differently?
We hope you have learned something new from reading these porn statistics that you can apply to your life, or use for marketing purposes.
