Self-reported marital infidelity remained remarkably stable from 1991 to 2022
OpenPublicPolls.com
Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS), I examined responses to the question:
“Have you ever had sex with someone other than your spouse while you were married?”
The analysis included 25,226 respondents with valid responses collected between 1991 and 2022.
Men consistently reported higher rates of marital infidelity than women throughout the study period. Depending on the survey year, approximately 20–25% of men reported having had extramarital sex while married, compared with roughly 10–16% of women.
Despite substantial changes in attitudes toward sexuality and marriage over the past three decades, there was no statistically significant overall trend in self-reported infidelity across survey years (p = .233). In other words, the prevalence of reported infidelity remained surprisingly stable.
There was, however, a small interaction between gender and survey year (p = .028). Men’s reported rates declined modestly over time, while women’s rates increased slightly, suggesting a gradual narrowing of the gender gap. Even so, men continued to report higher rates than women in every survey year examined.
Statistical summary
- Sample: N = 25,226
- Years: 1991–2022
- Gender effect: p < .001
- Year effect: p = .233 (not significant)
- Gender × Year interaction: p = .028
- Model R²: .014
Interpretation
The findings suggest that the prevalence of self-reported marital infidelity has been more stable than many people might expect. Although the difference between men and women appears to have narrowed somewhat over time, the overall proportion of respondents reporting extramarital sex changed relatively little between 1991 and 2022.
Of course, one of the first questions is how honestly people reported and how this factor affects the results.
Men like to brag. Women bring that shit to their grave.
In Germany when infidelity was asked, researchers also asked who keeps it a secret for longer if not forever and who is more willing to forgive infidelity. Men tend to forgive faster and easier than women and men tend to be more honest about their own infidelity. As well as old stereotypes of the man who has a lot of stories about and with women tend to brag about it qand women because of the stereotypical standards seem to play it down.
Also women tend to keep it a secret for longer and forever.
All that makes researches and experts believe that the real numbers in infidelity by women is (a lot) higher than it is shown.
These are good points, Daniel. Many GSS interviews were done in the respondent’s home, maybe even with the spouse present. The reports not only underestimate, but certain respondents (i.e., females vs males, older vs younger) may be more reluctant to report. Anonymous surveys probably come closer to the truth. The poll here at OpenPublicPolls is showing much higher rates for women than men: https://openpublicpolls.com/poll/infidelity/