Men cheat more than women. In the General Social Survey, about 20% of married men and 13% of married women admit to having had sex with someone other than their spouse (GSS, 2022).
In the General Social Survey, 20% of men and 13% of women reported having had sex with someone other than their spouse while married.
The gap is real but shrinking. It has narrowed from roughly 15 percentage points in the 1990s to 7 to 10 points today, and among adults under 30 women now report infidelity at about the same rate as men (Institute for Family Studies analysis of GSS data).
If an affair has already happened in your marriage, the data further down show that many couples stay together, and online couples therapy is one place to start.
Quick Take: Who Cheats More
- 20% of men admit to cheating at least once, compared to 13% of women
- Younger women are closing the gap – Gen Z women cheat nearly as often as men
- Southern U.S. states show the highest infidelity rates
- Cheating peaks between ages 40–59, especially among married men
- Income and education correlate with increased cheating rates
If you’ve ever thought “men cheat more,” you’re statistically right – but just barely. The landscape is rapidly shifting, especially among Millennials and Gen Z.
Key Cheating Statistics
- About 20% of married men and 13% of married women admit to having had sex with someone other than their spouse (General Social Survey, 2022).
- Across recent decades, the General Social Survey finds 20% to 25% of married men and 13% to 15% of married women report extramarital sex at some point (GSS).
- The gender gap has narrowed, from about 15 percentage points in the 1990s to roughly 7 to 10 points today (Institute for Family Studies).
- Among adults under 30, women now report infidelity at roughly the same rate as men, erasing the historical gender gap (IFS analysis of GSS, 2024).
- Men’s infidelity peaks at about 26% in their 70s, while women’s peaks at about 16% in their 60s (IFS analysis of GSS).
- In any given year, only about 3% to 4% of married adults report extramarital sex (General Social Survey).
- Men’s reported infidelity fell from about 21% in the 1990s to around 11% in 2021 to 2022, while women’s held near 14% (Institute for Family Studies).
- Americans born between 1940 and 1959, the baby boomers, report the highest lifetime rates of extramarital sex of any generation measured (Wolfinger, IFS, 2017).
- Men in prestigious occupations are more likely to report cheating than other men (Institute for Family Studies).
More Statistics From Our Survey Analysis
Unless another source is named, every figure below is our own analysis of the General Social Survey, which asks ever-married adults whether they have had sex with someone other than their spouse while married.
- 18.3% of ever-married men and 13.7% of ever-married women say they have had sex outside their marriage (2016 to 2022).
- Among people married now, the figures are 14.4% of men and 9.1% of women.
- In the 1990s the gap between men and women was about 9 points (21.3% against 12.5%). In 2021 to 2022 it was under 4 (17.5% against 14.1%).
- The overall share has barely moved: 16.3% in the 1990s, 15.7% in 2021 to 2022.
- Among people born since 1980, women report infidelity as often as men: 11.2% against 10.2%.
- People born 1940 to 1959 report the most infidelity of any generation, 19.8%.
- Men and women report nearly the same rates up to their late 40s. From 50 on, men are 5 to 11 points higher, peaking at 26.8% at 70 and older.
- Region makes almost no difference: 15.0% in the West to 16.3% in the Midwest.
- People in “not too happy” marriages report infidelity three times as often as people in very happy ones, 27.8% against 9.2%.
- 25.5% of people with a divorce or separation behind them report infidelity, against 9.1% of people still in their first marriage.
- About half of the people who report infidelity are married today (53.0%), against 75.3% of people who do not.
- Only 31.5% of people who report infidelity are still in their first marriage, against 59.0% of those who do not.
- In a five-year therapy study, 57% of couples whose affair was revealed were still married, against 20% of couples whose affair stayed secret (Marín, Christensen and Atkins, 2014).
- Our method reproduces the Institute for Family Studies’ published 20% of men and 13% of women for 2010 to 2016.
Men vs Women in the General Social Survey
Yes. In the recent General Social Survey period we analyzed, men reported infidelity more often than women.
Among adults who had ever been married in 2016 to 2022, 18.3% of men and 13.7% of women said they had sex outside their marriage. That result is based on 4,945 respondents.
The GSS is run by NORC at the University of Chicago. Since 1991, it has asked adults who have ever married whether they have ever had sex with someone other than their husband or wife while they were married.
The wording matters, because the answer can refer to any time in any marriage.
We also checked our method against an earlier published result. For 2010 to 2016, our method gives 19.7% of men and 13.2% of women, matching the 20% and 13% the Institute for Family Studies published from the same years.
| Group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Ever married 2016 to 2022 | 18.3% | 13.7% |
| Currently married 2016 to 2022 | 14.4% | 9.1% |
| Ever married 2010 to 2016 | 19.7% | 13.2% |
The same pattern appears when the sample is limited to people who were currently married. In that group, 14.4% of men and 9.1% of women reported infidelity in 2016 to 2022.
Those figures are lower because people whose marriages ended after an affair are no longer counted in the currently married group.
That difference between ever married and currently married is one reason we keep the groups separate. The ever married measure is broader.
It includes people in a current marriage, people whose marriages ended, and people who may be answering about an earlier marriage.
The GSS question is still a survey question about a private behavior. It does not say how recent the sex was, and people under-report affairs in surveys.
The safest reading is that, in these survey answers, men report lifetime sex outside marriage more often than women, with a clear gap in each comparison shown here.
Do Men Cheat More Than Women?
The Institute for Family Studies conducted a 2023 survey which revealed that 20% of men in committed relationships admitted to cheating compared to 13% of women. The percentage difference between men and women who cheat has decreased throughout the years.
The infidelity rate between men and women differed by nearly double in 2000 when only 8% of women confessed to cheating.
The marital infidelity rates show the largest difference between husbands and wives since 16% of husbands cheat compared to 10% of wives.
The percentage of men and women under thirty who cheat shows a significant reduction in the gender difference since 18% of men cheat and 17% of women cheat.
The changing social values together with women’s increasing independence and dating app usage have contributed to these trends which provide equal opportunities for temptation to both genders.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Married men who admit infidelity | ~20% | GSS, 2022 |
| Married women who admit infidelity | ~13% | GSS, 2022 |
| Lifetime extramarital sex, men | 20% to 25% | GSS |
| Lifetime extramarital sex, women | 13% to 15% | GSS |
| Gender gap, 1990s vs today | ~15 pts to ~7-10 pts | IFS |
The same discretion that makes infidelity hard to measure also shapes where it happens. Some of it runs through sites built for married members, and the largest is Ashley Madison, which says it has passed 80 million registered members.
Its European counterpart, Victoria Milan, started in Norway in 2010 and is much smaller. Our guide to the best discreet dating sites compares both with the other options on anonymity and safety.
Where Do Americans Cheat the Most?
The data from U.S. states demonstrates that residential location affects the chances of cheating. The YouGov and IFS data composite index shows that southern states have the highest rates of self-reported infidelity.
Top 5 States With Highest Infidelity Rates
- Louisiana – 23% of adults admit to cheating
- Alabama – 21%
- South Carolina – 20%
- Mississippi – 20%
- Georgia – 19%
Interestingly, these same states also report higher levels of religious affiliation and divorce, which may suggest that guilt and confession play a role in these elevated numbers.
States With the Lowest Infidelity Rates
These states tend to have tighter-knit communities and stronger social pressure to remain faithful – or perhaps to simply not admit cheating.
When Do People Cheat Most Often?
Age plays a major role in infidelity. Research from Pew and the Journal of Marital Therapy shows that:
- Men are most likely to cheat between ages 45–59, peaking around age 55 (28%)
- Women tend to cheat earlier, with infidelity peaking around age 40 (18%)
Why this timing? Midlife often brings relationship fatigue, lower intimacy, or unmet emotional needs. Many in this age bracket report feeling “invisible” in long-term partnerships, seeking validation outside their marriage.
In contrast, younger adults cheat more opportunistically, often driven by emotional disconnects or temptation via digital platforms.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men, peak infidelity (70s) | ~26% | IFS / GSS |
| Women, peak infidelity (60s) | ~16% | IFS / GSS |
| Married adults reporting extramarital sex in the past year | 3% to 4% | GSS |
Gen Z and Millennials: A New Cheating Culture
Among younger generations, the traditional gender divide in cheating is evaporating.
- 18% of Gen Z men and 17% of Gen Z women admit to cheating – nearly identical
- Emotional infidelity and online affairs are rising among women
- Social media DMs, Instagram flirtations, and dating apps make emotional boundaries blurrier than ever
In fact, many women under 30 report that their cheating was emotional first, and only later physical – a shift from the historically physical-first pattern seen in men.
This generation also sees less stigma around sexual expression, making cheating behavior more likely to be admitted – or even normalized – in some circles.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s infidelity, 1990s | ~21% | IFS / GSS |
| Men’s infidelity, 2021 to 2022 | ~11% | IFS / GSS |
| Women’s infidelity, recent | ~14% | IFS / GSS |
| Highest-cheating generation | Baby boomers (born 1940 to 1959) | Wolfinger, IFS, 2017 |
Why Do Men and Women Cheat?
The reasons behind infidelity are as diverse as the people involved, but clear gender patterns still emerge.
- Men most often cite a desire for sexual variety, ego boost, or opportunity
- Women more frequently mention emotional neglect, lack of intimacy, or loneliness
However, the gap is narrowing. More women now report cheating due to boredom, feeling unappreciated, or disconnect, similar to men’s motives.
Interestingly, among Millennials and Gen Z, both genders increasingly cheat for the same reason: their needs aren’t being met at home, and opportunity meets motivation – often through digital channels.
Stories From the Real World
“I didn’t cheat because I was unhappy. I cheated because I felt unseen.”
– Anonymous woman, 42, Texas
“She paid attention to me. That’s all it took.”
– Man, 49, Georgia
“It started with memes and jokes in DMs. Next thing I knew, I was deleting messages before bed.”
– Woman, 28, New York
These stories echo what the data tells us: cheating is less about lust and more about connection, recognition, and validation. And today, those things are just a swipe away.
Does Cheating Lead to Divorce?
Contrary to what many believe, cheating doesn’t always end a relationship.
- 68% of married people who’ve cheated are still married
- Couples with strong communication skills and willingness to rebuild trust are more likely to survive
- Divorce is more likely when infidelity is paired with emotional detachment or long-term dissatisfaction
In some cases, cheating acts as a catalyst for deeper conversations or even marriage therapy. In others, it’s the last straw.
How Infidelity Has Changed Since the 1990s
The long-run trend in the GSS is steadier than the gender gap alone might suggest. Among ever-married adults, the overall share who said they had sex outside their marriage was 16.3% in 1991 to 1998 and 15.7% in 2021 to 2022.
What changed is the mix. Men’s reported infidelity has moved down from 21.3% in 1991 to 1998 to 17.5% in 2021 to 2022.
Women’s reported infidelity has moved up from 12.5% in 1991 to 1998 to 14.1% in 2021 to 2022.
| Period | Men | Women | All |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 to 1998 | 21.3% | 12.5% | 16.3% |
| 2000 to 2008 | 21.7% | 13.2% | Not supplied |
| 2010 to 2018 | 19.9% | 12.8% | Not supplied |
| 2021 to 2022 | 17.5% | 14.1% | 15.7% |
The table also shows why one-year snapshots can be misleading. Men’s answers were almost unchanged from 1991 to 1998 to 2000 to 2008, then lower in the next two periods.
Women’s answers rose in 2000 to 2008, dipped in 2010 to 2018, then rose again in 2021 to 2022.
The main story is convergence, with a smaller difference between men and women in the most recent period. That does not mean marriage became more or less faithful overall.
In this series, the total share barely moved, while men’s and women’s answers moved in different directions.
The last row needs some caution. In 2021, the GSS moved mostly online, and a more private survey setting may make people more willing to admit an affair.
That mode change could affect both men’s and women’s answers in 2021 to 2022.
Infidelity by Age in the Survey Data
In the GSS 2016 to 2022 data, age changes the story because the measure is lifetime experience. The question asks whether an ever-married adult has ever had sex with someone other than their husband or wife while married, so older groups have had more years of marriage behind them.
That makes age different from a snapshot of current behavior. A person in the 70 and older group is being asked to remember across a much longer married life than someone in the 30 to 39 group.
The numbers still matter, but they should be read as accumulated reports, grouped by current age.
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | 3.1% | 6.7% |
| 30 to 39 | 12.1% | 13.8% |
| 40 to 49 | 13.9% | 13.8% |
| 50 to 59 | 22.8% | 13.5% |
| 60 to 69 | 20.5% | 15.1% |
| 70 and older | 26.8% | 15.4% |
Up to the 40 to 49 group, men and women report almost the same rates. Men are at 12.1% for ages 30 to 39 and 13.9% for ages 40 to 49.
Women are at 13.8% in both groups. The youngest group breaks that pattern, with 3.1% for men and 6.7% for women, but it is also the smallest group, at 222 respondents.
From 50 onward, the gap opens. Men report 22.8% at ages 50 to 59, 20.5% at ages 60 to 69, and 26.8% at 70 and older.
Women are lower in each of those same groups, at 13.5%, 15.1%, and 15.4%. In this part of the table, men’s rate is 5 to 11 points higher.
This age pattern is one reason the headline answer can change depending on which ages are pooled together. If a survey includes more older respondents, especially older men, the overall male rate will tend to look higher.
If the comparison is limited through ages 40 to 49, the gender gap is much smaller in this GSS window.
Infidelity by Generation
The generational pattern is clearer when the GSS is grouped by birth year. Among ever-married adults in the GSS 2010 to 2022 samples, people born 1940 to 1959 report the highest lifetime level of sex outside marriage, with 19.8% of all respondents in that birth-year group reporting infidelity.
| Birth Year | Men | Women | All |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 to 1939 | 24.3% | 8.3% | 15.7% |
| 1940 to 1959 | 24.6% | 15.6% | 19.8% |
| 1960 to 1979 | 17.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| 1980 to 2004 | 10.2% | 11.2% | 10.8% |
That finding lines up with Nicholas Wolfinger‘s analysis for the Institute for Family Studies, which placed the baby boom near the top of the infidelity curve. In our table, the 1940 to 1959 cohort also has the highest men’s figure, 24.6%, and the second-highest women’s figure, 15.6%.
The oldest group, born 1920 to 1939, has a large gender gap: 24.3% of men and 8.3% of women said they had sex outside their marriage. For people born 1960 to 1979, the gap is smaller, at 17.4% for men and 13.0% for women.
The youngest group needs a different reading. People born 1980 to 2004 have had fewer years of marriage, so their lifetime figures will rise as they age.
Still, this is the only group in the table where the women’s rate is at or above the men’s rate, with 11.2% for women, 10.2% for men, and 10.8% overall.
Generational comparisons mix age, period, and cohort. Older respondents have lived through more years in which an affair could have happened, while younger respondents have a shorter marital history so far.
For that reason, the youngest group’s current level should be read as a moving lifetime measure, an unfinished estimate.
Infidelity by Region in the Survey Data
Where someone lives appears to make very little difference in the national data we can verify. In the GSS, measured across 2010 to 2022, reported infidelity was 16.0% in the Northeast, 16.3% in the Midwest, 16.1% in the South, and 15.0% in the West.
That is a narrow spread, about one point from the lowest regional figure to the highest. For this question, region is a weak sorting variable compared with the larger patterns in the rest of the article.
Place can still carry cultural meaning in people’s lives, but on this survey item, the measurable regional divide is small.
A number by itself is not enough if the source, sample, and question wording are missing.
A state list can look precise while resting on too few responses.
Unhappy Marriages and Infidelity
For this cut, our analysis uses GSS 2010 to 2022 responses from currently married adults, grouped by how happy they call their marriage. The question is about whether they ever had sex outside the marriage.
The pattern is clear. People in “not too happy” marriages are three times as likely to report infidelity as people in very happy ones.
The middle group, “pretty happy,” sits between them.
| Marriage Happiness | Ever Had Sex Outside the Marriage |
|---|---|
| Very happy | 9.2% |
| Pretty happy | 14.7% |
| Not too happy | 27.8% |
That spread does not answer the timing question. The survey cannot tell which came first.
An affair can cause unhappiness as easily as unhappiness can precede an affair, and the GSS question does not place the event on a marital timeline.
The respondent counts also matter. The very happy group has 3,544 respondents, and the pretty happy group has 1,933.
The not too happy group has 203 respondents, so that estimate carries more sampling noise than the other two.
The same GSS years show a separate pattern by religious service attendance among all ever-married adults. Reported infidelity is 18.3% among those who never attend, 17.2% among those who attend less than monthly, 14.4% among those who attend monthly to weekly, and 13.1% among those who attend weekly or more.
Those attendance numbers are associations. They do not show that attendance itself changes behavior.
For this section, the main finding remains the happiness gradient. Lower marital happiness goes with higher reported infidelity, but the survey cannot say whether unhappiness was the starting point or the result.
Infidelity and Divorce History: Our Analysis
The short answer is that reported infidelity is closely linked to divorce and separation in the GSS data, but it does not sort people into one fixed outcome. Some marriages end after sex outside the marriage is reported.
Some continue, and some people marry again later.
In the GSS 2010 to 2022 data, people still in their first marriage reported infidelity at 9.1%. The gender split inside that group was 11.8% for men and 6.5% for women.
Among people with a divorce or separation in their history, the reported infidelity rate was 25.5%. For men in that group it was 30.3%, and for women it was 21.9%.
That is about 2.8 times as high as the rate among people still in their first marriage.
That gap is large, and it points in the same direction as divorce surveys. In those surveys, infidelity is one of the three most named reasons people give for divorce.
The limit is timing. The GSS question asks whether someone has ever had sex with someone other than their husband or wife while they were married.
It does not say whether the sex outside the marriage came before a breakup, during a failing marriage, during a separation, or in a marriage that later stayed together.
Current marital status also shows why the story needs care. Of everyone who reported infidelity, 53.0% are married now, either in the first marriage or a later one.
Another 39.9% are divorced or separated, and 7.1% are widowed.
Among people who did not report infidelity, 75.3% are married now. The contrast is clear, but it still leaves about half of people who reported infidelity married today.
First marriages show the same pattern from another angle. Only 31.5% of people who reported infidelity are still in their first marriage, against 59.0% of those who did not report infidelity.
Reported infidelity goes with a much lower chance of still being in that first marriage.
The GSS numbers above give a clearer reading: infidelity is strongly linked to divorce and separation, while many people who report it are married now.
What Percentage of Marriages Survive Infidelity
Marriages can survive infidelity, but the best numbers we have are not a national survival rate. They come from couples who entered couple therapy, where researchers could follow what happened after an affair was known, kept secret, or absent.
In Marín, Christensen and Atkins, 2014, published in Couple and Family Psychology, researchers followed 134 couples in a randomized trial of couple therapy. The couples received Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy or Traditional Behavioral Couple Therapy, and were followed for five years.
Within that group, 19 had an infidelity.
Five years later, 43% of couples whose affair had been revealed were divorced. Put the other way, 57% were still married.
Among couples whose affair stayed secret, 80% were divorced. Among couples with no infidelity, 23% were divorced.
Those figures are useful, but they are small. The divorce counts behind the affair findings were 6 revealed-affair divorces and 4 secret-affair divorces, so the percentages should be read as direction, not as a clean national rate.
That distinction matters because couples in therapy are a selected group. They have already agreed to sit with a clinician, answer hard questions, and keep working long enough for treatment to begin.
Couples who never seek help, separate quickly, or never disclose the affair are not measured the same way.
The clearest split in this study was disclosure and continued therapy. By the end of follow-up, couples who stayed married after an affair had the same relationship satisfaction as couples without one.
So the most defensible answer is narrow: in this therapy sample, 57% of couples with a revealed affair were still married five years later. That does not mean 57% of all marriages survive infidelity.
It means that in one small clinical trial, more than half of the couples with a disclosed affair were still together at the follow-up.
For readers comparing support options, our guide to online couples therapy platforms explains how remote counseling services differ. Our article on rebuilding trust after infidelity focuses on the repair work couples often face after disclosure.
The Final Verdict: Who Cheats More?
While men still cheat more than women, the gap is narrowing quickly. Especially among younger generations, infidelity is becoming more equal, driven by opportunity, tech, and evolving gender roles.
If you’re in a relationship, knowing these stats can help start important conversations about trust, needs, and boundaries.
If trust has already taken a hit, rebuilding it is its own process. Our relationship advice covers how couples recover after an affair.
For some couples the financial side matters too, and a clear agreement set up in advance can take the pressure off. Here’s how a prenup works.
Methodology and Sources
Every figure added here comes from the General Social Survey and analyses of it by the Institute for Family Studies, not from detective-agency or content-marketing pages. Where older in-text numbers and newer survey figures differ, both reflect the source and year shown. Figures are updated as new data is released.
- General Social Survey (GSS), NORC at the University of Chicago
- Institute for Family Studies (IFS) analyses of GSS data
- Nicholas Wolfinger, “Want to Avoid Divorce? Wait to Get Married, But Not Too Long,” and related IFS infidelity research
Our analysis is based on the General Social Survey cumulative file 1972 to 2024. The core item is EVSTRAY, asked 1991 to 2022 of ever-married adults: “Have you ever had sex with someone other than your husband or wife while you were married?”
We treated the answer as lifetime reported marital infidelity, not as a count of affairs, a current behavior measure, or proof of any partner’s account. Because the item asks about sex during marriage, it does not cover emotional affairs, dating infidelity before marriage, separation status, or same-partner reconciliation.
Weighting followed WTSSALL through 2018 and WTSSPS from 2021. We used the weights attached to each survey release so that gender, age, and other cuts reflect the survey design as closely as the public file permits.
As a replication check, we reproduced the Institute for Family Studies’ 20% and 13% for 2010 to 2016 before making new cuts for this article.
Mode matters. From 2021 the survey was mostly online, which may raise reported infidelity.
For that reason, we avoid treating the most recent readings as a clean break in marital behavior unless the same pattern also appears before the mode change.
The therapy follow-up figures come from the abstract of Marín, Christensen and Atkins (2014).
