Sex before marriage - Belief Statistics Topic
There's been a lot of discussion about the way morals and attitudes about sex are changing in this country. If a man and a woman have sexual relations before marriage, do you think it is always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? (PREMARSX)(General Social Survey, 2021)
Sex before marriage by Age
| 18-29 | 30-44 | 45-59 | 60-74 | 75 or older | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 7.8%20 | 12.0%79 | 14.3%88 | 17.0%114 | 19.4%49 | 14.3%350 | 40 |
| Almost always wrong | 3.5%9 | 5.2%34 | 5.0%31 | 7.0%47 | 8.3%21 | 5.8%142 | 20 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 14.3%37 | 12.5%82 | 11.7%72 | 13.6%91 | 22.5%57 | 13.8%339 | 28 |
| Not wrong at all | 74.4%192 | 70.4%463 | 69.0%425 | 62.3%417 | 49.8%126 | 66.1%1623 | 138 |
| Missing | 148 | 322 | 291 | 354 | 130 | 1578 | 107 |
| Total | 100%258 | 100%658 | 100%616 | 100%669 | 100%253 | 2454 |
Sex before marriage by Worship attendance
| Never | About once a year or less | Several times a year | One to three times a month | Nearly every week | Every week or several times a week | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 3.0%24 | 4.0%27 | 10.0%26 | 14.6%31 | 22.7%48 | 47.4%225 | 14.5%381 | 9 |
| Almost always wrong | 2.5%20 | 2.5%17 | 5.4%14 | 11.3%24 | 12.8%27 | 11.8%56 | 6.0%158 | 4 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 7.6%60 | 14.1%96 | 20.3%53 | 20.3%43 | 24.2%51 | 13.1%62 | 13.9%365 | 2 |
| Not wrong at all | 86.9%688 | 79.5%542 | 64.4%168 | 53.8%114 | 40.3%85 | 27.8%132 | 65.7%1729 | 32 |
| Missing | 386 | 336 | 142 | 110 | 120 | 235 | 1399 | 23 |
| Total | 100%792 | 100%682 | 100%261 | 100%212 | 100%211 | 100%475 | 2633 |
Sex before marriage by Household income
| Under $5,000 | $5,000 to $9,999 | $10,000 to $14,999 | $15,000 to $19,999 | $20,000 to $24,999 | $25,000 or more | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 18.2%18 | 20.6%13 | 22.4%24 | 22.2%22 | 17.7%17 | 12.7%237 | 14.2%331 | 59 |
| Almost always wrong | 7.1%7 | 6.3%4 | 7.5%8 | 8.1%8 | 5.2%5 | 5.3%99 | 5.6%131 | 31 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 24.2%24 | 19.0%12 | 17.8%19 | 19.2%19 | 4.2%4 | 13.2%247 | 13.9%325 | 42 |
| Not wrong at all | 50.5%50 | 54.0%34 | 52.3%56 | 50.5%50 | 72.9%70 | 68.9%1290 | 66.3%1550 | 211 |
| Missing | 45 | 38 | 60 | 41 | 53 | 935 | 1695 | 180 |
| Total | 100%99 | 100%63 | 100%107 | 100%99 | 100%96 | 100%1873 | 2337 |
Sex before marriage by Political ideology
| Extremely liberal or liberal | Slightly liberal | Moderate, middle of the road | Slightly conservative | Extremely conservative or conservative | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 4.4%24 | 5.6%19 | 13.2%119 | 14.0%45 | 33.1%173 | 14.4%380 | 10 |
| Almost always wrong | 1.6%9 | 2.9%10 | 6.1%55 | 12.1%39 | 8.4%44 | 6.0%157 | 5 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 8.2%45 | 18.4%63 | 14.6%132 | 18.1%58 | 12.4%65 | 13.8%363 | 4 |
| Not wrong at all | 85.7%469 | 73.1%250 | 66.1%597 | 55.8%179 | 46.1%241 | 65.9%1736 | 25 |
| Missing | 283 | 148 | 474 | 155 | 268 | 1396 | 24 |
| Total | 100%547 | 100%342 | 100%903 | 100%321 | 100%523 | 2636 |
Sex before marriage by Religion
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish/Other | None | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 26.2%298 | 8.0%43 | 10.1%19 | 2.8%21 | 14.5%381 | 9 |
| Almost always wrong | 8.5%97 | 5.4%29 | 5.9%11 | 2.1%16 | 5.8%153 | 9 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 16.1%183 | 17.7%95 | 14.9%28 | 7.6%58 | 13.9%364 | 3 |
| Not wrong at all | 49.2%559 | 68.8%369 | 69.1%130 | 87.5%668 | 65.8%1726 | 35 |
| Missing | 577 | 288 | 104 | 358 | 1408 | 25 |
| Total | 100%1137 | 100%536 | 100%188 | 100%763 | 2624 |
Sex before marriage by Sex
| Male | Female | Total | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always wrong | 13.2%152 | 15.5%227 | 14.5%379 | 11 |
| Almost always wrong | 5.4%62 | 6.5%95 | 6.0%157 | 5 |
| Wrong only sometimes | 14.3%165 | 13.4%196 | 13.8%361 | 6 |
| Not wrong at all | 67.2%776 | 64.6%946 | 65.8%1722 | 39 |
| Missing | 581 | 740 | 1413 | 31 |
| Total | 100%1155 | 100%1464 | 2619 |
Related variables
A similar question appeared on Baylor Religion Survey, Wave I (2005)Q35 How do you feel about sexual relations in the following circumstances... a. Before marriage (Q35A)
A similar question appeared on General Social Survey 2014 Cross-Section and Panel Combined, (Inapplicable Responses Coded as Missing)
There's been a lot of discussion about the way morals and attitudes about sex are changing in this country. If a man and woman have sex relations before marriage, do you think it is always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes or not wrong at all? (PREMARSX)
Notes
The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This data file has all cases and variables asked on the 2021 GSS.The 2021 cross-sectional General Social Survey has been updated to Release Version 3 as of July 2023. This Release includes the addition of respondent spouse/partner religious identities, socioeconomic statuses, and work information (including Occupation and Industry coding), and additional information about respondents' religious background.
To download syntax files for the GSS that reproduce well-known religious group recodes, including RELTRAD, please visit the ARDA's Syntax Repository.
