Equality Leads to Better Sex and More Happiness

People in more developed countries have better, more satisfying sex than in the poorer countries. This is mainly because in developed countries people are healthier and in better shape and there is also more sex related information available. But how about differences between developed countries?

A global study conducted by sociologist Edward Laumann, who is considered a top authority on the sociology of sex, and funded by the company producing Viagra, has shown that cultural differences also play an important part. Researchers surveyed 27,500 people between the ages of 40 and 80 in 29 countries by phone, in person or by mail, depending on local practices.

The survey has revealed that the people most satisfied with their sex lives are the Austrians, 71 percent of whom reported being satisfied with their sex lives, while the most dissatisfied are the Japanese, where only 25.7 percent reported satisfaction. People in Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Canada also reported high rates of satisfaction.

Among the Western countries the French reported significantly lower rates of satisfaction although they reported that sex plays an important part in their lives. Interestingly, compared to the other European, people in UK didn't consider sex to be very important. By far people who are least interested in sex are the people of Hong Kong.

The study also asked people how happy they felt. The happiest people in the world appear to be the Indians followed by Canadians and people in New Zealand. The least happy are the people in Muslim countries such as Algeria, Turkey and especially Egypt (but not Morocco), plus Japan and Hong Kong.

According to Laumann, these findings show that relationships based on equality lead to more satisfaction for both genders. "Male-centered cultures where sexual behavior is more oriented toward procreation tend to discount the importance of sexual pleasure for women,'' Laumann said. "When mama's not happy, nobody's happy."