How rare are asexuals?

[invincible64]

I read a few articles that said it was 1% of the population. I don't care either way, but I mean hey it would be kinda cool to be a *real* speshul snowflake. Any ideas on the real percentage?

[Bad_Mr_Tree]

I don't think anyone really knows.

[Elluna Hellen]

Meh. It's not that cool. everyone has something about them that is rare.

Also, nobody can really know how many asexuals there are, because there may be a lot out there who never realised it.

[Star Bit]

That was the result of one British study years ago. It's not currently accurate and we don't actually know but many assume it's at least slightly higher than that.

[Sage Raven Domino]

The percentage of aces who're out ​seems to be a lot less. We need powerful ace-dars to detect and enlighten those in our real-life environments who're yet oblivious :vis:

[Dizzard]

I've heard about that 1% study....

Although I also read somewhere that the amount of asexuals could be anywhere up to 2.8%. It's probably difficult to get an accurate percentage since asexuality isn't very noticeable.

They really ought to do a new poll.

[thatotherguy57]

I don't buy the 1% of people are asexual bit. All studies have margins for error, usually between 3-5%. The limited amount of study on the frequency of asexuality means that we may be anywhere from 0.0001-5%* of the population, IF we factor in the standard margins for error.

On the other hand (unrelated, except for percentage of population), I do buy that 1.5-2% of the population has schizophrenia, due to the libraries of data from tens of thousands of studies conducted over nearly a century.

*obviously, I can't say we make up 0%, and I am not comfortable going lower than 1 ten-thousandth of a percent, which I think is too low, but we have insufficient data to state a clearer percentage, either higher or lower.

[b_oat]

Usually these prevalence rates are higher than the actual reality.

Usually these prevalence rates are higher than the actual reality.

[Slainmonkey]

I think it seems like maybe we are too small in number to try get and accurate percentage of.

[oldgeeza]

who really knows, how do they find out? what sort of studies do they carry out to find this information out?

The only thing we can say is that there aren't many of us

[Meowton]

The issue is with surveying people is that many are not aware of what asexuality is and some may presume they are simply heterosexual since it's typically the norm instead of knowing they are asexual. Many people maybe asexual without even knowing it.

The issue is that, unless asexuality becomes as well known as homosexuality, pansexuality, bisexuality and heterosexuality, it would be much easier to conduct accurate surveys.

The thing for sure though is that we are a minority, would be nice though if another survey could be conducted but it will only be accurate once asexuality becomes very known and visible.

[Welsh Ace]

I read on an article on asexuality in bustle that it is between 1% to 6% of people idenitfy as asexual. Where they got that from I have no idea but I have always thought that 1% seemed a bit too low. Hopefully as we have more asexualtiy awareness more societies will be done into asexuality and a more accurate figure will come out.

(the article: http://www.bustle.com/articles/87339-am-i-asexual-10-things-you-dont-but-should-know-about-asexuality-because-its-not-all)

[Keels]

I'm inclined to believe the number is higher (maybe significantly higher) because I think there are probably a lot of people who don't (yet) know they're ace. I'm basing this on my own experience of not knowing until my mid-40s, so maybe I'm overestimating. Right now, I think a whole lot of people who might "actually" be ace are answering the surveys with "I'm gay/bi/straight [but sex isn't that important to me, not that you asked]". That's what I did for 30-ish years of my life, at any rate....

[R_1]

I like how people here never mentions how definition affects results.

[sara89]

It’s an interesting question. But yes, it seems to be hard to find out…

I think most English-speaking people, who are aware of their asexuality, are registered in this forum.
This forum has 72,000 members.
There live 320,970,000 people in the U.S. from these people are 66% between 15 and 64 years.

72000/(320970000*0.66) = 0.034%.

Considering that the people from this forum do not only live in the U.S. it’s a small number, isn’t it?

The 'speshul snowflake' definitively fits =).

But I agree, I think the numer of the (especiall rather older) people who aren’t aware of their asexuality is quite high.

[Jump]

If you are interested this is the study that found 1% in Britain were asexual. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490409552235. This is how they defined the question:

"The measure of sexual attraction was introduced as follows: "I have felt sexually attracted to..." Six options followed: (a) "only females, never to males" (male n = 7,482, female n = 28); (b) "more often to females, and at least once to a male" (male n = 321, female n = 21); © "about equally often to males and females" (male n = 45, female n = 21); (d) "more often to males, and at least once to a female" (male n = 42, female n = 406); (e) "only males, never to females" (male n = 42, female n = 9,969); and (f) "I have never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all" (male n = 57, female n = 138). Thirty-eight men and 63 women refused to answer this question and were thus eliminated from further analyses. For the present study, I counted as asexuals those who responded to this sexual attraction question with "I have never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all." I categorized as "sexuals" the remaining participants—those reporting that they had felt attraction to either males, females, or both (male n = 7,932, female n = 10,494). "

Edit: This article was published in 2004

[Rising Sun]

So many people confuse sexual attraction and romantic attraction because they don't know the difference between them. I imagine that many romantic asexuals who don't know their orientation would still answer that they're sexually attracted to others.

[Sally]

I think as time goes on and asexuality as an orientation is better known, a lot of older people will realize they've been asexual all their lives (as I did). And since they've had a long time to think back over how they felt, they won't have to go through the "Am I too young to know?" and "Maybe I just have to try it to find out" stuff that young asexuals do. Nor will they have people telling them that they can't possibly be asexual because 1) they've never had sex, or 2) they have had sex. Not too many people dare to tell a 55-year-old what they are or are not.

But...it's a question whether those older people will be counted in any study or survey or poll, and they're probably not going to be on videos or TV. They'll probably be uncounted. However, although we can't count them, I'm sure they're out there.

[Jump]

So many people confuse sexual attraction and romantic attraction because they don't know the difference between them. I imagine that many romantic asexuals who don't know their orientation would still answer that they're sexually attracted to others.

Yes true, a couple of years ago I would have answered yes to having sexual attraction as I didn't know the difference! So even without asking people directly whether they are asexual, the numbers will be too low.

[Sally]

So many people confuse sexual attraction and romantic attraction because they don't know the difference between them. I imagine that many romantic asexuals who don't know their orientation would still answer that they're sexually attracted to others.

Yes true, a couple of years ago I would have answered yes to having sexual attraction as I didn't know the difference! So even without asking people directly whether they are asexual, the numbers will be too low.

Me too -- until I read about asexuality, I thought I was sexual because I was a romantic.

[stanACEberatheon]

If the estimate of 1% is correct, then this would make 630,000 people in Britain, which seems very high considering we seem to be much rarer. This can only mean that the vast majority of asexual people are unaware or don't accept their proclivities toward sex. What we probably need is a bit more publicity and then more people will realise what they are and we'll be more accepted as a social group.

[Custos]

I reckon the "1%" is inaccurate. It seems more like....well I'm no good at statistics, but definitely more. Especially since Asexuality had become more known about and people identify on the spectrum more. I want them to do a fresh survey for new results to get awareness!!!

[TheButterflyComposer]

7 billion people on the planet.

I would imagine then that even the rarest things in humans are going to be at least widespread, if only from a global viewpoint.

Asexuality will be no different in this regard.

[Dee-Ari]

Well I do think it depends a lot on whether we are talking about people on the spectrum or people who are "completely asexual" (if that even makes sense..)

There's probably a good deal of people who would fall somewhere on the spectrum, but who don't identify as such. I can name at least two friends who I'd say were grey or demi, bordering heteroromantic asexual, but who hasn't felt a need to identify as such. (And one aroace who does, casually, identify as such, but who is not active on here or similar)

So it probably depends a lot on the definition. If you just asked "Are you asexual?" I think only people who are explicitly aware of the spectrum, or peope who are aroace and confident about it, would say yes.

We always tend to assume that more people have an opinion and or feelings similar to our own.. So I feel like it must be more than 1%.. If I think of the sample of friends whose sex-life I have some knowledge about (including myself in the sample), about 40% seems to be on the spectrum, 10% is aroace, and 20% identify as being on that spectrum. BUT that is a tiny sample (10 people) and obviously biased in lots of ways. If I were to include the vast number of people whose sexlife I know nothing about, but who I assume to be allosexual, it plummets quickly!

So long story short. I have no idea. I have no data. ^^"

If we're talking people who explicitly identify as asexual I think the number might be pretty low!

[LiviaHyde7]

I think there are probably more than 1% of us, there have not been many studies about us to really give an accurate number. Also since a lot of people in my experience have not even heard of the term asexual there may be many more who are asexual but do not even realise it

[Rockblossom]

No one is sure, but when Alfred Kinsey did his report, he identified a spectrum from heterosexual to homosexual, and a separate group he called "X" that simply were not on the scale at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale

Of his test subjects, about 1.5% of males and somewhere around 5% of females fell into the "X" category. You could argue that the "X" group does not exactly conform to asexuality, and the numbers of subjects tested were too limited to come up with a meaningful statistical percent. I don't know of any better or more recent studies that would be more accurate.

[Blue Phoenix Ace]

If a new poll were to be done, it should be more explicit with it's questions. Maybe terms like "sexual arousal" and "want to act out on sexual desires". Then you could analyze the data with each possible definition of asexuality you'd want to apply.

[StarWarsOZ]

It all depends on who you want to include as 'asexuals.' Like has been said before on this thread, there are 3 'types':

1. There are people who identify as asexual, and either have joined this forum, or not.
2. Then there are the people who don't identify as asexual, but are demi or gray who don't think that asexual label applies to them.
3. And then finally there are the people who are unaware of their sexuality, because they haven't heard of asexuals before or are in denial.

1. The first group is the smallest, and I think that would be under the 1% in the survey. Simply because this has only become known because of the internet, and there are still many places around the world without that.
2. The second group is only slightly larger, as they still have to know about all this, and actually have to know the definitions enough to say if they are one thing or the other.
3. Finally, the last group is the biggest, and will most likely be over the 1% mark. We will never know, because it is almost impossible to get accurate survey results when so many people still have no idea about asexuality.

So yes, we are special snowflakes, but that isn't always a good thing.

[whocaresthough]

I think it'd be more than 1% now, but they need to do another fucking test that isn't fifteen years old.

[Keels]

I think it'd be more than 1% now, but they need to do another fucking test that isn't fifteen years old.

...and state the question better!