Sex Before Marriage (Demographic Patterns)

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?

Sex Before Marriage by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS	19.5% 75	27.0% 152	24.8% 169	31.4% 112	1	25.6% 508
ALMOST AL.	5.5% 21	8.2% 46	8.7% 59	11.5% 41	0	8.4% 167
SOMETIMES	22.7% 87	14.9% 84	18.6% 127	22.1% 79	2	19.0% 377
NOT WRONG	51.6% 198	47.2% 266	44.4% 303	31.7% 113	2	44.3% 880
DON'T KNOW	0.5% 2	2.1% 12	2.8% 19	2.8% 10	1	2.2% 43
NO ANSWER	0.3% 1	0.5% 3	0.7% 5	0.6% 2	0	0.6% 11
Missing	466	726	914	400	12	2518
TOTAL	100% 384	100% 563	100% 682	100% 357	18	1986

Sex Before Marriage by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
ALWAYS	24.1% 347	39.9% 113	18.4% 49	25.6% 509
ALMOST AL.	8.0% 115	6.7% 19	12.4% 33	8.4% 167
SOMETIMES	20.0% 289	11.7% 33	21.3% 57	19.0% 379
NOT WRONG	45.5% 656	37.5% 106	44.9% 120	44.3% 882
DON'T KNOW	1.9% 28	2.8% 8	3.0% 8	2.2% 44
NO ANSWER	0.5% 7	1.4% 4	0.0% 0	0.6% 11
Missing	1842	351	325	2518
TOTAL	100% 1442	100% 283	100% 267	1992

Sex Before Marriage by Religion (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS	35.6% 364	16.7% 83	11.1% 4	8.5% 27	25.9% 28	3	25.5% 506
ALMOST AL.	9.5% 97	9.5% 47	5.6% 2	3.8% 12	7.4% 8	1	8.4% 166
SOMETIMES	18.6% 190	21.2% 105	25.0% 9	16.4% 52	18.5% 20	3	19.0% 376
NOT WRONG	33.3% 341	50.2% 249	55.6% 20	68.9% 219	47.2% 51	2	44.4% 880
DON'T KNOW	2.2% 23	2.2% 11	2.8% 1	2.2% 7	0.0% 0	2	2.1% 42
NO ANSWER	0.8% 8	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.9% 1	0	0.6% 11
Missing	1305	618	42	421	117	15	2518
TOTAL	100% 1023	100% 496	100% 36	100% 318	100% 108	26	1981

Sex Before Marriage by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
ALWAYS	21.1% 184	29.0% 325	25.6% 509
ALMOST AL.	8.1% 71	8.6% 96	8.4% 167
SOMETIMES	17.8% 155	20.0% 224	19.0% 379
NOT WRONG	50.3% 439	39.6% 443	44.3% 882
DON'T KNOW	2.3% 20	2.1% 24	2.2% 44
NO ANSWER	0.3% 3	0.7% 8	0.6% 11
Missing	1131	1387	2518
TOTAL	100% 872	100% 1120	1992

Sex Before Marriage by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS	12.1% 59	12.7% 71	24.8% 79	48.3% 299	1	25.6% 508
ALMOST AL.	4.7% 23	6.4% 36	10.4% 33	12.1% 75	0	8.4% 167
SOMETIMES	16.8% 82	22.5% 126	20.1% 64	17.0% 105	2	19.0% 377
NOT WRONG	63.7% 311	55.1% 308	42.8% 136	20.2% 125	2	44.4% 880
DON'T KNOW	1.8% 9	2.7% 15	1.6% 5	1.9% 12	3	2.1% 41
NO ANSWER	0.8% 4	0.5% 3	0.3% 1	0.5% 3	0	0.6% 11
Missing	532	816	370	789	11	2518
TOTAL	100% 488	100% 559	100% 318	100% 619	19	1984

Sex Before Marriage by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS	14.2% 75	23.1% 170	36.3% 241	23	25.2% 486
ALMOST AL.	6.0% 32	7.7% 57	11.0% 73	5	8.4% 162
SOMETIMES	19.1% 101	19.0% 140	19.1% 127	11	19.1% 368
NOT WRONG	59.5% 315	47.0% 346	30.7% 204	17	44.8% 865
DON'T KNOW	0.9% 5	2.4% 18	2.1% 14	7	1.9% 37
NO ANSWER	0.2% 1	0.7% 5	0.8% 5	0	0.6% 11
Missing	651	947	806	114	2518
TOTAL	100% 529	100% 736	100% 664	177	1929

Sex Before Marriage by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS	35.8% 103	25.8% 251	27.7% 52	20.4% 73	16.2% 30	0	25.6% 509
ALMOST AL.	10.4% 30	8.0% 78	8.0% 15	8.1% 29	8.1% 15	0	8.4% 167
SOMETIMES	16.3% 47	18.5% 180	13.3% 25	23.2% 83	23.8% 44	0	19.0% 379
NOT WRONG	34.4% 99	45.2% 440	46.3% 87	45.9% 164	49.7% 92	0	44.3% 882
DON'T KNOW	1.7% 5	2.4% 23	3.7% 7	1.7% 6	1.6% 3	0	2.2% 44
NO ANSWER	1.4% 4	0.2% 2	1.1% 2	0.6% 2	0.5% 1	0	0.6% 11
Missing	403	1299	189	406	218	3	2518
TOTAL	100% 288	100% 974	100% 188	100% 357	100% 185	3	1992

Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: 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 as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.