Welcome back to another Fetish Friday, where the statistics tell stories that most people never hear whispered in polite conversation, and where the numbers reveal that human sexuality contains far more variety than anyone might guess from everyday interactions. This week takes a different approach by exploring an array of surprising facts about fetishes, kinks, and desires that research has uncovered over the years. The data challenges assumptions, reveals unexpected patterns, and paints a picture of sexuality that extends far beyond what mainstream culture typically acknowledges. So settle in somewhere comfortable, pour something delicious to sip, and prepare to discover that the intimate lives people lead behind closed doors are both more common and more diverse than most would ever imagine.
One in three people admit to having a fetish, which transforms these interests from something rare and unusual into something remarkably ordinary and widespread. That statistic alone deserves a moment of consideration because it means that in any crowded space, roughly every third person harbors some form of fetishistic interest that adds flavor to their intimate experiences. The colleague sitting across the conference table, the stranger waiting in line at the grocery store, the neighbor watering their lawn could all count among that one in three, their private desires entirely invisible beneath the mundane surface of daily routines. What makes this even more interesting is that fetishes rarely exist in isolation for those who have them. Seventeen percent of people report having three or four different fetishes, while six percent claim five or more, revealing that sexual interests often sprawl across multiple fascinations rather than focusing narrowly on just one thing. Someone might find both leather and specific body parts arousing, or might enjoy particular fabrics alongside certain scenarios, creating a constellation of preferences that shift and combine depending on mood, context, or partner.
Feet claim the crown as the most common fetish by a substantial margin, appearing in surveys and studies far more frequently than any other body part or object. Nearly half of all people who report having fetishes, 47 percent to be precise, say they are attracted to feet specifically. The numbers become even more striking when looking at search behavior online, where Americans search for the term “foot worship” an average of 40,000 times every single month. That translates to more than 1,300 searches every day, over 50 searches every hour, nearly one search every minute of every day throughout the year. The sheer volume of interest in feet suggests something fundamental about how this particular body part captures erotic attention across a broad swath of the population, making foot fetishes not just common but overwhelmingly so compared to fascinations with any other specific body part or object.
For those who worry that their interests in BDSM, D/S, or related kinks mark them as unusual or alone in their desires, Google search data tells a different story entirely. Masochism, one of the core elements of BDSM, receives over four million searches annually, demonstrating that millions of people actively seek information about this interest every single year. The search volume for these terms reveals communities of interest that span the globe, with people constantly looking for information, connection, and understanding about practices that society often pushes to the margins of acceptable conversation. These numbers matter because they show that anyone exploring their interest in power exchange, sensation play, or related activities joins millions of others who share similar curiosities and desires. The data demolishes the myth that these interests exist only in tiny, isolated pockets of society, revealing instead that they weave through everyday life far more commonly than casual observers might ever suspect.
When researchers examine what people actually do and want in their intimate lives, the statistics reveal patterns that challenge conventional assumptions about mainstream sexuality:
- 24% have participated in an orgy or threesome
- 46% have engaged in BDSM
- 30% have spanked or been spanked during sex
- 22% have tried D/S roleplay
- 20% have tried restraint or bondage
- 48% have used handcuffs or restraints
- 36% use masks, blindfolds or sensory deprivation tools
- 60% have experimented with bondage or restraints at least once
- 95% of men and 87% of women have had multipartner fantasies
- Threesomes rank as the most common sexual fantasy among American adults
- 77% of Americans want to incorporate their fantasies into their actual sex lives
These numbers paint a picture of human sexuality that extends far beyond the narrow confines of what the media typically portrays as normal or acceptable. Nearly half of all people have engaged in BDSM activities at some point, while the vast majority harbor fantasies that go beyond conventional encounters. The gap between fantasy and action appears in that 77 percent figure, showing that most people want to explore their desires more fully but may lack the opportunity, the partner, or the courage to translate imagination into reality.
Walking through these statistics reveals something fundamental about human sexuality that deserves recognition and respect. Fetishes, kinks, and non-traditional desires do not occupy some shadowy fringe of human experience reserved for a tiny minority of adventurous souls. They thread through ordinary life with remarkable frequency, showing up in the bedrooms and imaginations of accountants and artists, teachers and engineers, people who look entirely unremarkable when passing them on the street. The one-in-three statistic demolishes outdated notions of “deviance”, the millions of searches demonstrate vast communities of shared interest, and the prevalence of BDSM engagement reveals that power exchange and intensity appeal to a substantial portion of the population. What all of this data illuminates is that human sexuality contains multitudes, that desire takes countless forms, and that the rich diversity of what arouses people deserves neither shame nor sensationalism but rather understanding, acceptance, and the recognition that exploring these interests places anyone who does so in remarkably good company.
Sources:
Eden Fantasys Survey, 2018 (2,000 Americans)
Chalkley, A.J. & Powell, G.E. (1983). “The clinical description of forty-eight cases of sexual fetishism.” British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 292-295
Scorolli, C., Ghirlanda, S., Enquist, M., Zattoni, S., & Jannini, E.A. (2007). “Relative prevalence of different fetishes.” International Journal of Impotence Research, 19(4), 432-437
NowPatient. “The most Googled fetishes and kinks in the US.” https://nowpatient.com/health-news/most-googled-fetishes-and-kinks
Thompson, A.E. & Byers, E.S. (2017)
Lehmiller, J.J. (2018). Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Survey of 4,175 Americans
Herbenick, D., Bowling, J., Fu, T.C.J., Dodge, B., Guerra-Reyes, L., & Sanders, S. (2017). “Sexual diversity in the United States: Results from a nationally representative probability sample of adults.” PLOS ONE, 12(7), e0181198
Durex Global Sex Survey, 2005 Lehmiller, J.J. (2018). Tell Me What You Want. Survey of 4,175 Americans