The 2015-16 study by National Family Health Survey (NFHS) has thrown up some interesting results about the sex lives of Indians. The survey says that North Indians leave their South Indian counterparts far behind when it comes to the frequency of having sex. Northies have a more active sex life as compared to the South Indians, with states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Chhattisgarh leading the list.

The NFHS collected self-reported data from 2.3 lakh men and women between the age groups of 15-54 to conclude that men and women in the northern states are more sexually active than those from the south. The states that top the list include Harayana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, most of which are northern states. Some North Eastern states like Tripura and West Bengal also figured in the list. Fifty five percent of the men and women in these states are sexually active.

Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Manipur and Uttarakhand come second with an average of 50 percent sexually active people. The states that fare badly include most of the South Indian states, barring Andhra Pradesh, with Kerala faring marginally better than Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Northern state of Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram also figure in states that fare dismally. The worst performing state is Arunachal Pradesh with 29.2 percent sexually active singles.

The number of sexually active single women is highest in Karnataka, a southern state than the northern ones while the proportion of sexually active single males are higher in Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. For a detailed read, do visit NFHS site.

It’s important to note that while the North Indians may outperform South Indians when it comes to sex, Indians by-and-large don’t have enough sex as compared to the rest of the world. A Men’s Health magazine survey conducted in 2017 that had over 50,000 participants across 30 countries found that Indian men sex less than once a week, which is the least among any nations in the survey. Men’s Health editor Bobby Varkey said that it could be due to the lack of privacy Indian men experience in a joint family system in homes they share with their parents and siblings. It could also be because of the taboo against sex before marriage.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 25, 2018 03:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).