Exclusive Daily Beast Valentines Poll: The Sex Freeze and the Baby Bust

In a time where consumer confidence, consumer spending and the GDP are all on the decline,  a new poll on sex and romance from The Daily Beast, an operating unit of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI),  found that interest in sex in these difficult times is also on the decline. Furthermore, Americans are less likely to have children and are postponing other major life events such as getting married, moving in with a partner and getting divorced. The complete survey, including all data, is available at thedailybeast.com.

Although nearly half of Americans believe that sex helps take their mind off of problems, only 13% of Americans overall say they will have sex more often this year compared to last.  Income, however, impacts the number of times people are having sex each month as well as their overall romantic relationships.  43% of those earning $75,000 or higher are having sex six or more times a month, compared to only 21% of those earning less than $75,000. Additionally, 58% of those earning over $75,000 feel that the recent financial issues have had no impact on their relationship, compared to only 40% of those making less than $75,000.

FINDINGS FROM VALENTINE’S DAY POLL INCLUDE:

 –  42% of the Americans surveyed are now less likely to have children
 –  More than one in three are less likely to get divorced
 –  In both sex and dating, Americans are being more careful. 41% are more
     cautious about who they date and one in five are using more birth
     control to avoid having children

“It’s startling to learn here of the number of people who are postponing having children for financial reasons,” said Tina Brown, co-founder and Editor in Chief of The Daily Beast. “We could be about to see a potential Baby Bust.”

Despite a tough economy, over 60% of Americans, regardless of gender, household income or political party, feel that the bad economic times are going to last two years or less.  Americans remain romantic with 6 out of 10 believing that despite the current economy, romance still exists and the economic crisis focuses us on what’s important - strong relationships and partners.

Political affiliation did, however, impact poll results when it came to financial stability. One in four Americans are looking for someone who can provide financial stability rather than seeking true love, with almost 30% of Democrats surveyed sharing that viewpoint, compared to 21% of Republicans. Republicans and Democrats also vary on the institution of marriage with 76% of Republicans viewing marriage as the eventual purpose of a relationship, compared to only 68% of Democrats.

When asked about the First Couple and whether or not they have a true romance, party affiliations matter with 80% Democrats thinking Barack and Michelle Obama have a true romance, compared to only 48% of Republicans.

With Valentine’s just a few days away, romantic spending is down. The most popular gifts are dinner with two (21%), a card (19%) while an additional 12% are saying “what gifts?, I’m saving money this year.” The floral industry may be impacted with only 4% opting for expensive flowers.

The Daily Beast Valentine’s Day Poll was conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB.) The poll covered 1,000 internet interviews from January 30- February 2, 2009. Overall, the margin of error is +/- 3.1%. The sample included 900 interviews with the U.S. population ages 18 and over and an additional 100 interviews with gay men and women aged 18 and over.

About The Daily Beast

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