It has been brought to our attention that we have made an error in the way we have communicated the regional results of the Adulttoymegastore Kiwi Sex Survey conducted by Colmar Brunton.
We were very concerned as the aim of the sex survey is to provide an interesting and fun way for New Zealanders to get an insight into their country's sex lives, to spark conversations around sex and encourage healthy debate, and if we got something wrong we want to make it right.
We can confirm that, on average, the amount of sex New Zealanders have is 1-2 times per week (1.21 times per week), for the entire country. However, on taking a closer look at the regional breakdown, we now realize we have incorrectly used the word "average" when stating the regional results, as highlighted by Stuff's article.
When comparing regions the descriptive variables were used. To ensure the results fairly represented each region, we only mentioned areas that had a minimum of 30 responses to the survey. The percentages of answers for each region were added together to dictate their positioning. However, New Zealanders have brought to our attention that the way we presented this information wasn't accurate, as saying these were the "averages" for the regions isn't correct.
What we should have said is "the most popular answer" by region. Respondents from Hamilton were more likely than the other regions to have sex a few times a week or more, with 41% of people choosing this option, stating that they have sex a few times a week or more on average. We mistakenly interpreted this as being the region's "average". The sample size for this region was 54.
The sample size was 30 for the Tasman/Nelson/Marlborough region, and 50% of those respondents told us they have sex a few times a year or less on average. This is not the average for the entire region, it is the most popular response. However, 10% have sex a few times a week, another 10% have sex at least weekly, and 13% have sex a few times a month.
We apologise for the confusion this has caused, as we didn't intend to mislead or misinform New Zealanders. As human beings, as hard as we try, we sometimes we get things wrong, but it certainly won't happen again. We are thankful that New Zealanders are completely on-the-ball, passionate about their sex lives, and were able to point this error out to us. In true Kiwi fashion, they used impeccable humour to do so. Top of the South residents have been particularly good sports!
While sex is unique to each person, and we all have different preferences, the aim of the survey results is to provide New Zealanders with a point of comparison and to spark some healthy debate. Kiwis certainly found the results interesting, and we look forward to sharing the remaining nationally representative results of the survey with New Zealanders and hearing what they think.
View the full results here: Kiwi Sex Survey Infographic