Erectile Dysfunction by Age: What Prevalence Studies Report
How common is erectile dysfunction at 20, 40 or 70? Prevalence figures from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, NIDDK and a 2021 US survey, by age band.
By Juan Montes
Updated October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
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Short answer: Every large study cited below reports that erectile dysfunction (ED) becomes more common with age (our erectile dysfunction guide covers causes and treatment options), but the exact numbers depend on how each study defined ED. In the 2021 US National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing, 17.9% of men aged 18 to 24 met the questionnaire criteria for ED, compared with 48.0% of men aged 65 to 74 and 52.2% of men 75 and older (Mark et al., 2024). The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says about 40% of men are affected at age 40 and 70% report ED by age 70 (NIDDK).
Below, each figure sits next to the study it came from, with the country, years, age band and the way ED was measured.
How common is erectile dysfunction at each age?
The table lists the figures exactly as each study reported them. The studies used different questionnaires and different groups of men, so a number in one row cannot be compared directly with a number in another row.
| Study | Who and when | How ED was measured | Age band | Reported figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark 2024 (US) | 1,822 men aged 18 to 87, national online panel, 2021 | IIEF-5 questionnaire | 18 to 24 | 17.9% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 25 to 34 | 13.3% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 35 to 44 | 12.7% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 45 to 54 | 25.3% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 55 to 64 | 33.9% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 65 to 74 | 48.0% |
| Mark 2024 (US) | Same survey | IIEF-5 | 75 and older | 52.2% |
| Feldman 1994 (MMAS, US) | Random community sample of men near Boston, 1987 to 1989 | Self-administered sexual activity questionnaire | 40 to 70 (all) | 52% minimal, moderate or complete |
| Feldman 1994 (MMAS, US) | Same study | Same questionnaire | Age 40 vs age 70 | Complete ED 5% vs 15% |
| Selvin 2007 (NHANES, US) | 2,126 men, national health survey, 2001 to 2002 | One self-interview question | 20 and older (all) | 18.4% |
| Shiri 2003 (Finland) | Men aged 50, 60 and 70 surveyed by mail in 1994 and 5 years later | Two questions on erections | Age 50 vs age 75 | Any ED 67% vs 89%; moderate or complete 12% vs 58% |
| NIDDK (US) | Federal health information page, last reviewed October 2024 | Not stated | Age 40 vs age 70 | About 40% vs 70% |
What does the 2021 US national survey report?
The 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing is described by its authors as the first nationally representative update on US ED prevalence in almost 2 decades. Researchers analyzed 1,822 cisgender men aged 18 to 87 (mean age 47.5) using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Overall, 24.2% met the criteria for ED (Mark et al., J Sex Med 2024).
Two other details from the same report matter when reading the numbers:
- Only 7.7% of the whole sample said a provider had ever diagnosed them with ED, which the authors describe as “a gap in access to treatment” (Mark 2024).
- The IIEF-5 is only scored for men who had sex in the last 6 months, so the authors note the rates “do not include those men with ED who have been avoiding penetrative sex for a significant time” (Mark 2024).
What did the Massachusetts Male Aging Study find?
The Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) was a community-based, random-sample survey of noninstitutionalized men aged 40 to 70 in cities and towns near Boston, run from 1987 to 1989. The study used the term “impotence.” It reported a combined prevalence of minimal, moderate and complete impotence of 52%, and the prevalence of complete impotence tripled from 5% to 15% between ages 40 and 70. Age was “the variable most strongly associated with impotence” (Feldman et al., J Urol 1994).
How often do new cases appear in each decade?
A follow-up of the same cohort tracked 847 men who did not have ED at the start, for an average of 8.8 years. The crude incidence was 25.9 new cases per 1,000 man-years, and it rose with each decade of age at study entry (Johannes et al., J Urol 2000):
| Age at study entry | New ED cases per 1,000 man-years (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| 40 to 49 | 12.4 (9.0 to 16.9) |
| 50 to 59 | 29.8 (24.0 to 37.0) |
| 60 to 69 | 46.4 (36.9 to 58.4) |
The same paper reports that age-adjusted risk was higher for men with lower education, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension (Johannes 2000).
How common is erectile dysfunction in your 20s and 30s?
In the 2021 US survey, 17.9% of men aged 18 to 24, 13.3% of men aged 25 to 34 and 12.7% of men aged 35 to 44 met the IIEF-5 criteria for ED (Mark 2024). The authors open their paper by noting “a great deal of public speculation regarding a surge in erectile dysfunction (ED) in younger men despite data consistently indicating that the ED prevalence rates increase with age.”
A different kind of study looked at who walks into a clinic. At one urology department in Milan, Italy, researchers reviewed 439 consecutive men seeking first medical help for new-onset ED. Of these, 114 (26%) were 40 or younger, with ages from 17 to 40. On the IIEF questionnaire, 48.8% of the younger men and 40% of the older men had scores in the severe range, a difference the authors reported as not statistically significant (Capogrosso et al., J Sex Med 2013).
That 26% describes one clinic’s patients, not how common ED is among all young men. The authors also reported that the younger patients had fewer other health conditions and more often smoked or used illicit drugs than the older patients (Capogrosso 2013).
How common is erectile dysfunction in your 50s, 60s and 70s?
A Finnish population study mailed questionnaires to men aged 50, 60 and 70 in 1994 and again 5 years later. Overall, 76.5% reported some degree of ED. Prevalence rose from 67% at age 50 to 89% at age 75. Moderate or complete ED was reported by 29% overall, rising from 12% at age 50 to 58% at age 75. The authors wrote that ED “is markedly higher after age 60 years” in this group (Shiri et al., J Urol 2003).
In the US 2021 survey, the figures for older men were 33.9% at 55 to 64, 48.0% at 65 to 74 and 52.2% at 75 and older (Mark 2024). The Finnish study counted “minimal” ED as well, while the US survey used an IIEF-5 cutoff, so the two sets of figures are not directly comparable.
Why do studies report such different numbers?
For men around age 50, the 2021 US survey reports 25.3% (ages 45 to 54), while the Finnish study reports 67% (age 50). The studies differ in at least four ways:
- Definition. MMAS counted minimal, moderate and complete ED together (Feldman 1994). The Finnish study also split men into none, minimal, moderate and complete groups (Shiri 2003). The 2021 US survey used an IIEF-5 cutoff (Mark 2024).
- Question format. NHANES asked a single question during a computer-assisted self-interview (Selvin 2007). The Finnish study used two questions (Shiri 2003).
- Who was counted. The IIEF-5 figures exclude men who had not had sex in the last 6 months (Mark 2024). The Milan figures come from men already seeking care (Capogrosso 2013).
- Era and place. The studies span 1987 to 2021 and include the US, Finland and Italy, as shown in the table above.
What else do these studies link with ED besides age?
After adjusting for age, MMAS reported a higher probability of ED in men with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, associated medications, and higher anger and depression scores (Feldman 1994).
In the 2001 to 2002 NHANES data, 18.4% of US men aged 20 and older reported ED, which the authors estimated as about 18 million men. Prevalence was “highly positively related to age,” and among men with diabetes the crude prevalence was 51.3% (Selvin et al., Am J Med 2007).
The NIDDK lists other factors that make ED more likely: certain conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity; medicines such as blood pressure medicines and antidepressants; anxiety and stress; and smoking or drinking too much alcohol. It also states that “ED is not a routine part of aging” (NIDDK).
Testosterone also changes with age, which is covered separately in our guide to average testosterone levels by age.
When should you talk to a licensed provider?
If erection problems are bothering you at any age, talk to a licensed provider. The authors of the 2021 US survey wrote that the gap between self-reported ED and medical diagnosis “is critical, given that ED can be an indication of underlying health risks” (Mark 2024).
If you already take medicines, our ED medication safety information page, the overview of oral ED medications and our sildenafil vs tadalafil comparison are background reading before that conversation.
Talk to a licensed provider through PrescribedRX
PrescribedRX connects men with state-licensed clinicians who review an online intake. A prescription is issued only if a licensed provider determines treatment is appropriate. You can see the options and listed prices on our sexual health page, compare services in our guide to online ED treatment, check plan pricing, or answer a few questions to check eligibility. Availability varies by state.
Related reading: psychological ED: what studies report · Diet and Erectile Dysfunction: What Studies Report
Sources
- Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, Krane RJ, McKinlay JB. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994;151(1):54-61. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- Johannes CB, Araujo AB, Feldman HA, et al. Incidence of erectile dysfunction in men 40 to 69 years old: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 2000;163(2):460-3. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- Mark KP, Arenella K, Girard A, Herbenick D, Fu J, Coleman E. Erectile dysfunction prevalence in the United States: report from the 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing. J Sex Med. 2024;21(4):296-303. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- Selvin E, Burnett AL, Platz EA. Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the US. Am J Med. 2007;120(2):151-7. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- Shiri R, Koskimäki J, Hakama M, et al. Prevalence and severity of erectile dysfunction in 50 to 75-year-old Finnish men. J Urol. 2003;170(6 Pt 1):2342-4. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- Capogrosso P, Colicchia M, Ventimiglia E, et al. One patient out of four with newly diagnosed erectile dysfunction is a young man: worrisome picture from the everyday clinical practice. J Sex Med. 2013;10(7):1833-41. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Definition and Facts for Erectile Dysfunction (last reviewed October 2024). niddk.nih.gov. Accessed Oct 2026.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and it is not a recommendation for any particular treatment. Whether a treatment is appropriate for you is a decision for a licensed clinician who has reviewed your health history and current medications.
About the author
Juan MontesJuan Montes writes and reviews PrescribedRX's clinical content, covering testosterone replacement therapy, men's sexual health, weight management and hair loss. He trained as a Professional Nurse at the Colombian Red Cross in Cali, Colombia, and has worked in healthcare since 2011, roughly six of those years in direct emergency and critical care nursing. He served as Head Nurse in Emergency…
More from Juan →This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Treatment is prescribed solely at the discretion of a licensed provider following a clinical evaluation.
