Erectile dysfunction statistics

In this article:

• What is erectile dysfunction?
• How common is ED?
• Common complications
• Cost of ED
• How many men actually seek help?
• Treatment
• FAQs

In this article

• What is erectile dysfunction?
• How common is ED?
• Common complications
• Cost of ED
• How many men actually seek help?
• Treatment
• FAQs

Erectile dysfunction affects the sexual health of many men around the world and can make having a good sex life difficult. Understanding what ED is can be a great first step toward seeking treatment. Let’s take a look at some ED statistics and some of the most frequently asked questions about the condition. 

What is erectile dysfunction? 

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. It’s often linked to reduced blood flow to the penis, but stress, medications, or underlying health conditions can also influence it. 

Common symptoms include:

• Difficulty getting an erection
• Difficulty maintaining an erection
• Reduced interest in sexual activity
• Low self-esteem

If you notice these symptoms, a healthcare provider may evaluate your health history and recommend testing. ED can sometimes be an early sign of conditions like cardiovascular disease. 

RELATED: Diagnosing erectile dysfunction

How common is ED? 

Erectile dysfunction statistics show wide variation depending on age and health factors:

• Overall global prevalence estimates range from 3% to 77%, depending on the population studied, age group, and diagnostics. (BJUI International, 2019)
• About 24% of men in the U.S. experience ED. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2024)
• 1 in 10 men will have ED at some point in their lifetime. (Cleveland Clinic, 2019)
• The U.S. reports some of the highest rates of ED among studied countries. (Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2004)

In simple terms, ED is more common than many people realize.

Erectile dysfunction statistics by age

• ED affects up to 40% of men by their 40s, with the prevalence increasing by about 10% for each subsequent decade of life. For instance, around 50% of men in their 50s experience ED. (Translational Andrology and Urology, 2017)
• In a study of 2,660 sexually active men aged 18 to 31 years old, around 11% reported mild erectile dysfunction, while almost 3% experienced moderate-to-severe erectile dysfunction. (Journal of Urology, 2021)
• More than a third of young men in the military under 40 experience ED. One study shows that those who are more satisfied with their body image, particularly their genitals, tend to have less anxiety about sex and lower levels of ED. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2015)

Erectile dysfunction statistics by severity

You can’t research ED statistics without reading about the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) of 1987-1989. Including 1,290 people, MMAS was the most extensive study of ED since 1948. One measurement of ED in the study was the severity of impotence. Here are the results:

• Any degree of impotence: 52% of subjects
• Minimally impotent: 17% of subjects
• Moderately impotent: 25% of subjects
• Completely impotent: 10% of subjects

The 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing further assessed the severity of ED and confirmed that the severity is greater in older patients. The study found an overall ED prevalence rate of around 24%, with significantly higher rates among older age groups: about 52% of men aged 75 and older and 48% of those aged 65 to 74 met the diagnostic criteria for ED. Therefore, there’s a clear trend where older men experience more severe forms of ED than their younger counterparts.

Erectile dysfunction statistics by cause

• Around 66% of men with diabetes around the world experience erectile dysfunction, indicating nearly two out of three are affected by this sexual health problem. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
• Up to 25% of ED cases involve medication, with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and neuropsychiatric drugs having the highest reports of ED-related side effects. (Sexual Medicine, 2022)
• According to the SingleCare ED survey, 27% of men do not know what physically causes their ED. (SingleCare, 2024)
• Vascular disease is commonly associated with ED. One study found that men with ED were more than twice as likely to also have peripheral arterial disease (PAD). (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024) 
• The ED prevalence in men with hypertension is approximately 60% (Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 2022)
• Around 80% of men with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face some level of ED. (World Journal of Nephrology, 2014)
• Research shows that 72% to 87% of men with COPD experience ED. A recent study of around 58,000 patients found that men with COPD have a higher rate of moderate to severe ED than others. (Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021)
• Depression increases the risk of ED in diabetic men, and can be bidirectional (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024)

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Common erectile dysfunction complications

Sexual function can affect a person’s overall health and quality of life. Many men with ED may experience depression or low self-esteem at some point in time, and ED can put stress on relationships. Many men with ED will complain that their sex lives are less than satisfactory, which is often the main reason they seek medical treatment. 

• Men with ED experience twice as many heart attacks and strokes (around 6%) in comparison to men who don’t have ED (around 3%). (American Heart Association, 2018)
• ED has been associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related death at a magnitude comparable to conditions like diabetes and hypertension (International Journal of Impotence Research, 2025)
• People with depression have an increased risk of developing ED. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2018)
• Having ED more than doubles the risk of depression. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2018)

The cost of erectile dysfunction 

Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors are the recommended treatment for ED, but they are ineffective in up to 45% of patients. Alternative treatments include injections, vacuum devices, and penile implants.

• Only a small percentage of men with ED seek treatment; a 2021 population-based survey in the U.S. found that treatment rates ranged from 2.6% in men aged 18-34 and 29.2% in men greater than 65 years old, despite prevalence in these same populations reported as 26% and 62.5%, respectively (BMC Public Health, 2025).
• Spending for the popular ED medications in the PDE5 inhibitor drug class, like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, exceeds $1 billion annually in the United States, and this is with only about ¼ of diagnosed men currently receiving treatment (Urology, 2021).
• The annual out-of-pocket cost for intraurethral alprostadil (IA) can reach around $4,000, while oral medications cost significantly less at around $700. (International Journal of Impotence Research, 2024).
• Thirty-four percent of patients pay out of pocket for all ED treatment (SingleCare, 2024). 
• If ED medications fail, penile prosthesis surgery is the most cost-effective treatment for ED in the long-term. Although penile implants can cost over $20,000, insurance and Medicare generally cover the cost. (Coloplast) (The Journal of Urology, 2018).

RELATED: Does insurance cover Viagra?

The stigma gap: How many men actually seek help?

• Somewhere between 25-58% of men with ED seek medical help, and 39% never sought treatment for ED. (SingleCare, 2024) 
• A 2021 U.S. population-based survey showed ED treatment rates of only 2.6% in men aged 18-34 and 29.2% in men older than 65, even though ED prevalence in these populations was found to be 26% and 62.5%, respectively. (BMC Public Health, 2025)
• Barriers to seeking help may include embarrassment, cost concerns about treatment options, and treatment side effects. (Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2022)
• Several organizations promote proactive healthcare provider inquiry to overcome barriers in the diagnosis and management of ED, including the American Urological Association (The Journal of Urology, 2018) and the American Diabetes Association (Diabetes Care, 2026).
• Validated screening tools, medical education reform, and public awareness campaigns all exist to improve access to care. Barriers still exist, and direct-to-consumer platforms have emerged as an additional avenue for men who are uncomfortable in seeking face-to-face care.

Treating erectile dysfunction

Prescription medication is usually the first type of treatment option for ED. Here are some of the most common PDE5 inhibitors used to treat ED: 

• Viagra (sildenafil)
• Cialis (tadalafil) 
• Levitra (vardenafil) 

Generic Cialis (tadalafil) is the most popular ED medication according to SingleCare’s prescription fill data (April 2025-April 2026). The average cash price before discounts for generic Cialis and generic Viagra across all scripts with SingleCare was more than $1,025. You can use a SingleCare coupon to get 90, 5 mg tablets of generic Cialis for $17 or 30, 100 mg tablets of generic sildenafil for $13.

However, the efficacy of these medications depends on the root cause of ED. “Sildenafil and tadalafil work, in the same way, to dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the penis,” says Leann Poston, MD, a contributor for Ikon Health. “If the cause of ED is not due to a lack of blood flow to the penis, neither drug may be helpful.”

Additionally, a physical cause of ED (i.e., hypertension) can damage blood vessels enough that ED medications won’t work. “If small blood vessels are damaged due to high blood pressure, elevated LDL cholesterol, or diabetes, the vessels will not respond well to these medications, and men will report no benefit,” says Dr. Poston. 

Dr. Poston adds that “over time, these medications may lose their effectiveness due to progressive damage to small blood vessels.“ She pointed to two studies to support this: 

In a four-year study of sildenafil versus a placebo:

• Nearly 4% of men discontinued treatment due to an adverse event (side effect).
• Approximately 6% discontinued treatment over the four-year study because the medication was ineffective.

In another study:

• About three-quarters (74%) of men reported that Viagra worked for them.
• Three years later, more than half of the men who were reinterviewed were still taking the drug.
• Almost 40% of the men still taking the drug had to increase their dose by 50 mg to achieve an erection.
• It took between one and 18 months for treatments to lose their effects.

Doctors and researchers are always looking for new ways to treat ED. Here are some of the latest treatment options for ED that may work for some men: 

• Shockwave therapy may help treat ED caused by vascular disease. Low-intensity shock waves pass through erectile tissue to help encourage blood flow and blood vessel growth. 
• Stem cell therapy is the injection of stem cells into the penis. Some minor studies have been done, but more research is needed before the treatment becomes mainstream. 
• Platelet-rich plasma may help heal wounds and promote new blood vessel growth, so it is being studied as a possible treatment for ED.

Erectile dysfunction questions and answers

At what age do men develop ED? 

ED can occur at any age, but the risk increases with age. About 45% of men ages 65–74 experience ED. 

How common is ED in your 20s?

It’s less common but still present—about 8% to 26% of men under 40 report ED. 

What is the main cause of ED?

Reduced blood flow to the penis is the most common cause, often linked to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. 

Does ED go away?

In many cases, ED is treatable and sometimes reversible, depending on the cause.