The research, carried out by Pleasure Chest, one of Australia’s leading sexual wellness companies, analysed six factors, including search demand for ‘sex toys’ and ‘BDSM’, market sales per capita, the number of sex-related events, and the availability of sex shops to create a worldwide ‘kink rank’ of the top cities for sexual exploration and wellness.
Key findings for the UK:
- Birmingham ranks 10th globally, with residents making over 100 sex-related events part of their calendar this year – one of the highest totals worldwide.
- The city also records strong search volumes for both sex toys and BDSM, reflecting the UK’s growing appetite for sexual exploration and wellness.
- London and Manchester also scored highly in certain categories, though it was Birmingham that claimed the UK’s top spot on the global stage.
Globally, Los Angeles came out as the kinkiest city overall, followed by Chicago, Milan, New York City, and Marseille. But Birmingham’s top 10 ranking puts the UK firmly on the map when it comes to sexual wellness.
| Global Kink Rank | County | City | Number of ‘Sex Toy’ searches per 10,000 residents | Number of ‘BDSM’ searches per 10,000 residents | Sex Toy market sales per 10,000 residents (USD – million) | Average Sex Toy Market Sales (Million USD) | No. of Sex Events | No. of Sex Shops |
| 1 | United States | Los Angeles | 147 | 908 | $31,206,042.02 | $135,201,167.38 | 65 | 115 |
| 2 | United States | Chicago | 209 | 1293 | $44,478,243.55 | $94,857,462.28 | 35 | 47 |
| 3 | Italy | Milan | 78 | 315 | $5,714,402.83 | $18,031,971.92 | 857 | 29 |
| 4 | United States | New York City | 67 | 415 | $14,276,712.91 | $295,522,739.43 | 146 | 84 |
| 5 | France | Marseille | 259 | 1174 | $11,206,693.91 | $12,938,509.30 | 96 | 13 |
| 6 | France | Paris | 111 | 503 | $4,799,030.69 | $30,214,000.01 | 461 | 30 |
| 7 | Mexico | Guadalajara | 395 | 303 | $9,135,706.60 | $13,293,414.65 | 1 | 38 |
| 8 | Canada | Montreal | 49 | 250 | $5,272,829.79 | $40,840,382.86 | 398 | 28 |
| 9 | Mexico | Mexico City | 60 | 46 | $1,374,460.04 | $88,358,142.37 | 10 | 93 |
| 10 | United Kingdom | Birmingham | 105 | 690 | $9,907,677.53 | $18,672,467.90 | 104 | 19 |
For the rest of Pleasure Chest’s findings, please visit: https://www.pleasurechest.com.au/blogs/what-s-in-the-chest/study-maps-out-the-world-s-best-cities-for-kinks-and-sexual-wellness
