FORGET the perception of France as a land of sexual fulfilment. The sad truth exposed in a new report shows that when it comes to performance in bed the French have nothing to crow about.

They may talk a good game. As far as sex in the cinema, literature and advertising is concerned, there is no beating them. Yet the popular image in the Anglo-Saxon world of the French as the masters of all things sexual — consider the terms “French letter” and “French kissing” — is entirely misguided.

Far from being obsessed with sex, almost half of French people living alone (49.5%) could not care less if they went without sex for months on end; 23% said they would be “relieved” not to have sex for several months. Half the population did not associate sex with pleasure.

The study, published in January’s Journal of Sexual Medicine by a group of French sexologists, confirmed other research showing that for all their reputation as serial seducers, the French are far from “swimming”, as one commentator put it, “in libidinous ecstasy”.

Instead, only half of men and even fewer women (45%) expressed “relative satisfaction” with their sex life. Only one-third of men did not wish to change their sex life and a quarter complained of a “diminution of sexual desire”. A pitiful 5.6% of men (and 8% of women) expressed satisfaction with the “frequency of intercourse”.

There may be some exceptions. Trying to keep up with the love lives of actresses such as Sophie Marceau, Isabelle Adjani and Béatrice Dalle, not to mention those of politicians such as Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister, and Cecilia, his wife, is a full-time occupation.

Catherine Millet, the author of an international bestseller about a sexual safari with dozens of male lovers all over Paris, has also done her bit to keep alive the impression that the French, whether because of oysters or snails, are more highly sexed than the average north European.

For all their strutting and despite their high birth rate — exceeded only by Ireland’s — the French are more in the northern than the hot-blooded Latin mould and even then they are struggling to keep up.

According to an opinion poll taken last spring, sex is considered to be an important part of life by only 17% of French people, well below the European average. The one-third of Frenchmen admitting to having known periods where their sexual life was affected by “accidents” such as impotence was higher than the 19% reported in Britain, although considerably lower than Italy’s 43%.

However, Marie-Hélène Colson, one of the sexologists involved in the latest survey, said that some of the findings suggested that men in particular had advanced since the last big survey in 1993.

These days more men than women (92% to 87%) considered foreplay important and Frenchmen were more sensitive than ever to the notion of giving pleasure to their partner: simultaneous orgasms were considered more important by men (42%) than by women (30%).

“Men are a lot more attentive these days,” said Colson. “They are paying attention to the pleasure of their partner, generally considering sexuality as a two-way process.”

They may have little choice. Colson said Frenchwomen were “very demanding” about sex.

Regretting not having included a question in the survey about the length of time it took to have sex in France, she added: “We don’t have that much data but I have heard it is a bit quicker in Anglo-Saxon and northern countries. It is unthinkable for French people to rush these things.”

As for the frequency of sex — 1.8 times a week — she said it was “pretty much the same” all over Europe. So much for the French 35-hour week allowing more time for life’s pleasures: one of the main impediments to sex, the survey found, was not having enough time.

However, it seems that the French do have a lot to look forward to. The survey claimed that 45.4% of subjects over 70 still had sex more than once a week. It went on: “Subjects over 80, regardless of the gender, were still interested in sexual games and pleasure”.

Some of the bleaker statistics might reflect the Frenchman’s greater willingness than other Europeans to discuss his sexual failings. In another survey, 60% of men over 40 in France express an interest in improving their performance in bed, compared with 46% in Britain.

The day of the famous French lover, perhaps, is not yet entirely done.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Please help: maimed children of war want their lives back
• Cabal seizes diamond riches to buy power
• White House gatecrashers got to the president