AbstractData on the social structural characteristics, sexual attitudes and sexual practices of thirty preindustrial and industrializing societies are examined in an attempt to identify some of the major sociological (as opposed to purely psychological) correlates of impotence. Results suggest two major conclusions: First, socio‐cultural characteristics are clearly related to the incidence of impotence reported across societies; second, among the variables investigated those reflecting the degree of a society's sexual restrictiveness were most predictive of incidence of impotence.