Evidence review updated July 2026 | Adult education only; not medical, psychological or diagnostic advice
There is no scientifically defensible list of every fetish ranked for the whole population. Studies use different definitions, samples and questions. The most consistent evidence points to recurring categories—especially feet and footwear, clothing or objects worn on the body, particular materials, and other body parts or features—but it does not support the precise population percentages repeated by many online lists.
The best-supported answer is a group of recurring categories, not a universal league table. This guide explains which types of fetishes appear most often in published research, what each study actually measured and why fantasy, interest, identity and behavior must be kept separate.
Quick list: fetish categories that recur in research
This is an evidence-led summary of categories that repeatedly appear in research. The order should not be read as an exact population ranking.
- Feet and footwear: feet, shoes, boots, socks and stockings are prominent in research on fetish communities.
- Clothing and body-worn objects: underwear, lingerie, uniforms, gloves and other items associated with the body form a large category.
- Materials and textures: leather, latex, rubber and particular fabrics can be the focus of interest.
- Other body parts or features: hair, body size, muscles and other physical features appear across community datasets.
- Behavioral or role interests: observing, performing or taking a role appears in broader research, although these interests are not always fetishes in the narrower object-focused sense.
- BDSM and power exchange: related interests can overlap with fetishism, but BDSM is a broader category and should not be treated as one item in a fetish ranking.
What counts as a fetish?
Everyday language often uses fetish, kink, fantasy and preference as if they mean the same thing. Research does not always do that. A fetish is commonly understood as a strong sexual focus on a particular object, material or non-genital body part. Kink is broader and can include activities, roles, sensations or relationship dynamics. A fantasy is a thought; it is not automatically an intention or behavior.
That distinction matters when reading a fetish list. A survey about fantasies cannot establish how many people identify with a fetish. A community forum can show the relative popularity of topics among participants but cannot estimate the percentage of all adults. A question about having tried an activity once is different from asking whether someone needs it for arousal.
For a fuller vocabulary comparison, read our kinks versus fetishes guide.
Fetish research at a glance: study, sample and limits
The studies below do not measure one interchangeable outcome. Some count activity inside fetish-oriented online communities; others survey fantasies, interests, experiences, regular behavior or identity. Use the final column before turning any percentage into a claim about all adults.
| Source | Sample and measure | What it supports | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scorolli et al. (2007) | 381 fetish discussion groups; conservatively at least 5,000 people; groups, participants and messages compared. | Body parts or features and body-associated objects were the largest community categories; feet and foot-associated objects were the leading specific cluster. | A representative worldwide population rate, a men-versus-women prevalence rate or the percentage of all adults with a foot fetish. |
| Joyal & Carpentier (2017) | 1,040 adults matched to Quebec's population profile; telephone and online questions about interest and experience. | Nearly half reported interest in at least one study category and about one-third reported at least one corresponding experience. | A ranked list of specific fetishes or a rate that can automatically be generalized to every country and survey method. |
| Joyal, Cossette & Lapierre (2015) | 1,516 adults rated 55 sexual fantasies. | Only two fantasies were statistically rare and 30 were common for at least one gender under the study's thresholds. | Fetish identity, intention, necessity for arousal or real-world behavior; the study measured fantasy reports. |
| Joyal (2015) | Subgroup analysis of fantasy nature and intensity for 1,501 adults. | Different participant profiles appear when intensity and combinations are considered instead of treating everyone as one group. | A universal boundary between a preference, fetish, paraphilia and clinical disorder for an individual reader. |
| Holvoet et al. (2017) | Representative Belgian sample of 1,027 adults; 54 BDSM activities and 14 fetishes. | Interest (26%), regular activity (12.5%) and practitioner identity (7.6%) produced different rates. | That BDSM is one fetish, that every reported activity is a fetish, or that Belgian results are a global rate. |
| Joyal & Carpentier (2022) | Follow-up analysis of the 1,040-adult Quebec sample; interest and corresponding experience compared. | Interest predicted behavior, but mean active concordance was only about 50%. | That fantasy or interest automatically becomes intention, behavior, identity or clinical risk. |
Reading rule: A percentage is only meaningful with its sample, definition, question and time frame. This table is an editorial comparison of the linked studies, not a new prevalence study. For clinical classification, use the WHO ICD-11 clinical manual with qualified professional context.
What the main prevalence studies actually found
Online fetish communities: relative categories, not population rates
Scorolli and colleagues examined 381 Internet discussion groups and estimated that the groups involved at least 5,000 people. They compared the number of groups, participants and messages devoted to different preferences. Body parts or features accounted for 33% of the classified community activity and objects associated with the body for 30%; other people's behavior followed at 18%.
This study is valuable for comparing interests within fetish-oriented online communities. It does not mean that 33% of the general population has a body-part fetish. Participants were already gathered around fetish topics, and community activity is not a representative population survey.
Quebec population survey: interest was not rare
Joyal and Carpentier surveyed 1,040 adults selected to correspond to the population profile of Quebec. Nearly half expressed interest in at least one category the study defined as paraphilic, and about one-third reported having experienced at least one corresponding behavior. Fetishism was among the categories that crossed the study's statistical threshold for being unusual.
The result supports a cautious conclusion: interests labeled unusual can be reported by substantial minorities in nonclinical samples. It does not provide a ranked list of leather, feet, lingerie, hair and every other possible fetish.
General-population fantasies: content alone is a poor shortcut
In a separate survey of 1,516 adults, Joyal, Cossette and Lapierre asked about 55 sexual fantasies. Only two were statistically rare for women or men, while 30 were common for at least one gender under the study's definitions. The authors cautioned against labeling a fantasy unusual or deviant based only on content.
This is evidence about fantasies, not a list of fetish identities. The follow-up analysis of 1,501 participants also emphasized that fantasy categories and intensity produce different subgroups and that broad diagnostic definitions can be overly inclusive.
BDSM surveys answer a related but different question
Holvoet and colleagues surveyed a representative sample of 1,027 Belgian adults about 54 BDSM-related activities and 14 fetishes. In that study, 26% described themselves as interested in BDSM, 12.5% reported at least one BDSM-related activity regularly and 7.6% self-identified as BDSM practitioners. Those three numbers differ because interest, behavior frequency and identity are different outcomes.
BDSM can include bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism and masochism. It may overlap with material or object fetishes, but it is not synonymous with fetishism. Our sourced guide to why people may enjoy BDSM discusses the broader psychology and research boundaries.
Interest does not reliably equal behavior
A 2022 follow-up by Joyal and Carpentier reanalyzed the Quebec sample and found that interests predicted corresponding behaviors, but the average active concordance rate was only about 50%. In plain language, reporting an interest did not guarantee reporting the matching experience. Interest, fantasy, identity and behavior are not interchangeable.
Common types of fetishes, explained carefully
1. Feet, footwear, socks and stockings
Foot and footwear interests are the most consistently prominent specific cluster in discussions of common fetishes. The category can focus on a body part, a worn object or both, which is one reason study definitions matter. A person interested in boots is not necessarily interested in bare feet, and a preference does not necessarily function as a fetish.
Do not turn community popularity into a universal percentage. The strongest cited study here measured relative activity in fetish discussion groups, not a random sample of all adults.
2. Clothing, underwear and body-worn objects
Objects normally associated with the body formed one of the two largest broad categories in the Scorolli community study. Examples can include underwear, stockings, uniforms, shoes and gloves. Different people may focus on appearance, texture, scent, symbolism, the wearer or a ritual of dressing.
Clothing interest also exists outside fetishism. Enjoying lingerie or alternative fashion does not by itself identify a fetish or a disorder.
3. Materials such as leather, latex and rubber
Material-focused interests can center on look, feel, sound, scent or the way a material shapes an outfit. Leather, latex and rubber are frequently discussed examples, but published prevalence studies do not justify a single global percentage for each material.
Lunarness currently sells faux leather rather than claiming that every leather-look item uses animal leather. Our leather fetish guide separates material interest, symbolism and fashion expression.
4. Other body parts and physical features
Research categories can include hair, muscles, body size, hands and other features. The boundaries are especially difficult here: attraction to a feature, a recurring preference and a fetish are not automatically equivalent. A survey result also depends on whether the question asks about fantasy, arousal, preference, necessity or behavior.
5. Objects, accessories and hardware
Some interests focus on jewelry, chains, collars, masks or other objects. An object can carry aesthetic, tactile or symbolic meaning without being used functionally. Decorative hardware does not establish restraint strength or consent, and a product name cannot define a person's sexuality.
6. Roles, scenarios and power exchange
Dominance, submission, role-play, observation and exhibition are better understood as activities, scenarios or dynamics than as classic object fetishes. They appear on many online “fetishes lists” because everyday language groups a wide range of adult interests together. When observation or exposure involves other people, their knowledge and consent are essential; a fantasy never authorizes non-consensual conduct.
Why exact rankings conflict
- Definitions differ: one study measures any interest; another asks about intense or necessary arousal.
- Samples differ: general-population respondents, university volunteers, clinical samples and online communities are not interchangeable.
- Questions differ: fantasy, identity, arousal, preference and behavior produce different answers.
- Time frames differ: ever, recently and regularly are different measures.
- Categories overlap: boots can be coded as footwear, clothing, leather, uniform or body-associated objects.
- Disclosure differs: stigma, privacy and survey mode can affect what respondents report.
- Culture differs: findings from one country cannot automatically be generalized worldwide.
For those reasons, a claim such as “exactly 10% of people have fetish X” needs a named sample, definition, question and time frame. Without those details, the number should not be repeated as population fact.
Fetish, paraphilia and disorder are not synonyms
Clinical classification is narrower and more consequential than an online list. The World Health Organization's 2024 ICD-11 clinical manual defines diagnostic categories for qualified health professionals and distinguishes conditions involving non-consenting individuals from a category involving solitary behavior or consenting individuals. A diagnosis depends on clinical requirements; it cannot be assigned from a shopping preference, fantasy list or quiz result.
A consensual adult interest is not automatically a mental disorder. Concern is more appropriate when an interest causes substantial distress or impairment, creates direct risk of injury, involves non-consenting people, or feels difficult to control. Anyone worried about distress, compulsive behavior or risk should consult a qualified, nonjudgmental health professional.
Expressing an interest through fashion
Fashion can reference materials, silhouettes or symbols without claiming a clinical meaning. A person may wear a faux leather harness, body chain or choker simply because they like the style. Clothing never communicates blanket consent, availability or a particular role.
For fashion-led browsing, compare documented materials, measurements and care information in our faux leather body harnesses, body chain jewelry and gothic chokers. These are style collections; they are not diagnostic tools or proof of a fetish.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common fetish?
Feet and footwear are the most consistently prominent specific cluster in fetish-community research. However, no representative worldwide study proves one universal winner across every definition. The defensible answer is “feet and body-associated objects are among the most recurrent categories,” not a precise global percentage.
Is there a complete list of fetishes?
No. A list of all fetishes would be open-ended because interests can focus on highly specific objects, materials, features, contexts or combinations. Taxonomies group examples for research; they do not exhaust human variation.
What are the main types of fetishes?
Useful broad types include body parts or features, clothing and body-worn objects, materials and textures, other objects, and behavior- or role-focused interests. The last group often overlaps with kink rather than fitting a narrow object-fetish definition.
How common are fetishes?
Substantial minorities in general-population surveys report at least one interest classified as paraphilic, but that category is broader than fetishism. The frequency of one specific fetish depends on the definition, population and question used.
Is BDSM a fetish?
Not as a single category. BDSM is an umbrella for consensual activities and dynamics. Someone can combine BDSM with a material or object fetish, but many BDSM interests are role-, sensation- or relationship-focused.
Does having a fetish mean someone will act on it?
No. Population research shows that interest and behavior are related but not identical. Fantasy, interest, identity, intention and action should be discussed separately.
Sources and study notes
- Scorolli et al. (2007): Relative prevalence of different fetishes — 381 online discussion groups; relative community activity, not population prevalence.
- Joyal & Carpentier (2017): Prevalence of paraphilic interests and behaviors — Quebec population sample of 1,040 adults.
- Joyal, Cossette & Lapierre (2015): What exactly is an unusual sexual fantasy? — survey of 1,516 adults; fantasy content and frequency.
- Joyal (2015): Defining normophilic and paraphilic fantasies — follow-up subgroup analysis of 1,501 participants.
- Holvoet et al. (2017): BDSM-related fantasies and activities — representative Belgian sample of 1,027 adults.
- Joyal & Carpentier (2022): Concordance between interests and behaviors — follow-up analysis separating interest from experience.
- World Health Organization (2024): ICD-11 clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements — clinical manual, not a consumer self-diagnosis tool.
Method note: This article compares what each cited source measured. Percentages from an online-community study are not presented as population prevalence, and broader paraphilic-interest or BDSM surveys are not relabeled as fetish-only surveys.
Disclaimer: This guide is for adult education. It does not diagnose a fetish or disorder, provide therapy, authorize an activity or replace professional care. Consent must be specific, voluntary, informed, ongoing and revocable.
