Spotlight

Sexual orientation, England and Wales: Census 2021
What's in the bulletin?
- The census question on sexual orientation was a voluntary question asked of those aged 16 years and over.
- In total, 44.9 million people (92.5% of the population aged 16 years and over) answered the question.
- Around 43.4 million people (89.4%) identified as straight or heterosexual.

Sexual orientation, UK: 2023
What's in the bulletin?
- Annual Population Survey (APS) estimates have been affected by increased volatility, resulting from smaller sample sizes, meaning that estimates of change should be treated with additional caution; APS estimates have also not yet been reweighted to more recent population estimates, so estimates of levels should be treated with additional caution, while estimates of percentages remain more robust.
- Of the UK household population aged 16 years and over, 93.6% identified as heterosexual or straight in 2023; this is down from 94.6% in 2018.
- Of the UK household population aged 16 years and over, 3.8% identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in 2023; this is up from 2.2% in 2018.
Datasets related to Sexual orientation
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Sexual orientation, UK
Sexual orientation in the UK by region, sex, age, legal partnership status, and ethnic group. These are official statistics in development.
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Sexual Identity by Gender by Country
Sexual identity estimates by gender from 2010 to 2014. This is presented at a UK level, and broken down by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Sexual Identity lesbian, gay and bisexual population by Occupation by Country
Sexual identity estimates by occupation 2014. This is presented at a UK level, and broken down by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Sexual Identity, subnational
Subnational sexual identity for 2013 to 2015
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Cigarette smoking by Sexual Identity, by Country
Smoking estimates by sexual identity, 2014. This is presented at a UK level, and broken down by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Publications related to Sexual orientation
Statistical bulletins
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Sexual orientation, UK: 2023
Sexual orientation in the UK in 2023 by region, sex, age, legal partnership status, and ethnic group, using data from the Annual Population Survey (APS). These are official statistics in development.
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Sexual orientation, England and Wales: Census 2021
The sexual orientation of usual residents aged 16 years and over in England and Wales, Census 2021 data.
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Personal well-being in the UK: April 2022 to March 2023
Estimates of life satisfaction, worthwhile, happiness, and anxiety, by select geographies including local authority level and individual characteristics and circumstances.
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Integrated Household Survey (Experimental statistics): January to December 2014
Sexual identity, smoking prevalence and perceived general health using data from the Integrated Household Survey.
Articles
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Sexual orientation, further personal characteristics, England and Wales
Exploring the disability, health status, ethnic group, religion and employment of people of different sexual orientations from Census 2021 in England and Wales.
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Sexual orientation: age and sex, England and Wales
Sexual orientation by age and sex of usual residents aged 16 years and over in England and Wales, Census 2021 data.
Methodology related to Sexual orientation
Find, compare and visualise statistics about places within the United Kingdom.