One in 10 young adults identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual – ONS
The rise has been driven by a ‘large increase’ in the proportion of young people identifying as bisexual, according to new figures.
About one in 10 young adults in the UK are likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB), with the proportion more than doubling in five years, new figures suggest.
Some 10.4% of 16 to 24-year-olds identified as LGB in 2023, up from 4.4% in 2018.
The rise has been driven by a “large increase” in the proportion of young people identifying as bisexual, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Some 7.5% of people aged 16-24 identified as bisexual in 2023, up from 2.8% in 2018.
The figure is even higher among females aged 16-24, with 9.2% identifying as bisexual, compared with 5.9% of males.
The estimates have been published by the ONS using data from the Annual Population Survey, which collects information on sexual identity from the household population aged 16 and over in the UK.
The survey suggests the proportion of all adults identifying as LGB stood at 3.8% in 2023, up from 2.2% in 2018.
Some 2.0% identified as gay or lesbian, up from 1.4%, while 1.8% identified as bisexual, up from 0.9%.
A total of 93.6% identified as heterosexual or straight, down from 94.6% in 2018.
In addition, 0.7% identified as “other”, up from 0.6%, while 1.8% said they did not know or refused to answer, down from 2.5%.
“The increase in LGB responses may be attributed to more people being more open to identifying their own sexual orientation as being LGB, together with changing societal attitudes meaning a greater acceptance of different sexual orientations”, the ONS said.
Recent results from the separate British Social Attitudes Survey “support the view that society is becoming more welcoming towards diversity in sexual identity – a view supported by the recognition of same-sex relationships in law through same-sex marriage and same-sex civil partnership legislation,” the ONS added.
LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the figures are a “timely reminder that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people are a growing part of UK society, with more LGB young people than ever before”.
Simon Blake, its chief executive, said: “The more than one in 10 of 16-24 year-olds identifying as LGB will be a crucial part of our workplaces, politics and lives.
“They will have colleagues, friends and families who support them, and they will deserve – and demand – equal rights and opportunities.
“This data should be a wake up call to organisations and governments who are rolling back on their commitments to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion.
“With these changing demographics, regressive policies and ideals won’t stand the test of time, and those who want to ensure a more secure and prosperous future must stand firm in their commitment to equality and inclusion for all, despite the politics of the moment.”
The ONS figures also show that London had the highest regional proportion of adults identifying as LGB in 2023 (5.2%) followed by South West England (4.4%), while Northern Ireland had the lowest (2.2%) with the West Midlands the second lowest (2.8%).
There are sharp differences by age in the proportion of adults identifying as LGB.
While about one in 10 (10.4%) of 16-24 year-olds identified as LGB in 2023, the figure is close to one in 100 (0.9%) for people aged 65 and over.
The proportion falls steadily across age groups, standing at 6.3% for 25-34 year-olds, 2.9% for 35-49 year-olds and 2.4% for 50-64 year-olds.
