The proportion of younger people reporting they are lesbian, gay or bisexual, has more than doubled since 2018 according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics that campaigners have said are a ‘wake-up call’.
About one in 10 of those aged 16 to 24 years, (715,000 or 10.4%) now identify as LGB, the figures showed. In 2018, 310,000 identified as LGB, a proportion of only 4.4%, or one in 20. The new figures collected were for 2023.
Among the reasons behind the increase was the number of people describing themselves as bisexual. This doubled between 2018 and 2023, from 0.9% or 457,000.
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The figure was higher among women aged 16-24, with 9.2% identifying as bisexual compared with 5.9% of males.
Of all those aged 16 years and over, 3.8% identified as LGB in 2023; this was up from 2.2% in 2018.
The proportion identifying as gay or lesbian also increased, but more slowly, from 1.4%, or 723,000, in 2018.
Men were more likely than women to identify as LGB in 2023. An estimated 4.2% (or 1.1 million) of men identified as LGB, compared with 3.4% (or 938,000) women.
Simon Blake, chief executive of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, said the data should give pause for thought to businesses and administrations that supported the backlash against the diversity equity and inclusion agenda of recent years.
He said: “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.”
“Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are a growing part of UK society, with more LGB young people than ever before,” he added. “The more than one in 10 of 16 to 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.”
Across the age groups, the proportion of adults identifying as LGB sharply decreased among older people. Although one in 10 under-25 said they were LGB, the figure was about one in 100 for the over-65s. The data showed that 6.3% of 25 to 34-year-olds identified as LGB, compared with 2.9% of 35 to 49-year-olds and 2.4% of 50 to 64-year-olds.
London had the highest proportion of adults identifying as LGB in 2023 (5.2%). Census information from 2021 showed that London is followed by south-west England (4.4%), while Northern Ireland had the lowest (2.2%) with the West Midlands the second lowest (2.8%).
The ONS said a great acceptance of different sexual orientations lay behind the figures. The report stated the growth in the number of people identifying as LGB could be “attributed to more people being more open to identifying their own sexual orientation as being LGB, together with changing societal attitudes”.
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