In our previous chapter we discussed the sex ratio. In Demography until recently
In our previous chapter we discussed the sex ratio. In Demography until recently, people have been identified only according to biological sex, and biological sex has been described only in binary terms – male or female. However, this understanding of sex is being challenged, and a rapidly growing number of identities are being recognized. It remains to be seen how these identities will be represented in demographic reporting and analysis. It will be the work of our generation to discover the consequences of gender diversity for fertility, mortality, migration, population change, and the economy.
The terminology to describe the various identities may change over time and could be different in different communities and countries. In North America in 2022, the term LGBTQ2S+ was widely used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, and other identities.
Identifications generally fall into four categories of identifiers that can both be stand alone and intersect with each other (Downie (2019)).
There is generally a lack of data concerning LGBTQ2S+ people due to the relatively recent recognition of some identities, the illegal status of LGBTQ2S+ people in some countries, and the challenges of collecting this very personal information. The transgender, intersex, and non-binary communities are especially underrepresented in the data.
The map below show the legal status of LGBTQ2S+ persons across the world, ranging from constitutional protection (dark blue) to death penalties (dark red).
Credits to ILGA World (2019). Map of Sexual Orientation Laws in the World. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
According an OECD report based on survey data in fourteen mostly western countries, the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community comprised 2.7% of the surveyed population on average. This is shown in Figure 4-1 below. Keep in mind that data collection methods in the different countries may vary with respect to survey participation, methods of administering the survey, the degree of anonymity, and other factors (OECD 2019).
Canada and the United States currently provide the most elaborate set of available statistics to date. They have the largest LGBTQ2S+ populations by estimated and recorded numbers.
Statistics Canada (June 2021) estimated that, based on several different surveys, there were over one million people in Canada who identify with the LGBTQ2S+ community, about 4% of the Canadian population.
In the USA, 2021 polling by Gallup found that the LGBTQ2S+ population is 5.6% of the US population, which amounts to 18.65 million people.[1]
Transgender, intersex, non-binary and gender-expansive people
Goodman et. al. (2019), looking at 17 countries over fifty years, estimate that between 0.1% to 2% of each country’s population may be trans +. In 2011 it was reported by the Williamson Institute that the trans, intersex and non-binary+ community constituted 0.3% of the US population (See Gates (2011)). T