Counting LGBTQ+ Lives in England and Wales

A critical reflection on emerging findings from the 2021 census

Robert J. Romanelli, Natalie Picken, Avery Adams

Expert InsightsPublished Jun 30, 2023

In 2021, for the first time since its inception in 1801, the Census of England and Wales included voluntary questions about sexual orientation and gender identity for equity monitoring and to inform policy development and resource allocation. If these data are to serve their intended purpose, they should be actionable for policymakers. However, limitations related to working with census data and inherent difficulties in counting LGBTQ+ populations must be considered when interpreting the findings. In this perspective, we describe our analysis of LGBTQ+ health and social inequalities from the 2021 census data and provide a critical reflection on the interpretation of these emerging findings.

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Romanelli, Robert J., Natalie Picken, and Avery Adams, Counting LGBTQ+ Lives in England and Wales: A critical reflection on emerging findings from the 2021 census. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023. https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA2830-1.html.
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