Comparing Transgender Identities in the Census of Scotland and the Census of England and Wales

The most recent British census was the first to elicit transgender identity. The 2021 Census of England and Wales asked 'Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?'. It is has been argued that this formulation confused a substantial number of respondents who erroneously answered in the negative. The 2022 Census of Scotland asked a clearer question, 'Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?' Comparison between the results provides further evidence that the Census of England and Wales overestimated the transgender population, and also raises the possibility that it undercounted the non-binary component of this population.

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Publication Details

Journal
British Journal of Sociology
Published
2025-09-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.70030
Primary Topic
LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Comparing Transgender Identities in the Census of Scotland and the Census of England and Wales

Michael Biggs
British Journal of Sociology
LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
article

Comparing Transgender Identities in the Census of Scotland and the Census of England and Wales

Michael Biggs
article en

Abstract

The most recent British census was the first to elicit transgender identity. The 2021 Census of England and Wales asked 'Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?'. It is has been argued that this formulation confused a substantial number of respondents who erroneously answered in the negative. The 2022 Census of Scotland asked a clearer question, 'Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?' Comparison between the results provides further evidence that the Census of England and Wales overestimated the transgender population, and also raises the possibility that it undercounted the non-binary component of this population.

British Journal of SociologyVol. 77(1)
University of Oxford (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
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