Data on sexual identity is produced by the Office for National Statistics from the Annual Population Survey. This bulletin includes headline figures for Wales.
This is not the latest release in the series: Sexual orientation
Series information:
The main points below are drawn from the latest bulletin as well as our additional analysis of a pooled dataset which combines 3 years of Annual Population Survey data.
Due to small sample sizes, care should be taken in interpreting these figures.
Main points
- In 2016, 95.2% of people in Wales identified as heterosexual/straight, 1.0% as gay/lesbian, 0.7% as bisexual, and 0.4% as other. Whereas 2.7% of people did not know, answer or respond to the question.
- Of those people in Wales who identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual, over two thirds (71.6%) were between 16 and 45 years of age. This compares with under half (44.2%) of the overall population.
- Twice as many males as females identified as gay/lesbian whilst just under two thirds of people who identified as bisexual were females.
- People who identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual were more likely to be single than married or in a civil partnership.
- Of those people who identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual, 63.8% lived in South East Wales (compared with 48.1% of the overall population). Whereas 16.1% lived in North Wales (compared with 22.5% of the population).
- People identifying as gay/lesbian/bisexual were four times as likely to live in a large town as opposed to a small town or village.
Reports
Office for National Statistics website
Office for National Statistics website
Contact
Scott Clifford
Telephone: 0300 025 3234
Email: stats.inclusion@gov.wales
Rydym yn croesawu galwadau a gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg / We welcome calls and correspondence in Welsh.
Media
Telephone: 0300 025 8099
Rydym yn croesawu galwadau yn Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh.