One in Ten Young Adults in the UK Identify as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual

ONS data reveals a sharp rise in LGB identification among young people, driven by an increase in bisexual identification, reflecting evolving societal attitudes.

• The proportion of 16-24 year-olds in the UK identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) reached 10.4% in 2023, more than doubling from 4.4% in 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
• A significant increase in bisexual identification among young people drove the rise, with 7.5% of 16-24 year-olds identifying as bisexual, up from 2.8% in 2018.
• Young women were more likely to identify as bisexual than men, with 9.2% of women aged 16-24 identifying as bisexual compared to 5.9% of men in the same age group.
• The ONS attributed the increase to greater openness in identifying sexual orientation and shifting societal attitudes, supported by legal recognition of same-sex relationships, including marriage and civil partnerships.
• Regional differences were observed, with London having the highest proportion of LGB adults (5.2%) and Northern Ireland the lowest (2.2%).

3 Articles

The Times The Independent The Guardian