Barely two per cent of NI population identify as LGB+

Only a tiny minority of the adult population in Northern Ireland identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or ‘other’, census figures have revealed.

Official 2021 statistics on “sexual orientation” show that fewer than 18,000 people in the Province – 1.17 per cent of the population – identified as gay or lesbian.

The number of adults identifying as bisexual, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), stands at just over 11,000 (0.75 per cent), with less than 2,600 (0.17 per cent) ticking the box, “other sexual orientation”.

Belfast-centric

Alongside national data, NISRA also reported statistics at the local government level.

These revealed that more than a third of all adults in Northern Ireland who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual live in Belfast, compared to just 3 per cent of all LGB people living in the district of Fermanagh and Omagh.

Unlike the 2021 England and Wales census conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), NISRA did not collect data on so-called gender identity.

LGBT lobbying

According to the ONS, the number of adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and ‘other’ in England and Wales is just 3.16 per cent of the adult population.

ONS mapping showed that those identifying as LGB and ‘other’ are more likely to live in urban metropolitan areas, in particular Brighton, London and Manchester, or university cities, such as Bristol, Cambridge and Norwich.

In January, commenting on the ONS results, The Christian Institute’s Ciarán Kelly said: “Contrary to what the media would have us believe, these figures indicate that the numbers of people identifying as LGBT actually remain very small.

“Yet activists are looking to make it much easier for people to change their legal sex, outlaw ordinary church activities under the guise of a ‘conversion therapy’ ban, and doing their utmost to promote LGBT lifestyles in schools.”