The prevalence of LGB identification remains higher among young adults compared to all other age demographics.
New statistics reveal that approximately one in ten young women in the United Kingdom identifies as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB), highlighting the increasing diversity of sexual orientations among the country’s youth.
According to estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 10.6% of women aged 16 to 24 identified as LGB in 2022, a notable increase from 4.8% in 2017. Among men aged 16 to 24, the proportion is slightly lower, at 7.9% in 2022, which is roughly one in thirteen, compared to 3.8% in 2017.
The ONS findings reveal that LGB identification is most prevalent among young adults when compared to other age groups. In total, it is estimated that 9.2% of all 16 to 24-year-olds (equivalent to 630,000 individuals) identify as LGB, while the figures decrease to 5.1% among 25 to 34-year-olds, 3% among those aged 35 to 49, and 2% among 50 to 64-year-olds. The lowest percentage is among individuals aged 65 and older, standing at 0.7%.
Concurrently, the percentage of individuals identifying as heterosexual has declined over the same period, decreasing from 95% to 93.4%. The ONS suggests that this shift “may be attributed to more people exploring their sexual identity, in combination with changing societal attitudes towards different groups and the expression of these today.”
