The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that 4.5% of Australia’s population over the age of 16 are LGBTQIA+.
This estimate is based on data from around 45,000 responses to a series of health surveys.
It comes months after the Government decided to ask people their sexual orientation at the 2026 Census, backflipping on a previous decision.
Here’s what you need to know.
Age
The age group with the highest proportion of LGBTQIA+ people is those aged 16 to 24.
This proportion declines for older age brackets. Only 1.4% of people aged 75 and older identify as LGBTQIA+.
Findings
An estimated 910,000 people in Australia are LGBTQIA+. Of this group, 740,000 people are “lesbian, gay, bisexual or use a different term to describe their sexual orientation.”
- 43% use the term gay or lesbian
- 46% use the term bisexual
- 11% use a different term (e.g. asexual or pansexual)
0.9% of all Australians are trans or gender diverse — around 178,900 people. Another 0.3% were born with variations of sex characteristics, also referred to as being intersex.
Non-binary people are more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Three in four non-binary people identify as LGB+, compared to 15% of trans men, 21% of trans women, 3% of cis men, and almost 4% of cis women.
LGB+ people are more likely to live in metropolitan areas than regional and remote parts of Australia.
People who are LGB+ are also more likely to be born in Australia. 21.5% of Australians who are LGB+ were born overseas, and around 5% speak a language other than English.
Gender diversity
Of the 0.9% of Australians who are trans and gender diverse, around:
- 37.5% are trans men
- 29% are trans women
- 33% are non-binary.
Younger people are also more likely to be trans or gender diverse compared to older Australians.
Nearly three in ten trans and gender diverse Australians are aged between 16 and 24.
Methodology
The ABS conducted four health surveys this year focusing on LGBTQIA+ Australians. As part of these surveys, people were asked about their sexual orientation.
Nearly 45,000 responses were collated to create these “experimental estimates”.
The ABS said the data isn’t truly representative of all of Australia’s population in the same way as the national Census.
2026 Census
In 2023, the Labor Party committed to ensuring “the 2026 Census gathers relevant data on LGBTIQ+ Australians”.
In August this year, the Federal Government said it would no longer include questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics. The move received backlash from LGBTIQ+ advocacy groups and organisations.
The Government partly walked back its decision days later. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the 2026 Census will include “one question about sexuality”.
