Introduction
Sexual orientation is an umbrella term covering sexual identity, attraction, and behaviour. For an individual respondent, these may not be the same. This question was first asked in this form in the 2021 Census.
Summary of results
A total of 25,250 people (11%) said that their sexual orientation was LGB+.
This is higher than England and the South East (both 3%).
214,992 people (91% of the population aged 16+ years) responded to the question
Sexual orientation in Brighton & Hove, the South East and England
In Brighton & Hove (Table 1, Figure 1):
- 13,726 (5.8%) identified as gay or lesbian – higher than England (1.5%)
- 8,916 (3.8%) identified as bisexual – higher than England (1.3%)
- 1,525 (0.7%) identified as pansexual – higher than England (0.1%)
- 314 (0.1%) identified as asexual – similar to England (0.1%)
- 654 (0.3%) identified as queer – higher than England (0.0%)
- 670 (0.3%) identified as another sexual orientation – higher than England (0.2%) Brighton & Hove has the highest percentage of LGB+ of any local authority in England.
| Sexual orientation | 2021 Census, Brighton & Hove (n) | 2021 Census, Brighton & Hove: Percentage of total population | 2021 Census, South East: Percentage of total population | 2021 Census, England: Percentage of total population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight or Heterosexual | 189,745 | 81% | 90% | 89% | |
| Gay or Lesbian | 13,726 | 6% | 2% | 2% | |
| Bisexual | 8,916 | 4% | 1% | 1% | |
| All other sexual orientations | 2,605 | 1% | 0% | 0% | |
| Not answered | 20,375 | 9% | 7% | 8% |
Characteristics
Age and gender
As seen across England, in Brighton & Hove people aged 16 to 24 years had the highest proportions of people who identified as LGB+ (16%) - almost 1 in 6 people. This varied by sex - among people who answered female to the what is your sex question, those aged 16-24 years were the most likely to have identified as LGB+ (11%), this decreased with age (Figure 2).
Percentage of the population who are LGB+ by age and sex, Brighton & Hove
| Age | People who answered female to the what is your sex question | People who answered male to the what is your sex question | All people |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 years | 20.9% | 9.5% | 15.6% |
| 25 to 34 years | 16.4% | 11.7% | 14.1% |
| 35 to 44 years | 10.5% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 45 to 54 years | 8.2% | 12.4% | 10.3% |
| 55-64 years | 5.4% | 11.3% | 8.4% |
| 65 to 74 years | 2.3% | 8.1% | 5.1% |
| 75+ years | 0.5% | 4.8% | 2.3% |
Gender identity
Information on sexual orientation by gender identity is not available at local authority level. Sexual orientation
Ethnicity
There were some differences in the ethnicity of LGB+ people in the city compared with the overall population, with members of the LGB+ community more likely to be from non-British white ethnic groups (15% compared with 12% overall) and Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups (5% compared with 3% overall). People who identified as LGB+ were less likely to be from Asian (3% compared with 5% overall), Black (1% compared with 2% overall) or other ethnic groups not included in the census questionnaire (2% compared with 3% overall).
Religion
People who identified as LGB+ were more likely to say they have no religious affiliation (72%) than the overall population (54%).
Long-term health and disability
People who identified as LGB+ were more likely to say that they were disabled under the equalities act definition (day-to-day activities limited a little or a lot, 31%) than the overall population (21%). Among people who identified as LGB+ and who said their activities were limited, a smaller percentage (31%) said their activities were limited a lot than among all people in the city who said their activities were limited (39%)
Unpaid care
People who identified as LGB+ were slightly less likely to provide unpaid care each week (8%) than the overall population (9%).
Veterans
Information on the sexual orientation of those who have previously served in the armed forces is not available at local authority level.
Area of the city
The LGB+ community in Brighton & Hove is not evenly distributed across the city, with a greater percentage of the population saying they are LGB+ in central areas and in Moulsecoomb North.