UK census adds question on gender identity

LONDON: A census being held in this year in Britain will ask people about their gender identity for the first time, the country’s national statistician said on Friday.

The census, which will be held on March 21 in all regions except Scotland, will include the question after asking for people’s legal sex, Professor Sir Ian Diamond told BBC radio. "We will be asking for the first time a voluntary question later in the questionnaire about gender identity," he said, specifying that this will only apply to people over 16.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a recommended question which asks whether a person’s gender identity is the same as their legal sex, and if not, asks them to enter what it is. It said that the information is needed because "there are currently no official figures for those who identify their gender as different from the sex registered at birth".

Scotland’s chief statistician has suggested that the question on biological sex should no longer be asked as it is an invasion of privacy for those who identify as another gender.