Resources >

Still Complicated > Demographics

Report Chapters
  1. Acknowledgements
  2. Foreword
  3. Introduction
  4. Methodology
  5. How we define bi+
  6. Demographics
  7. Key findings
  8. Community and belonging
  9. Belonging to the LGBT+ community
  10. Belonging to a bi+ community
  11. Belonging to a ‘straight community’
  12. Summary (Community and belonging)
  13. Bi+ experiences in LGBTI+ services
  14. Biphobia in LGBTI+ spaces
  15. Other barriers to participation in LGBTI+ spaces
  16. Mainstream public services and the bi+ experience
  17. NHS services
  18. Sexual health services
  19. Police services
  20. Religious services
  21. Other services
  22. Summary (Mainstream public services and the bi+ experience)
  23. Bi+ intersectionality
  24. Employment
  25. Covid-19 pandemic and the bi+ experience
  26. Covid-19 related healthcare
  27. Social challenges
  28. Financial hardships
  29. Bi+ community groups
  30. Summary (Covid-19 pandemic and the bi+ experience)
  31. Good practice
  32. Recommendations
  33. Increased knowledge and understanding
  34. Avoiding assumptions and generalising
  35. Dealing with discrimination
  36. Bi+ specific support and inclusion
  37. Increase representation of bi+ people
  38. Resources and further reading
  39. Bibliography
  40. Glossary

Demographics

Demographics questions were asked at the end of the survey, with an answer rate of two out of three participants.

Sexual orientation (N=425)

Some people who experience attraction to more than one gender or regardless of gender may self-describe using sexual orientation terms other than bisexual. Respondents were able to select multiple terms.

  • Bisexual: 67%
  • Queer: 61%
  • Pansexual: 26%
  • Biromantic: 17%
  • Gay: 12%
  • Panromantic: 10%
  • Asexual: 8%
  • Straight/Heterosexual: 5%
  • Bi-Curious: 4%
  • Lesbian: 4%

Location (N=313)

The majority, 72%, of respondents stated that they lived in Scotland, with 23% living in England. Only 1.3% lived in Wales and 0.3% in Northern Ireland. A further 3.2% of respondents stated that they currently lived elsewhere.

Gender identity and trans history (N=289 and N=310)

The majority, 54%, of respondents identified as women, 21% as men and 23.5% as non-binary. In the follow-up question about trans identity/history, 23% of respondents said that they were trans, and 6% answered “other”. Most of those 6% mentioned exploring their gender as the reason for this.

Ages of respondents (N=310)

Most participants were within the age ranges of 26–35 years old, at 34%, and 36–45 years old, at 28%. Other larger age groups were 46–55 years old, at 16%, and 16–25 years old, at 13%. People aged 56–65 years old accounted for 6%. All other age groups were less than 1% of the total. The complete distribution can be seen in the graph below.

  • under age 16: 1%
  • age 16-25: 13%
  • age 26-35: 34%
  • age 36-45: 28%
  • age 46-55: 16%
  • age 56-65: 6%
  • age 66-75: 2%
  • age 76-85: 0.3%
  • over age 85: 0.3%

Ethnicity (N=308)

The majority of respondents described their ethnicity[5] as either white Scottish, at 43%, white British, at 39%, or other white ethnic groups[6] at 22%. Nearly 3% of respondents described their ethnicity as African, Black or Caribbean, and 2% as Asian. Respondents of mixed ethnicity, Jewish, Traveller[7], Indigenous Australian[8] and Native American[9] accounted for less than 1% each.

  • white Scottish: 43%
  • white British: 39%
  • other white: 22%
  • African, Black or Caribbean: 3%
  • Asian: 2%
  • mixed: 1%
  • Jewish: 0.3%
  • Traveller: 0.3%
  • Indigenous Australian: 0.3%
  • Native American: 0.3%

Religion or belief (N=229)

Participants were given the option of writing in their religion/belief instead of a drop-down menu of options, and some wrote more than one. The largest group, 66%, were those who stated that they have no religious beliefs, were agnostic, atheist or Humanist. The largest group after this, 12%, identified with some form of Christian religion, 10% were Pagan and 3% were Jewish. Just over 2% were Buddhists. Baha’i and Muslim people accounted for less than 1% each. A further 9% gave a diverse range of other religions and beliefs.

Disability (N=308)

57% of respondents stated that they were disabled. Out of these 178 disabled respondents, 30% stated that they were neurodivergent, 16% had physical impairments, and 27% did not specify what impairments they had.


Footnotes

  1. Respondents were able to select more than one answer. (Return to reference [5])
  2. This includes white Irish at 6%, white Polish at 0.3%, and “any other white ethnic group” at 16%. (Return to reference [6])
  3. Term used by the respondent. (Return to reference [7])
  4. Term used by the respondent. (Return to reference [8])
  5. Term used by the respondent. (Return to reference [9])

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