Having good-quality data and statistics about rainbow populations can help decision-makers to understand rainbow population needs and priorities. There are still a lot of gaps in the data available.

Although we have some good research about rainbow people’s experiences in Aotearoa, there is very little whole-population data that estimates the size of rainbow populations, or compares rainbow experiences with other people. Partly because of these data gaps, rainbow health and social disparities are systemically under-recognised in government strategies and across health and social service systems, and responses to improve outcomes are under-resourced. 

This has started to change in recent years. Census 2023 was the first to ask rainbow demographic questions. Stats NZ published new data standards about sexual identity (in 2018) and about gender, sex, and variations of sex characteristics (in 2021). Data about LGBT+ populations (not including people who are intersex or have innate variations of sex characteristics) has been published from the Household Economic Survey and the General Social Survey.

Rainbow data encompasses three aspects of people’s identities, bodies or experiences: their sexual orientation, gender, and innate variations of sex characteristics. An individual person might be counted under the rainbow umbrella related to one or more of these aspects. Depending on the data source, results might not include all three of these aspects of rainbow identity or experience. Rainbow populations might also be undercounted because of the way a question is asked. If you’re designing a survey, see our page on data collection for some thoughts about methodology.

Rainbow population statistics in Aotearoa

Major sources of rainbow population statistics in Aotearoa include:

  • Census 2023 - this was the first to include demographic questions about sexual identity, gender and innate variations of sex characteristics. Rainbow data from the Census has not yet been published.

  • Stats NZ’s Household Economic Survey and General Social Survey - large-scale surveys which report on LGBT+ economic status, housing, employment and wellbeing. These surveys do not include a demographic question about people who are intersex or have innate variations of sex characteristics, so they count “LGBT+” data, which is a subset of “rainbow”.

  • Youth19 (and the older Youth 2000 series) - large-scale surveys of secondary school students, which include data on sexual and gender minority high school students (but not intersex students).

  • Identify - a survey of rainbow young people aged between 14 and 26.

  • Counting Ourselves - a survey of trans and non-binary people aged 14 to 83.

  • Manalagi - a survey of Pacific Rainbow LGBTQIA+ MVPFAFF+ people.

Future Census consultation

In 2024, Stats NZ has been consulting on its plans to ‘modernise’ its approach to the Census. This includes moving away from collecting all of the Census data through a survey, towards collecting some data through existing government ‘administrative’ sources, like tax returns and school enrollment records. 

Changing from a ‘full enumeration’ Census - surveying everyone directly - has some risks for rainbow data collection. We’ve been advocating for Stats NZ to continue working with rainbow data experts and community advocates to look at ways to mitigate these risks, and to improve how rainbow data is conceptualised, collected and shared.