Rainbow /LGBTIQ+ population: 2023 Census provides data on LGBTIQ+ communities with the release of 24 new Aotearoa Data Explorer tables.
The 2023 Census was the first census to collect information on LGBTIQ+ communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The LGBTIQ+ population output from the 2023 Census includes people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, were born with a variation of sex characteristics, or have other minority genders or sexual identities.
LGBTIQ+ statistics give a picture of the diversity within our population, and enable people to advocate for the needs of LGBTIQ+ communities. This data is valuable for informing local and central government planning, service provision, and policy development. It also allows us to understand how outcomes differ for LGBTIQ+ and non-LGBTIQ+ people in New Zealand.
24 new 2023 Census topic tables in Aotearoa Data Explorer
This release of 2023 Census data on LGBTIQ+ communities includes new datasets on topics such as age, gender, work and education, families and households, and housing. The tables are available by geographic area and census year.
Most tables break down the data using the rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator, which includes the categories 'LGBTIQ+' and 'not LGBTIQ+'. The LGBTIQ+ category can be further broken down to provide data for sexual minorities, transgender and non-binary groups, and those born with a variation of sex characteristics. One table provides data broken down by the sexual identity variable and the cisgender and transgender status variable, providing further detail for subgroups within these populations.
Gender, sex, and LGBTIQ+ concepts in the 2023 Census provides an overview of these concepts, information on how the data was collected, how the data is being output, and recommendations on use of the data.
Find topic tables from the latest 2023 Census releases contains the tables in this release, as well as details about them.
LGBTIQ+ analytical report coming soon
We will publish more detail and analysis for the LGBTIQ+ population in mid-2025 in the report LGBTIQ+ population of Aotearoa New Zealand 2023: Findings from the 2023 Census, supplemented by data from the Household Economic Survey and General Social Survey.
More data
Place and ethnic group summaries tool allows users to view and compare simple graphs and tables of data for local communities and New Zealand's ethnic groups, including rainbow/LGBTIQ+ data.
Aotearoa Data Explorer - 2023 Census provides access to search and customise 2023 Census data tables and compare data against previous censuses.
Aotearoa Data Explorer user guide contains video tutorials and a user guide.
2023 Census Totals by topic tables are available in geospatial formats:
LGBT+ population of Aotearoa New Zealand: Year ended June 2023 has LGBT+ data from the Household Economic Survey in the year ended June 2023.
Definitions and metadata
Gender, sex, and LGBTIQ+ concepts in the 2023 Census provides technical information on these concepts and output categories.
Methodological standard for confidentiality in the 2023 Census explains how census variables have been confidentialised, including the use of the sensitive variable rule.
Using a combined census model for the 2023 Census provides information about the methodology used for the 2023 Census.
Data quality in the 2023 Census provides information about the composition and quality of the 2023 Census dataset.
2023 Census of Population and Dwellings - Information by concepts (published) - DataInfo+ provides information about the variables and their quality.
Technical enquiries
Geoff Sullivan
04 931 4600
[email protected]
