ONS ADMITS TRANSGENDER CENSUS DATA WAS INACCURATE – It comes after the Sullivan Review found widespread conflation of sex and gender in official statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has acknowledged that the number of transgender people recorded in the 2021 England and Wales census was inaccurate, marking the first official admission of errors in the data.
The census initially reported 262,000 trans individuals, but ONS officials have now stated that this figure “should not be used” as an exact representation of the population. This follows a decision last year by the Office for Statistics Regulation to downgrade the data, meaning it is no longer classified as “accredited official statistics.”
The 2021 census was the first to include a question about gender identity, asking respondents: “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?” However, analysis found that non-English speakers were four times more likely to identify as transgender, raising concerns over potential misunderstandings of the question.
The admission comes shortly after the government-commissioned Sullivan Review found widespread conflation of sex and gender in official statistics over the past decade. The review also highlighted concerns over a “partisan climate” within public bodies, including the ONS, and called for a government-led investigation into activism and impartiality in such institutions.
