# Comparing Transgender Identities in the Census of Scotland and the Census of England and Wales

## TL;DR

This paper compares how two British censuses measured transgender identities, finding that one overestimated transgender people and possibly missed non-binary individuals.

## Contribution

The study introduces a clearer question for measuring transgender identities and shows how question phrasing affects census results.

## Key findings

- The 2021 England and Wales census overestimated the transgender population due to confusing question wording.
- The 2022 Scotland census used a clearer question, suggesting better accuracy in measuring transgender identities.
- The England and Wales census may have undercounted non-binary individuals due to its question formulation.

## Abstract

The most recent British census was the first to elicit transgender identity. The 2021 Census of England and Wales asked ‘Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?’. It is has been argued that this formulation confused a substantial number of respondents who erroneously answered in the negative. The 2022 Census of Scotland asked a clearer question, ‘Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?’ Comparison between the results provides further evidence that the Census of England and Wales overestimated the transgender population, and also raises the possibility that it undercounted the non‐binary component of this population.