For example, in 2018, two-fifths of LGBTQ2+ Canadians (41%) had a total personal income of less than $20,000 per year, compared with one-quarter of their non-LGBTQ2+ counterparts (26%). LGBTQ2+ Canadians may also have fewer resources to fall back on. Given the high proportion of young people among the LGBTQ2+ population, it is likely that LGBTQ2+ Canadians may be disproportionately affected by job loss during the pandemic. In May 2021, the employment level of Canadian youth aged 15 to 24 remains furthest from February 2020 levels for both women ( -14.5%) and men ( -7.8%). While the pandemic has been difficult for all Canadians, LGBTQ2+ Canadians may be more at risk from the economic fallout. LGBTQ2+ Canadians may be more economically vulnerable during the pandemic With the introduction of gender in the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada will be able to identify, for the first time, trans or non-binary-gender couples, which will allow us to provide a more complete picture of the growing diversity of Canadian families. This two-step approach will allow Statistics Canada to have reliable data on the trans population, including the gender non-binary population, and to help address information gaps about gender diversity in Canada.
The 2021 Census of Population includes, for the first time, a question on gender in addition to a question on sex at birth. Half of all same-sex couples in Canada were living in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Ottawa–Gatineau.Ībout 1 in 8 same-sex couples (12.0%) had children living with them in 2016, compared with about half of opposite-sex couples. One third (33.4%) of all Same-sex couples in Canada in 2016 were married and two-thirds were living common-law. Overall, there were 72,880 same-sex couples in Canada in 2016, representing 0.9% of all couples at the time of the 2016 Census. This increase may be reflective, at least in part, of growing awareness and acceptance of sexual diversity in Canada. By comparison, the number of opposite sex couples increased by 9.6% from 2006 to 2016. Since 2001, the number of same sex couples in Canada has grown considerably. One-third of all same sex couples were married in 2016 At the other end of the spectrum, 7% of LGBTQ2+ Canadians were aged 65 or older, compared with 21% of non-LGBTQ2+ Canadians. Youth aged 15 to 24 comprised just under a third (30%) of the LGBTQ2+ population in 2018, compared with 14% of the non-LGBTQ2+ population. Bisexual women (332,000) outnumbered bisexual men (161,200) by a margin of 2 to 1.Īccording to the 2018 Survey on Safety in Public and Private Spaces, approximately 75,000 Canadians were trans or non-binary, representing 0.24% of the Canadian population aged 15 and older. Almost one-third of LGBTQ2+ Canadians are under 25 years oldĬombined data from the 2015 to 2018 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey ( CCHS) found that one-quarter of Canada's LGB population were gay men (255,100), while 1 in 7 are gay or lesbian women (150,600).
Canada's LGBTQ2+ communities are one million strongĬanada is home to approximately one million people who are LGBTQ2+, accounting for 4% of the total population aged 15 and older in 2018.Īlthough much has been accomplished since the beginning of the new millennium, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2005, and protecting gender expression and identity in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code in 2017, concerns remain, given the spike in hate crimes targeting LGBTQ2+ Canadians in 2019. Much of the data in this release focus on LGB Canadians (lesbian, gay, bisexual), since Statistics Canada has been collecting detailed information on these communities since 2003.
To mark Pride Season, we are painting a demographic and social profile of Canada's diverse LGBTQ2+ communities based on published analyses. Pride Season brings together members of diverse communities who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, or those who identify with another non-binary gender or minority sexual identity (LGBTQ2+) and allies in celebrating one of Canada's greatest strengths that is diversity and inclusion.
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