Sexual minorities: numbers in Scotland

The most recent estimates from the UK-wide 2020 Annual Population Survey found that 3.1% of respondents self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, an increase from 2.7% in the previous year (Annual Population Survey 2020). In the same survey, 3.1% of Scottish participants identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, which also increased from 2.7% compared to 2019. Similarly, the Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2019 (SSCQ) found that 94.2% of the Scottish population identified as heterosexual and 2.9% as LGB or other.

Some information is available from Scotland's Census 2011 (based on Table QS108SC - Living arrangements) on the number of people who reported living in a couple, in a registered same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting with someone of the same sex (Table 1).

 Table 1*: Numbers of people aged 16+ years in different living arrangements at time of 2011 Census in Scotland. 

Source: National Records of Scotland, 2011 Census (Table QS108SC - Living arrangements).

*These are the NHS boards based on the boundaries as at 1 April 2014.

Civil partnership data from the census found 7,000 people (0.2% of the Scottish population) were in a civil partnership, 1,982,000 (45%) were married (including remarried), 1,549,000 (35%) were single (never married or registered a civil partnership) 360,000 (8.2%) were divorced or formerly in a civil partnership, 340,000 (7.8%) were widowed, widowered or the surviving partner from a civil partnership, and 141,000 (3.2%) were separated but still legally married or in a civil partnership.