This paper gives users of 2023 Census data an overview of the gender, sex, and LGBTIQ+ concepts, including information on the data collected, how the data will be output, and recommendations on use of data across these concepts.
The 2023 Census is the first census to collect and produce data based on the updated Data standard for gender, sex, and variations of sex characteristics and Statistical standard for sexual identity.
What was collected and what is being output?
Overview of concepts and data sources
When to use each concept?
Quality ratings of concepts
Time series comparison for gender and sex at birth
What was collected and what is being output?
The 2023 Census collected information relating to gender, sex, and LGBTIQ+ concepts through four different questions:
- Gender was asked of all respondents on the individual form, as well as on the online household set-up form and paper dwelling form.
- Sex at birth was asked of all respondents on the individual form.
- Sexual identity was asked of respondents aged 15 years and over on the individual form.
- Variations of sex characteristics was asked of respondents aged 15 years and over on the individual form.
Two derived variables were produced from this information:
- Cisgender and transgender status was produced through the combination of responses to gender and sex at birth.
- Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator was produced through responses to gender, cisgender and transgender status, sexual identity, and variations of sex characteristics.
Overview of concepts and data sources
Gender
Gender refers to a person's social and personal identity as male, female, or another gender or genders that may be non-binary.
Gender has three output categories:
1 Male
2 Female
3 Another gender.
Alternative data sources of admin data and statistical imputation were used for missing census responses and responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for.
Methodologies for filling gaps in gender and sex at birth concepts for the 2023 Census provides detailed information about this process.
Information by concept - Gender provides detailed information about the gender concept.
Sex at birth
Sex at birth refers to the sex recorded at a person's birth (for example, what was recorded on their birth certificate).
Sex at birth has two output categories:
1 Male
2 Female.
Alternative data sources of admin data, historical census, and statistical imputation were used for missing census responses and responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for.
Methodologies for filling gaps in gender and sex at birth concepts for the 2023 Census provides detailed information about this process.
Information by concept - Sex at birth provides detailed information about the sex at birth concept.
Sexual identity
Sexual identity refers to how a person thinks of their sexuality, and which terms they identify with.
Sexual identity has six output categories:
1 Heterosexual
2 Homosexual
3 Bisexual
5 Sexual identity not elsewhere classified
6 Prefer not to say
9 Not elsewhere included.
No alternative data sources were used for missing or unidentifiable responses to sexual identity.
Information by concept - Sexual identity provides detailed information about the sexual identity concept.
Variations of sex characteristics
Variations of sex characteristics refers to people born with innate genetic, hormonal, or physical sex characteristics that do not conform to medical norms for female or male bodies. Other terms used are intersex person, a person with an intersex variation, or differences of sex development (DSD).
Variations of sex characteristics has five output categories:
11 Persons who know they were born with a variation of sex characteristics
22 Persons who know they were not born with a variation of sex characteristics
44 Persons who do not know if they were born with a variation of sex characteristics
66 Persons who preferred not to answer
99 Not elsewhere included.
No alternative data sources were used for missing or unidentifiable responses to variations of sex characteristics.
Due to data quality issues, some restrictions have been placed on outputs of this concept.
Information by concept - Variations of sex characteristics provides detailed information about the variations of sex characteristics concept.
Cisgender and transgender status
Cisgender refers to a person whose gender is the same as the sex recorded at their birth. Transgender refers to a person whose gender is different from the sex recorded at their birth.
Cisgender and transgender status has three output categories at level 1 of the classification:
01 Cisgender
02 Transgender
03 Cisgender and transgender status unidentifiable.
Cisgender and transgender status has six output categories at level 2 of the classification:
11 Cisgender male
12 Cisgender female
21 Transgender male
22 Transgender female
23 Transgender person of another gender
31 Cisgender and transgender status unidentifiable.
While the source variables of gender and sex at birth use alternative data sources, no alternative data sources, or information from the online household set-up form or paper dwelling form, were used to derive cisgender and transgender status.
Information by concept - Cisgender and transgender status provides detailed information about the cisgender and transgender status concept.
Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator
The Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator is derived based on responses to gender, sexual identity, and variations of sex characteristics, as well as cisgender and transgender status.
The LGBTIQ+ category is derived where one or more of the following responses have been received:
- another gender
- transgender (derived)
- a response that is coded to be homosexual, bisexual, or sexual identity not elsewhere classified
- persons who know they were born with a variation of sex characteristics.
Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator has three output categories at level 1 of the classification:
1 LGBTIQ+
2 Not LGBTIQ+
3 LGBTIQ+ status unidentifiable.
At level 2 of the classification, the LGBTIQ+ category is broken down to distinguish between:
11 Another gender
12 Transgender
13 Homosexual, bisexual, or sexual identity not elsewhere classified
14 Persons who know they were born with a variation of sex characteristics.
Individuals can belong to more than one of the level 2 categories.
No alternative data sources, or information from the online household set-up form or paper dwelling form, were used to derive the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator.
Information by concept - Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator provides detailed information about the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ concept.
When to use each concept?
Gender is the default concept used for tables in Aotearoa Data Explorer and other 2023 Census outputs. This follows recommendations from the Data standard for gender, sex, and variations of sex characteristics.
Gender data should be used in most cases when wanting to disaggregate between the male, female, and another gender populations. Gender is also used for the derived outputs of cisgender and transgender status, and the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator.
Sex at birth data has been used for the derived outputs of cisgender and transgender status, the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator, and for specific output tables. Use of this concept is recommended where there is a specific need to disaggregate males and females at birth, such as for fertility and population projections which rely on this specific concept.
Another gender data is output through the gender concept, and informs the derived outputs. For detailed analysis of the another gender population, we recommend using one of the concepts solely derived from 2023 Census individual form response data, that is cisgender and transgender status or the level 2 groupings within the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator.
Both gender and sex at birth utilised alternative data sources to produce the final dataset for the 2023 Census.
Methodologies for filling gaps in gender and sex at birth concepts for the 2023 Census describes the methodology that was used.
Currently there is limited availability of high-quality alternative data sources for gender, and the majority of missing gender values were statistically imputed. This means that while the proportional distribution of 'Another gender' category is considered accurate for the overall population, the individual accuracy of statistically imputed records for this category is considered low.
Sexual identity data should be used when seeking to disaggregate and compare outcomes between the heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and sexual identities not elsewhere classified populations.
Variations of sex characteristics data should be used when wanting to disaggregate and compare outcomes for people born with, and not born with, variations of sex characteristics.
Cisgender and transgender status data should be used for detailed analysis of the transgender population overall, as well as detailed analysis of transgender males, transgender females, or transgender people of another gender. It should also be used to compare these populations with cisgender populations.
Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator data should be used when wanting to analyse and compare outcomes for the LGBTIQ+ population overall, or for the more detailed level 2 groupings.
Quality ratings of concepts
Stats NZ produces quality ratings for all concepts where output data is produced from the 2023 Census.
Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census provides more detail.
The quality ratings for the concepts covered in this paper are:
- Gender - High
- Sex at birth - Very High
- Sexual identity - Poor
- Variations of sex characteristics - Poor
- Cisgender and transgender status - Poor
- Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator - Poor.
Gender and sex at birth received quality ratings of high and very high respectively. Significant reasons for this include the use of alternative data sources, and the availability of, and consistency with, comparative data.
Sexual identity, variations of sex characteristics, cisgender and transgender status, and the Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator all have the quality rating of poor. A significant reason for this is that none of these concepts used alternative data sources, meaning their coverage within the census dataset is lower, resulting in a 'poor' rating for metric one. This is the case for all individual variables that do not use any alternative data sources.
Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census provides more detail on the metrics used to rate census data quality.
Due to additional data quality issues, we have also restricted some outputs and breakdowns for variations of sex characteristics.
To understand quality aspects for each concept, we recommend viewing their respective 'information by concept' publication, accessible through Data quality ratings for 2023 Census variables.
Time series comparison for gender and sex at birth
Some 2023 Census gender and sex at birth published tables will include 2018 and 2013 Census data to allow time series comparisons.
Gender will use historical census sex data for time series comparison, however there will be no time series for the 'Another gender' category. Be cautious with time series comparisons between gender and historic sex data because of the conceptual differences between the two variables.
Sex at birth will use historical census sex data for time series comparison. While 2023 Census sex at birth data is highly comparable with historical sex data, users should note the concept was revised between 2018 and 2023. The information collected in 2018 and prior was not specifically sex at birth.
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