Introduction
Since the inception of the Census, no data has been collected on sexual orientation and gender identity. But for the first time, the 2021 census asked questions regarding the population's sexual orientation and gender identity. These census questions were voluntary and only asked of those aged 16 and over.

Data Overview:
Data for this section will be split up by sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sexual Orientation:
Sexual orientation is used to describe sexual identity, attraction and behaviour. The Census question for sexual orientation was voluntary and only asked of those aged 16 and over.

In Oldham, 92.7% of the population aged 16 or over responded to the question on sexual orientation. 169,261 residents reported they were straight or heterosexual, 2,152 residents reported they were gay or lesbian, 1,541 residents reported they were bisexual, followed by 487 residents reporting as other sexual orientations.

Table 1: Reported Sexual Orientation in Oldham - 2021 Census

Sexual Orientation	Number	%
All usual residents aged 16 years and over	187,035	100.0
Straight or Heterosexual	169,261	90.5
Gay or Lesbian	2,152	1.2
Bisexual	1,541	0.8
All other sexual orientations	487	0.3
Not answered	13,594	7.3

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) - Census 2021

The proportion of residents who identify as straight or heterosexual is greater in Oldham compared to both GM (89.3%) and England (89.4%). The proportion of those identifying as Gay or Lesbian is lower in Oldham compared to GM (2.0%) and England (1.5%).

Table 2: Reported Sexual Orientation in Oldham, GM & England - 2021 Census

Sexual Orientation	Oldham	Oldham %	GM	GM %	England	England %
All usual residents aged 16 years and over	187,035	100.0	2,282,928	100.0	46,006,957	100.0
Straight or Heterosexual	169,261	90.5	2,039,481	89.3	41,114,478	89.4
Gay or Lesbian	2,152	1.2	45,446	2.0	709,704	1.5
Bisexual	1,541	0.8	31,638	1.4	591,690	1.3
All other sexual orientations	487	0.3	7,899	0.3	158,357	0.3
Not answered	13,594	7.3	158,464	6.9	3,432,728	7.5

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) - 2021 Census

Table 3: Proportion of LGB+ Population by Broad Age Bands

	Oldham		England
	Male	Female	Male	Female
Aged 16 to 24 years	2.5%	5.3%	4.5%	9.3%
Aged 25 to 34 years	3.7%	4.6%	5.1%	6.1%
Aged 35 to 44 years	2.8%	2.7%	3.6%	3.4%
Aged 45 to 54 years	1.6%	1.3%	2.8%	2.0%
Aged 55 to 64 years	1.3%	1.0%	2.0%	1.2%
Aged 65 to 74 years	0.7%	0.5%	1.2%	0.6%
Aged 75 years and over	0.4%	0.2%	0.6%	0.2%

​Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) - 2021 Census


Gender Identity:
Gender identity relates to a person's sense of gender, whether that be Male, Female, or another category such as non-binary. Again, the census question for gender identity was voluntary and only asked of those aged 16 and over.

The 2021 Census question on gender identity asked "Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth." Respondents had the option of choosing 'yes' or 'no', respondents who selected 'no' had the option to state their gender identity.

In Oldham, 93.8% of the population aged 16 or over responded to the question on gender identity. 174,222 residents answered yes indicating that their gender identity was the same as their sex registered at birth. 1,302 residents answered 'no' indicating that their gender identity was different to their sex registered at birth. 736 did not provide any further information to clarify their identity. 249 identified as a trans man, 233 identified as a trans woman and a further 84 registered as 'all other gender identities'.

Table 4: Gender Identity for Oldham

Gender Identity	Number	%
Total	187,036	100.0
Gender identity the same as sex registered at birth	174,222	93.1
Gender identity different from sex registered at birth but no specific identity given	736	0.4
Trans woman	233	0.1
Trans man	249	0.1
All other gender identities	84	0.0
Not answered	11,512	6.2

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) - 2021 Census