Life expectancy for people who identify as gay, bisexual, or another sexual orientation in England and Wales is approximately one year less than their heterosexual counterparts, according to the first. analysis of its kind by the Office for National Statistics.
Life expectancy for men who identify as LGB+ is 1.2 years lower than for men who identify as straight, at 59.4 years and 60.7 years respectively.
For women, life expectancy for those who identify as LGB+ is 0.9 years lower, compared to women who identify as straight, at 63.0 and 64.0 years respectively.
Broken down by sexuality, life expectancy for men and women who identify as gay or lesbian is 59.3 years and 62.8 years respectively.
For people who identify as bisexual, life expectancy is 59.6 years for men and 62.9 years for women.
Greg Ceely, head of population life events at the ONS, said: “People who identify as gay or lesbian have a slightly lower life expectancy than those who identify as straight or heterosexual. Life expectancy can be affected by a variety of factors, so we cannot tell from this analysis whether sexual orientation is the cause of the difference seen.
Laia Becares, professor of social science and health at King’s College London, said: “Sexual orientation itself is not a risk factor, but the way sexual minorities are treated in society.”
Last month, ONS analysis found that LGB+ people in England and Wales are more likely to die by suicide, alcohol-related illness, and drug overdose than straight people.
“Experiencing discrimination and exclusion is associated with increased stress, smoking, and drug use, all of which sexual minority people are found to be more likely to engage in,” Becares said.
Using data from the 2021 census and death registrations, these findings are the first time the ONS has looked at how life expectancy differs by sexual orientation. The data is experimental, and life expectancy is estimated from age 20, as individuals aged 16 and over are asked the sexual orientation question in the census.
The ONS did not look at gender identity in this analysis, due to “uncertainty relating to responses” to questions about gender identity in the 2021 census.