ONS report: societal treatment impacts lesbian, gay and bisexual life expectancy

Groundbreaking analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB+) in England and Wales have an approximately one-year shorter life expectancy compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Experts emphasize that this disparity is not linked to sexual orientation itself, but rather to the pervasive effects of societal treatment and discrimination experienced by sexual minority individuals.

The ONS’s inaugural study into life expectancy by sexual orientation, utilizing data from the 2021 census and death registrations, paints a concerning picture of health inequalities. For men identifying as LGB+, life expectancy was found to be 59.4 years, 1.2 years less than heterosexual men (60.7 years). Similarly, LGB+ women had a life expectancy of 63.0 years, a difference of 0.9 years when compared to heterosexual women at 64.0 years.

Further breakdown of the data indicates that men identifying as gay or lesbian had a life expectancy of 59.3 years, while for women in this group, it was 62.8 years. For bisexual individuals, life expectancy stood at 59.6 years for men and 62.9 years for women.

While Greg Ceely, Head of Population Life Events at the ONS, noted that the analysis could not definitively attribute the difference solely to sexual orientation due to the myriad of influencing factors on life expectancy, academic insight provides crucial context.

Professor Laia Becares, a leading expert in social science and health at King’s College London, unequivocally stated, "Sexual orientation itself is not a risk factor, but the way sexual minority people are treated in society is." This perspective aligns with previous ONS findings from last month, which highlighted that LGB+ individuals in England and Wales face a higher likelihood of death from suicide, alcohol-related diseases, and drug overdoses compared to heterosexual individuals.

Professor Becares further elaborated on the mechanisms of this disparity, explaining, "Experiencing discrimination and exclusion is associated with increased stress, smoking and drug use, all of which sexual minority people have been found to be more likely to engage in." This underscores the critical impact of social determinants of health on the LGB+ community.

The ONS clarifies that this data is experimental, with life expectancy estimates calculated from age 20, as the sexual orientation question in the 2021 census was posed to individuals aged 16 and over. Due to uncertainties associated with responses to gender identity questions in the same census, the analysis could not extend to include gender identity.