How many “transgender” people are there in New Zealand?
❏ No one knows the exact figure but we will have more of an idea after the 2023 census, which will have a “gender identity” question for the first time.
❏ There are wildly varying claims of the size of the “transgender” population. Estimates are often inaccurate, especially if being transgender is self-identified rather than measured against objective criteria.
❏ One reputable survey carried out in the US in 2014 estimated that 0.6% of the adult population identified as “transgender”. Extrapolating that figure to NZ would mean we have approximately 23,000 “transgender” people here, a much smaller number than is often claimed.
❏ For comparison, in NZ there are 30,000 people who are blind and a further 150,000 (3%) with low vision.
❏ Having the correct statistics for “transgender” people is important so we know how many people are affected by “transgender” issues and also how much resource should equitably be allocated to their specific needs.