New data released about 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada

Statistics Canada recently released socioeconomic data for Canadians, broken down by those who are 2SLGBTQ+ and those who are not. I thought I’d highlight a few things that stuck out to me.

Nearly 1.3 million people in Canada self reported as being 2SLGBTQ+, which accounts for about 4.4% of the population, or about 1 in 20 people.

Ontario has the largest number of 2SLGBTQ+ people; although British Columbia has the largest percentage.

Ontario	470,800	4.20%
Quebec	262,300	3.90%
British Columbia	235,400	5.90%
Prairie provinces	226,900	4.40%
Atlantic provinces	89,700	4.70%

Unsurprisingly, the Atlantic provinces have the smallest total number of 2SLGBTQ+ people; however they have the second largest percentage.

Québec actually has the smallest percentage of 2SLGBTQ+ people, despite having the second largest total number.

The three Prairie provinces, collectively, have the second smallest total population, but their percentage is in line with the national average.

2SLGBTQ+ people are less likely (22.9%) to be married than their non-2SLGBTQ+ counterparts (56.6%); however, they’re more likely to live in a common-law relationship (22.7% vs. 13.5%).

As well, 2SLGBTQ+ people are more likely (87.1%) to live in a household with no children than those who aren’t 2SLGBTQ+ (77.8%).

They’re also more likely to be urban dwellers (88.3% vs. 82.8%).

2SLGBTQ+ people are more likely (7.0%) to be Indigenous than non-2SLGBTQ+ people (3.3%), but less likely to be a visible minority (18.2 vs. 22.7%) or an immigrant (16.2% vs. 25.8%).

As far as education goes, 2SLGTBQ+ people are less likely to get a trade certificate of diploma (6.3%) than non-2SLGBTQ+ people (9.5%) yet more likely to get a university degree (40.3 vs. 33.7%).

Despite the higher levels of education, they’re more likely to be in the lowest (32.2% vs. 18.5%) and second-lowest quintiles (20.2% vs 19.2%) in terms of personal income.

The funny thing about that is that they’re more likely (77.2%) to have been employed over the last year than their non-2SLGBTQ+ counterparts (75.2%), so it’s not because they’re not holding down a job.

On that note, however, even though they’re more likely to have job over the last 12 months, that job is more likely to be a part-time one (16.0% vs. 11.6%), and they’re more likely to not have worked any hours in the last week (35.0 vs. 33.2%).

So, they have higher levels of education than non-2SLGBTQ+ people do, but they make less and their work situation is more precarious.

On a health-related note, 2SLGBTQ+ are more likely to report poor general health (17.5%) and poor mental health (29.7%) than their non-2SLGBTQ+ counterparts (10.0% and 9.1%).

The 2SLGTBQ+ population within Canada skews young, with 10.5% of the overall population that’s between the ages of 15 and 24, 1.3% of those 65 years old and up, and 4.1% for everyone in between.

Statistics Canada pooled their data from their annual Canadian Community Health Survey, specifically for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Each year, about 65,000 people participated in the survey.

No participants lived on a First Nations reserve, were incarcerated, served in the military, or live in remote area.