Lesbian, gay and bisexual people, or those identifying as “other sexual orientation” (LGB+), have a higher death rate compared to people identifying as straight or heterosexual, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
There are nearly three times as many drug poisoning deaths among LGB+ people compared with the “straight or heterosexual” group, while alcohol-related deaths were almost twice as high.
The census allows people to voluntarily declare their sexuality, and gives the choice of “straight or heterosexual”, “gay or lesbian”, “bisexual” or “other sexual orientation”. The term LGB+ is used because it aligns with the categories used in the 2021 Census, rather than the broader LGBTQ+ term.
The age-standardised rate of death between March 2021 and November 2024 was 982.9 people per 100,000 in the LGB+ group, while it was a much lower 752.6 among straight people.
The death rates were higher across both men and women in that group.
The leading cause of death across all sexual orientations was ischaemic heart diseases – such as coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease – and they accounted for 10.7% of deaths among straight people and 11.9% among LGB+ people.
The second most common cause of death for LGB+ people across that period was suicide, while it did not feature in the top five causes of death among the heterosexual group.
This is the first time ONS has looked at differences in causes of death among adults by sexual orientation.
“While this analysis does not explore causality, we hope this data will help inform health professionals and others working with different population groups,” Dr Emma Sharland from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The data is from the 2021 Census of England and Wales and deaths registered between March 21, 2021 and November 30, 2024.
Source: https://www.itv.com/news/2026-01-13/lesbian-gay-and-bisexual-people-have-higher-death-rates-ons-data-shows
