It's a question that often sparks curiosity, and for good reason: what percentage of the population identifies as asexual? This isn't a simple statistic to pin down, as it touches on personal identity and how we understand ourselves and others. Recently, the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) provided some fascinating insights from the 2021 Census for England and Wales, shedding a little more light on this aspect of human diversity.
When the census asked people aged 16 and over about their sexual orientation, a significant number chose not to answer. Out of those who did respond – and that was a healthy 92.5% of the eligible population, or about 44.9 million people – the vast majority identified as straight or heterosexual. Around 1.5 million people identified with an LGB+ orientation (gay or lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations).
Now, where does asexuality fit into this? The census data, as presented, doesn't explicitly break out 'asexual' as a distinct category in its main findings. Instead, individuals who identify as asexual would likely have fallen under the 'other sexual orientation' write-in option, or perhaps chose not to answer the question at all. The ONS did note that 7.5% of respondents (which equates to 3.6 million people) did not answer the sexual orientation question.
It's important to remember that the census question was designed to capture how people responded to the question, rather than definitively measuring attraction or behaviour. Sexual orientation itself is a complex tapestry, encompassing identity, attraction, and behaviour, which don't always align perfectly for everyone.
So, while the census doesn't give us a neat percentage for asexuality specifically, it does highlight that a significant portion of the population either doesn't fit neatly into the provided categories or prefers not to disclose this information in a census context. This underscores the need for ongoing research and open conversations to better understand the full spectrum of human sexual orientation, including asexuality, and to ensure everyone feels seen and understood.
