ABS Data released: Innate Variations of Sex Characteristics
On 19 December 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released a first estimate on the size and characteristics of LGBTI+ populations in Australia. The key data findings on the population of people with innate variations of sex characteristics in Australia include that:
“An estimated 63,300 people, or 0.3% of Australians 16 years and over, report they know they were born with variations of sex characteristics”.
“Of the estimated 910,600 Australians who are LGBTI+: One in fourteen (7.0%) report they know they were born with variations of sex characteristics. Most (91.3%) report they were not born with variations of sex characteristics”.
These findings arise out of pooled data from national surveys using the following survey question:
“Were you born with a variation of sex characteristics, sometimes called ‘intersex’ or ‘DSD’?”.
Including each of these terms helps to clarify the population that the question intends to count, and names all of the key umbrella terms that respondents may have heard. The survey question implements a 2020 National Standard (ABS 2021).
The references to people who “report they know” highlight the difficulties we have identified in counting people with innate variations of sex characteristics, including a legacy of secrecy and non-disclosure by clinicians to people with IVSCs. 0.7% of respondents gave the response “don’t know”, and this is higher than those responding “yes”. The ABS analysis sought to identify impacts from misconceptions that conflate IVSCs with LGBT identities and it established that false positives from endosex (non-intersex) transgender people were unlikely.
While these data cannot give us a count of the actual total number of people with IVSCs, these findings are a first step. As comprehension of our population improves, and with better reporting that respects the distinct nature of this variable, we can expect improvements to data quality over time.
The data is drawn from 3 national surveys. The limited sample size means that it is unfortunately not yet possible to ascertain the characteristics and circumstances of this population in any detail.
InterAction supports the collection of data on the number and circumstances of people with innate variations of sex characteristics. We have worked with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to develop norms and standards in order to do this respectfully, and in a context where intersex people continue to often be counted in inappropriate ways.
We’d like to thank the ABS for their work and collaboration with us, and for the opportunity for Dr Morgan Carpenter to peer review the analysis and reporting.
Similar findings and limitations have been reported in the only other comparable data source yet available: the Aotearoa New Zealand national census of 2023. In this national census, respondents were asked:
“Were you born with a variation of sex characteristics (otherwise known as an intersex variation)”
Possible responses were yes, no, don’t know and prefer not to say.
Stats NZ reported that 0.4% of respondents (all adults) know themselves to have an innate variation of sex characteristics (IVSC).
For more information and analysis, read our page on population figures.