London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

People can self-identify as male or female in Scottish census, says guidance

People can self-identify as male or female in Scottish census, says guidance

Answer to sex question can differ from birth certificate, without need for gender recognition certificate, says NRS
People can answer the male or female question in Scotland’s 2022 census based on how they identify themselves rather than according to legal status, according to new guidance from the body responsible for the survey.

Issued by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) on Tuesday, the guidelines tell people to answer the sex question according to how they self-identify, regardless of the details on their birth certificate or whether they have a gender recognition certificate.

“If you are transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate,” they say. “You do not need a gender recognition certificate (GRC).

“If you are non-binary or you are not sure how to answer, you could use the sex registered on your official documents, such as your passport.” A person’s sex on their passport can be altered without a formal legal process.

The census, which was delayed for a year because of the pandemic, also includes a voluntary question about transgender status or history for the first time, for those aged 16 or over.

Similar guidance for the England, Wales and Northern Ireland census had to be changed weeks before the official day to complete it on 21 March after a high court challenge brought by the campaign group Fair Play for Women successfully argued the advice “conflated and confused” sex with gender identity.

Equalities groups in Scotland have argued that trans men and women should continue to be allowed to answer the compulsory sex question with the sex in which they live and identify, as they were in the 2011 census under previous guidelines.

Research undertaken for NRS suggests three times as many trans and non-binary people would be willing to answer the sex question with self-identification guidance.

Welcoming the decision, the manager of Scottish Trans Alliance, Vic Valentine, said intensive research and testing found that continuing with previous guidance gave the best data.

“This means trans people can answer the sex question in a way that best reflects how we live our day-to-day lives … This provides the most useful information about trans people – as we lawfully interact with public bodies, use services, and update our identity documents in this way.

“Where people want to know if there are any differences between trans people and the general population, the new question on trans status and history will allow this information to be separated out and compared. Most estimates place trans people as less than 1% of the population [and] including us in this way will have no impact on overall data quality.”

Lisa Mackenzie of the policy analyst collective Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, which first raised data quality concerns in January 2019, said the guidance represented “a de facto conflation” of sex and gender identity.

Mackenzie said: “Following a successful challenge brought earlier this year by campaign group Fair Play for Women in the English high court on similar guidance proposed for use in the census in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics was forced to concede that ‘sex’ in the Census Act 1920 means simply ‘sex as recorded on a birth certificate or gender recognition certificate’.

“Alignment between UK censuses has already been compromised by the delay to the census in Scotland. It is difficult to see how the Scottish government can claim that their reframing of the sex question in the 2022 Scottish census is compatible with the Census Act 1920.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×