Sexual orientation and gender identity will be included in US Census Bureau survey by 2027

Changes to questions about sexual orientation, gender identity and race and ethnicity are set to be asked in the most comprehensive survey of American life through 2027, U.S. Census Bureau officials said Thursday.

New or revised questions from the American Community Survey will appear in surveys and be asked by survey respondents in as little as three years, with data from those questions available the following year, officials told an advisory committee.

With a sample size of more than 3.5 million households, the American Community Survey is the most comprehensive survey of American life, covering commute times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disability, and military service, among many other topics.

RELATED STORY | Census Bureau estimates US population would decline without immigration

Some of the revised questions are the result of changes the federal government announced earlier this year to how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. The changes were the first in 27 years and were aimed at better counting people who identify as Hispanic, Middle Eastern and North African.

Within the scope of the regulations, questions regarding race and ethnicity, which were previously asked separately, will be combined into a single question. This will give participants the option to select multiple categories at once, such as “Black,” “American Indian,” and “Hispanic.” The Middle East and North Africa category will also be added to the preferences.

The revised race categories could be implemented as early as next year for data released in 2026 for the Census Bureau’s population estimates, which look at annual changes based on births, deaths and immigration.

English and Spanish questions about sexual orientation and gender identity began being tested in August, with trial surveys sent to several hundred thousand households. Testing for face-to-face interviews will begin next spring.

RELATED STORY | Census projects show more than 1 in 4 Americans will be Latino in the next few decades

The test aims to examine the impact of question wording, what types of response options should be given, and how participants answer questions about other members of their household in what are known as “proxy responses.” Questions will only be asked to people aged 15 and over.

Respondents to the sexual orientation test question can respond in writing if they do not see themselves as gay or lesbian, heterosexual or bisexual. The gender identity test question has two steps; The first asks whether you were born male or female, and the second asks your current gender. Possible answers include male, female, transgender, non-binary, and the option to write for those who don’t see themselves in the other answers.

In some test surveys, participants are given the option to select more than one answer, while in others they can only select one.

The trial survey also tests “degendering” questions about relationships in the home by changing options such as “biological son or daughter” to “biological child.”