Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people
There is little information available about gay, lesbian, bisexual, fa’afafine,
takatāpui, intersex, transgender and transsexual people in New Zealand, or the size of this group of people in relation to the total population.
Some information about same-sex couples who share a residence was collected
in the 1996 and 2001 population censuses. The 2001 Census recorded just over
10,000 adults living with a partner of the same sex, making up 0.6 percent
of all adults living in couples. This is a larger number than the 6,500 recorded
in the 1996 Census, when they made up 0.4 percent of all couples. However,
it is difficult to know whether the change in numbers represents a real increase
in the number of same-sex couples living together, or a greater willingness
on their part to report living arrangements and partnership status. According
to Statistics New Zealand, it is likely that the figures understate the actual
number of same-sex couples because of the inconsistent way people have responded
to the census question.
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