Required future work by ONS and the GSS

There is great value in ONS having undertaken this work on developing how people are able to describe society. We recognise the challenges in collecting data at scale on a sensitive topic for the first time.

Our recommendations focus on the steps ONS must now take to help users of the census gender identity statistics understand their strengths and limitations and the development work we consider is required on the GSS gender identity harmonised standard.

Guidance for use of the census gender identity statistics

• It is important that ONS communicate clearly across all its census outputs what ‘official statistics in development’ means in practice for the census gender identity statistics.
• In doing this, the varying levels of information across the gender identity publications and data tables must be addressed by ONS across its suite of publications and data on gender identity.
• ONS should provide more practical information, according to the needs of stakeholders, to help users understand the uncertainty inherent in the data and how this affects their use and interpretation. This information could include sensitivity analysis, and example use cases published at different levels of geography and population highlighting any likely anomalies or implausibilities.
• ONS should consult with us as it develops these communications, which should be treated as a priority workstream.

Gender identity question development

These data were identified as being important for society, and it is important that the original user need for robust data on gender identity be addressed for future statistics. ONS should consider how these data needs are best addressed in future as part of its further testing of the question.

We consider that there is sufficient correlational evidence that the gender identity question in the census has underperformed, and some users, producers and stakeholders have lost confidence in the suitability of the gender identity question.

This issue is important as the census gender identity question is also the question used in the GSS gender identity data harmonised standard. As we set out in a letter to the Deputy National Statistician with oversight of the Government Statistics Service (GSS) in February 2024, we are seeing in our regulatory work the implications of the lack of confidence in the harmonised question by producers, who are unsure what gender identity question they should use, and who feel unsupported by the Government Statistical Service. The GSS Harmonisation Team must consider these recommendations as it further develops its workplan.

• We can confirm that our interim recommendation remains: namely that, as part of the ongoing development of the GSS harmonised standard for gender identity, ONS should carry out further testing of the question. ONS must give consideration to developing and testing a harmonised question that commands the confidence of producers and users. The merits of the Scottish Census question should also be considered in this process.
• This work on the question should be considered as part of the outcome for the Future of Population and Migration Statistics consultation, in determining the future production of these statistics in an administrative data-based framework.
• Given that the census gender identity question is also the GSS harmonised standard, ONS should prioritise this work, ensuring that adequate resources are made available.
• We consider that there is an immediate need for the GSS to publish advice for statistics producers who are currently using the gender identity question and for those who are thinking about adopting the standard. This guidance should set out the limitations of the question, reference the Scottish Census approach and caution against knee-jerk changes to established collections until ONS has undertaken further research.
• We recommend that stakeholders be fully involved and engaged in future work, to help build and restore confidence.

The GSS should publish its initial plans for developing the gender identity harmonised standard within three months of our report’s publication.