Mnemonic: sex
Applicability: Person
Type: Standard variable
Definition
This is the sex recorded by the person completing the census. The options were “Female” and “Male”.
Classification
Total number of categories: 2
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Female |
| 2 | Male |
Question asked
What is your sex?
- Female
- Male
In Census 2021 "female" was listed first in the list of options people could choose from, in the 2011 Census it was listed second.
Background
Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.
Why we ask the question
The answer is used to understanding trends in the population. It helps local communities by allowing charities, organisations, and local and central government to understand what services people might need.
This information helps monitor equality between groups of people of different sexes in local areas. Answers will help public bodies to identify discrimination or social exclusion based on sex and work to stop it from happening.
The census first asked this question in 1801.
Comparability with the 2011 Census
Highly comparable
What does highly comparable mean?
A variable that is highly comparable means that it can be directly compared with the variable from the 2011 Census. The questions and options that people could choose from may be slightly different, for example the order of the options may be swapped around, but the data collected is the same.
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland comparisons
Highly comparable
What does highly comparable mean?
A variable that is highly comparable means that it can be directly compared with the variable from Scotland and Northern Ireland. The questions and options that people could choose from may be slightly different, for example the order of the options may be swapped around, but the data collected is the same.
Find out more about variables produced for Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Scotland.
Census 2021 data that uses this variable
We use variables from Census 2021 data to show findings in different ways.
You can:
- get the sex dataset
- view sex data on a map
- view sex data for an area on Nomis (an Office for National Statistics service)
Alternatively, you can also create a custom dataset.
Other datasets that use this variable
- Sex by single year of age
- Number of non-UK short-term residents by sex
- Economic activity status by sex by age
- Economic activity status by sex by unemployment history
- Ethnic group by sex by age
- General health by car or van availability by sex
- Highest level of qualification by sex
- Hours worked by sex by age
- Industry by sex
- Disability by provision of unpaid care by sex
- Disability by religion by sex
- Disability by sex by age
- Legal partnership status by sex by age
- National Identity by sex by age
- NS-SEC by sex
- Occupation by sex
- Sex by age
- Welsh language skills by sex by age
- Sex by single year of age (detailed)
- Legal partnership status by sex by age - Communal establishment residents
- Sexual orientation by age and sex
- Gender identity by age by sex
- Gender identity by sex
- Sexual orientation by sex
- Living arrangements by sex by age
- Residence type by sex by age
- Number of non-UK born short-term residents by sex by age
- Number of non-UK born short-term residents by sex by single year of age
- Ethnic group of dependent child by sex
- Approximated social grade by sex and age (detailed)
- Approximated social grade by sex and age
- Sex (parishes)
- Number of usual residents by postcode by sex
- Migration by sex and age (country inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (country outflow)
- Migration by sex and age (lower tier local authority inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (lower tier local authority outflow)
- Migration by sex and age (Middle layer Super Output Area inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (Middle layer Super Output Area outflow)
- Migration by sex and age (national inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (region inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (region outflow)
- Migration by sex and age (upper tier local authority inflow)
- Migration by sex and age (upper tier local authority outflow)
- Afghan ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Filipino ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Greek ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Greek Cypriot ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Kurdish ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Polish ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Somali ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Sri Lankan ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Tamil ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Turkish ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Turkish Cypriot ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Bangladesh country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Bulgaria country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Cyprus (excluding non-EU) country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- France country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Ghana country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- India country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Ireland country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Jamaica country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Nigeria country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Pakistan country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Philippines country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Poland country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Romania country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Somalia country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Sri Lanka country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- South Africa country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Turkey country of birth by sex by five-year age bands
- Hispanic or Latin American ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Cornish national identity by sex by five-year age bands
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by five-year age bands
- Cornish national identity by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Kashmiri ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Cornish national identity by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Cornish national identity by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by provision of unpaid care by economic activity by general health
- Cornish national identity by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Kashmiri ethnic group by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by highest level of qualification by economic activity
- Cornish national identity by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by occupation by highest level of qualification
- Cornish national identity by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Kashmiri ethnic group by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by method of travel to work (2001 specification)
- Cornish national identity by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by general health by provision of unpaid care
- Cornish national identity by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by NS-SEC by economic activity
- Out of term-time population by sex by five-year age bands
- Out of term-time population by sex by single year of age
- Usual residents with a second address in a local authority, who are usually resident elsewhere, by sex, age and second address type
- Usual residents in a local authority with a second address elsewhere, by sex, age and second address type
- Usual residents with a second address in a region, who are usually resident elsewhere, by sex, age and second address type
- Usual residents in a region with a second address elsewhere, by sex, age and second address type
- Workday population by sex by five-year age bands
- Workday population by sex by single year of age
- Workplace population by sex by single year of age
- Origin and destination of migrants by age and sex (lower tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of migrants by age and sex (Middle layer Super Output Areas)
- Origin and destination of international migrants by age and sex (lower tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of international migrants by age and sex (upper tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of migrants by age and sex (upper tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of migrants by passport held and sex (lower tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of international migrants by passport held and sex
- Origin and destination of migrants by passport held and sex (upper tier local authorities)
- Origin and destination of migrants by economic activity by age and sex
- Origin and destination of migrants by NS-SEC by sex
- Origin and destination of international migrants by industry by sex
- Origin and destination of migrants by industry by sex
- Origin and destination of international migrants by occupation by sex
- Origin and destination of migrants by occupation by sex
- Origin and destination of international migrants by ethnic group by sex
- Origin and destination of migrants by ethnic group by sex
- Location of usual residence and second address by second address type by sex by age
- Origin and destination of people who moved from a student term-time or boarding school address in the UK in the year before the Census by age by sex and by student status
- Origin and destination of people who moved from a student term-time or boarding school address in the UK in the year before the Census by NS-SEC by sex and by student status
- Origin and destination of people who moved from a student term-time or boarding school address in the UK in the year before the census by ethnic group by sex and by student status
- Origin and destination of people who moved from a student term-time or boarding school address in the UK in the year before the census by passport held by sex and by student status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by sex
- Location of usual residence and place of work by method of travel to work by sex by age
- Location of usual residence and place of work by age by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by method of travel to work by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by NS-SEC by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by industry by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by occupation by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by approximated social grade by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by ethnic group by sex by student employment status
- Location of usual residence and place of work by passport held by sex by student employment status
- Economic activity status by hours worked by sex by long-term health problem or disability