UK Leading the Way in Measuring Gender Identity in Surveys

In the UK, more than three quarters (79%) of SurveyMonkey surveys that ask about gender now include more than 2 options, higher than the 6 other countries examined

Momentive, the maker of SurveyMonkey, has released the international findings of its inaugural State of Surveys Report, analysing over a million user-created surveys designed on SurveyMonkey.com in seven countries from 2012 to 2022. The data shows that the majority (79%) of surveys in the UK now include over two gender options, with 30% offering four options and just under a fifth (18%) providing five or more options. This marks an almost fourfold increase in surveys recording two or more gender options since 2012, where just 22% gave more than two gender options.

Around the world, gender identity has evolved over time and across cultures. In the last few years, progress has been made in acknowledging and measuring different gender identities. Examining what individuals on the SurveyMonkey platform choose to offer as gender identity options is one way to see how society’s understanding of gender has advanced over the last decade. Offering a diverse set of gender options in surveys allows respondents to most accurately share their identity in a key way to ensure that everyone feels heard.

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The UK ranks highest among countries examined regarding the number of gender options offered, with 2018 being the turning point for more inclusive survey demographics when the use of just two options fell below half (42%)¹.

Further findings from the research reveal:

• In the US, gender within surveys has become increasingly non-binary, with the percent of surveys with gender questions that include more than two gender options quadrupling from 16% to 64% over the past decade.
• 2022 marked the first year Brazil offered more than two options in surveys with 52% offering 3+.
• Australia is on par with the UK; in 2022, 78% of surveys had more than two options.
• India is slowly offering more options. In 2022, 52% of surveys still only saw two options while just 3% offered five or more.

Laura Wronski, director of research at Momentive, said, “The questions people choose to ask can tell us so much more than you might expect, revealing how our collective language, priorities, and expectations are continuously evolving. There is no denying that surveys globally are becoming more inclusive of different gender identities, a small step in ensuring that individuals have the opportunity for their voices to be heard and valued.”

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