Everyone Counts (Brief)

This brief highlights recommendations for developing and implementing gender identity questions on the U.S. Census and other population-based surveys. These recommendations were developed by reviewing the approaches of three other countries—Argentina, Canada, and the United Kingdom (England and Wales) that have implemented more gender inclusive questions in their census. Specifically, the countries and institutions that serve as case studies include Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) of Argentina, Statistics Canada, and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) of England and Wales. These three statistical bureaus’ experiences provide valuable insights into the years-long process of creating a statistical standard for more gender-inclusive measures, implementing these measures on a country’s census and other population-based surveys, and why doing so matters. National data on gender identity can allow federal and state governments, advocacy organizations, academia, and health foundations—including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—to better understand the unique needs of transgender American residents and tailor interventions to improve their health outcomes.