A groundbreaking new study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has uncovered stark disparities in causes of death between LGBTQ+ individuals and their straight counterparts in England and Wales.
The analysis, which examined mortality data from March 2021 to November 2024, found that people identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual or ‘other’ sexual orientation had a 1.3 times higher risk of dying compared to those who identified as straight or heterosexual. The age-standardised mortality rate was 982.8 per 100,000 people for the LGBTQ+ group, compared to 752.6 per 100,000 for the straight or heterosexual group.
Notably, the second most common cause of death for LGBTQ+ individuals was suicide, accounting for 7.1% of all deaths. Younger LGBTQ+ people were nearly twice as likely to take their own lives, with 45.3% of deaths among 16- to 24-year-olds and 29.6% of deaths among 25- to 34-year-olds being attributed to suicide. This is in stark contrast to the straight or heterosexual population, where the suicide rates were 26.6% and 18.4% respectively for the same age groups.
The data also revealed that LGBTQ+ individuals were 2.8 times more likely to die from drug poisoning and 1.8 times more likely to die from alcohol-related causes compared to their straight counterparts.
“This is the first time we have looked at differences in causes of death among adults by sexual orientation,” said Dr Emma Sharland of the ONS. “There are some noticeable differences, with nearly three times as many drug poisoning deaths and close to twice as many alcohol-related deaths among the LGBTQ+ group compared with the straight or heterosexual group.”
Mark Winstanley, the chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, expressed deep concern over the findings, stating, “It is deeply concerning that the data shows suicide is the second leading cause of death among LGBTQ+ people. The causes of suicide are complex, but we know that LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in many areas of their lives and encounter harassment, from physical attacks to online hatred.”
While the study does not explore the underlying causes, experts hope the data will inform health professionals and other stakeholders working with diverse population groups to address the pressing issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
