One in 50 People in UK Identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual

The number of LGB-identified people in the UK has grown significantly in the past year, rising from 1.7 percent in 2015 to 2 percent. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), that's one in 50 people or more than one million total lesbian, gay or bisexual people in 2016.

The ONS' study "does not necessarily reflect sexual attraction or sexual behavior," and instead addresses sexual identity as "one part of the umbrella concept of 'sexual orientation.'" Their research offers statistics based on region, sex, age, marital status, ethnicity and socio-economic classification.

London had the largest proportion of the population who identified as LGB (2.7 percent), which ONS suggests is a result of the city's "relatively young and diverse population." People ages 16 to 24 are most likely to identify as LGB (4.1 percent), as well as 4.3 percent of those who're "mixed or multiple ethnic groups" in the UK.

Despite this reported increase, the LGBTQ charity Stonewall suggests the proportion is actually between 5 percent and 7 percent. Some have argued it's closer to one in 10, according to the Guardian. "Although people may feel comfortable answering an anonymous survey, they may struggle to open up about their identity with friends, family or colleagues," a spokesman said.

For the ONS' full report, click here.