Survey finds higher victimization rates among 2SLGBTQ+ people

LGB+ and gender-diverse people reported higher rates of violent victimization than heterosexual and cisgender people in a new Statistics Canada analysis of 2025 survey data.

Over the previous 12 months, 12% of LGB+ people and 15% of gender-diverse people reported at least one violent incident, compared with 3.6% of heterosexual people and 4.1% of cisgender people.

Looking at experiences since age 15, the reported rates were 66% for LGB+ people and 69% for gender-diverse people, compared with 38% for heterosexual people and 40% for cisgender people. Among respondents who were both LGB+ and gender diverse, the lifetime rate was 74%.

The estimates exclude intimate-partner violence and reflect self-reported survey responses; the release does not establish a cause for the differences. Statistics Canada published the analysis on October 6, 2026.

Illustrative photo: Mercedes Mehling / Unsplash License. The image was not taken in connection with the survey. Cropped and resized.