Economic, Social and Health Outcomes of the Transgender and Gender-Diverse Population in Australia

Abstract

Using data from the 2022 round of the HILDA Survey, regression models are estimated where the outcomes are variables that influence or are correlated with personal well-being, and the main independent variable distinguishes persons who identify as transgender or gender-diverse (TGD) from persons whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth (cisgender). Twelve outcomes covering the labour market, income and finances, crime victimisation, and health and subjective well-being are examined. TGD persons are found to fare worse than cisgender persons in all cases. For example, the differences between TGD persons and cisgender men and cisgender women in personal income are estimated to lie in the range of 59%–61% and 26%–33%, respectively. Similarly, the likelihood of a transgender person being the victim of physical violence is estimated to be 4.3 and 2.4 times greater than that of cisgender men and cisgender women, respectively. The relatively small size of the TGD subsample, however, means that results are not always statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This is especially so when comparing TGD persons with cisgender women. Overall, these results strongly suggest that TGD persons in Australia face systemic disadvantages.