A new study has found that 6.5% of Australian men between the ages of 20 and 29 identify as being gay representing the highest proportion of any age bracket.
In a research study that took place between 2006 and 2014 conducted by the polling company Roy Morgan, almost 180,000 Australians over the age of 14 were asked to agree or disagree to the statement, ‘I consider myself a homosexual.’
The number of Australians prepared to agree to the statement between 2006 and 2008 was around 1 in 42 people (2.4%), but by 2009-2011 that number had risen to around 1 in every 32 (3.1%) and rose again by 2012-2014 with 1 in every 29 agreeing to the statement (3.4%).
However the number of people aged between 20 and 29 who were prepared to admit to researchers that they were gay has climbed to 6.5% in the 2012-2014 data – up from 4.4% in 2006-2008.
7.6% of males in that age bracket agreed with the statement ‘I consider myself a homosexual’ compared to 5.5% of females.
The numbers for those who identified as gay in their 20’s in 2006-2008 is around the same number as those who identified as gay in their 30’s in 2012-2014 and the same goes for those in their 30’s in 2006-2008 and those in their 40’s in 2012-2014 so it appears that once people come out in their 20’s they tend to stick with that identity.
Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine said the lower numbers in the higher age brackets showed that older people were more cautious being open about their sexuality to strangers.
