There is little information available about gay, lesbian, bisexual, fa’afafine, takatapui, intersex, transgender and transsexual communities in New Zealand, or their size in relation to the total population.
Some information about same sex couples who share a residence was collected in the 1996 and 2001 population censuses. The 2001 Census recorded just over 10,000 adults living with a partner of the same sex, making up 0.6 percent of all adults living in couples. This is a larger number than the 6,500 recorded in the 1996 Census, when they made up 0.4 percent of all couples. However, it is difficult to know whether the change in numbers represents a real increase in the number of same sex couples living together, or a greater willingness on their part to report living arrangements and partnership status. According to Statistics New Zealand, it is likely that the figures understate the actual number of same-sex couples because of inconsistency in the way people have responded to the census question.
