Executive Summary
Using data from the 2021 National Survey on Sexual and Gender Diversity in Mexico, this report examines data about sociodemographic characteristics, stressors, sexuality, health care, and mental health experiences of nonbinary people in Mexico. Nonbinary people are those living their gender identity outside the traditional binary gender structure totally or partially. Available in English and Spanish, this report aims to fill existing data gaps on nonbinary people and to address requests from civil society and government officials to improve data collection, develop mechanisms to ensure gender markers align across identity documents, and inform anti-discrimination campaigns about nonbinary people in Mexico.
Key Findings
- An estimated 340,620 people in Mexico identify as nonbinary.
- More than half (67.5%) of nonbinary people are under 24 years old, and the majority (80.8%) are single.
- During their childhood, nonbinary individuals often felt different due to their tastes or interests (45.5%) or their mannerisms and behavior (41.5%).
- During their childhood, half of nonbinary people (50.3%) were insulted, mocked, or told offensive things, and more than a third (38.7%) were rejected or excluded from social activities.
- Most people (86.3%) knew that they were nonbinary before they were 17 years old.
- Nonbinary people face multiple stressors around their sexual orientation and gender identity. For example, one in 10 (10.8%) nonbinary people were forced to undergo conversion therapy due to their sexual orientation, and almost one in 10 (9%) due to their gender identity or expression.
- The majority of nonbinary people report experiencing multiple mental health problems during the past year, including stress (74%), insomnia (63.7%), anxiety (65.9%), and changes in eating behaviors or weight (64.5%).
- Almost half (42.5%) of nonbinary people had suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, and a quarter (25.8%) had attempted suicide.