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Nonbinary Gender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census

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Listed:
  • Christopher S. Carpenter
  • Donn L. Feir
  • Krishna Pendakur
  • Casey Warman

Abstract

The social and legal recognition of nonbinary people—those who do not exclusively identify with traditionally male or female genders—is growing. Yet, we know little about their economic realities. We offer the first nationally representative evidence on the earnings of nonbinary people using restricted-access 2021 Canadian Census data linked to tax records. We find that, although nonbinary individuals tend to be more educated than their peers, they have significantly lower earnings, especially at the bottom of the income distribution, even after adjusting for various demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher S. Carpenter & Donn L. Feir & Krishna Pendakur & Casey Warman, 2024. "Nonbinary Gender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census," NBER Working Papers 33075, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33075
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    JEL classification:

    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General

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