Overall, fewer research subjects identify as homosexual or bisexual than report having had sexual experiences or attraction to a person of the same sex. One set examines self-report data of same-sex sexual experiences and attractions, while the other set examines self-report data of personal identification as homosexual or bisexual. The studies tend to pose two sets of questions. Most of the studies on sexual orientation rely on self-reported data, which may pose challenges to researchers because of the subject matter's sensitivity. It is difficult to exactly grasp the distribution of sexual orientations, including the size of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. Tables comparing several cities' population numbers are also included below.
This article lists demographic studies of sexual orientation from different countries.
Obtaining precise numbers on the demographics of sexual orientation is difficult for a variety of reasons, including the nature of the research questions.