The aim of this project was to support and develop public data gathering on LGBTI+ people in Nordic countries by organizing a research conference, advancing networking between researchers and experts on this field and preparing and publishing a report that sums up the background information collected for the conference as well as the main topics and results of the event.
It is difficult to advance equality and anti-discrimination measures in the areas of gender and sexuality diversity and develop LGBTI+ people's human right situation and living conditions if there is not enough knowledge and research to do that. There is more public and publicly funded research and data gathering on LGBTI+ people in Nordic countries than before, but often this data is not analysed fully. There is also a need to develop this kind of data gathering and analysis, and Nordic co-operation would be vital to learn the best ways to do this. Nordic data gathering and research organizations are facing similar problems in trying to find best methods to collect data on LGBTI+ people.
To advance the Nordic co-operation in data gathering on LGBTI+ people, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) organized a two-day seminar in Helsinki on October 21st–22nd 2025. The seminar was funded by the Nordic Council of Minister, and the organizing team consisted of research professor Jaana Suvisaari and planning officer Tina Stenberg from THL and adjunct professor Jukka Lehtonen from the University of Helsinki. This seminar included presentations, panel and group discussions and information sharing on the topics related to data gathering on LGBTI+ people, including ethical, methodological and financial issues. The participants represented national statistical and research organizations relevant in the field of LGBTI+ data gathering, universities and individual researchers, ministries and Nordic civil society organizations. This publication reports the presentations and discussions of the seminar and provides information on Nordic general population surveys that have LGBTI+ relevant questions in their questionnaires.