Gen Z reshapes sexual identity labels, study finds

A global study based on data from the Zoe dating app finds that Gen Z is reshaping how people describe sexual orientation, with the term lesbian losing ground among younger users who increasingly identify as queer, pansexual or asexual. Researchers analyzed self-reported identities from the app across 122 countries, spanning January 2023 to May 2025, in an effort to map evolving identity labels in a field historically marked by fixed categories. The study highlights a sizeable divide between generations: younger users show greater diversity in how they describe themselves, while older users more often fall into traditional labels.

The research team examined data from 913,253 Zoe users, a platform aimed at queer women and nonbinary people, to capture a broad cross-section of identities as they are lived in everyday online dating. The sample encompassed users from 122 countries and included self-reported identities and their geographic and age-related distribution. Across all users, 48.3% identified as lesbian, 39.8% as bisexual, 6.6% as pansexual, 3.4% as queer, 1.2% as gay, and 0.7% as asexual. The distribution underscores that while lesbian remains a common label, it does not capture the full spectrum of how people describe themselves, particularly among younger generations.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, lead author Dr Francesco Rampazzo of the University of Manchester said the figures show a growing diversity of identities among younger people: “Lesbian remains the single most common identity among Gen Z users in our data. What the figures do show is greater identity diversity among younger generations, with more people also identifying as bisexual, pansexual, or queer.” He added that these trends point to a sexuality that is not a fixed category but rather a spectrum that evolves with cultural and geographic context. The researchers emphasize that the data reveal not only preferred terms but also how identity use shifts with age, suggesting that terminology is fluid and contingent on social environments.

Regionally, the study found notable differences. Countries in the Global North — including the United States, Canada and Switzerland — tended to exhibit greater diversity in sexual identities than those in the Global South, where lesbian or bisexual identities were more dominant overall. Yet there were exceptions: South Africa and Israel showed broader representation within their regions, reflecting local sociocultural dynamics that shape how people label their identities. The researchers also note that asexuality appears in countries outside the Global North, including Tajikistan, Yemen, Oman, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Tanzania, suggesting the need to move beyond Western-centric data when studying emerging identities.

The authors say the patterns observed may reflect widening social acceptance and the availability of diverse labels in online spaces, where younger users often feel freer to describe themselves with terms that feel most accurate rather than traditional categories. Still, the researchers caution that survey data on sexual orientation remains uneven globally, and that model-based interpretations should be tempered by potential sampling biases and cultural differences in how people report identity on dating platforms. The study is published in Demographic Research and is described by the team as a step toward understanding how generational and cultural shifts influence LGBTQIA+ identification across the world.

From a policy and culture perspective, the findings reinforce the idea that researchers, educators and media should acknowledge a broader vocabulary for sexuality and gender. The authors argue that expanding research frameworks to include emergent identities such as asexuality and pansexuality is essential for accurately capturing how people describe themselves in contemporary society. They also stress that ongoing cross-cultural studies are needed to monitor how regional contexts, migration, and digital platforms interact to shape identity labels over time. Millennials and Gen Z appear to be driving a more expansive set of terms, while older cohorts may retain more traditional categories, the paper notes, underscoring the dynamic nature of sexuality in the 21st century.