Almost 10,000 gender certificates granted amid rise in Gen Z applications

Gender Recognition Certificate

by Ian Jones, The Independent

Analysis has been compiled by the PA news agency using data published by the Ministry of Justice.

Almost 10,000 gender recognition certificates (GRCs) have been granted in the UK since their introduction two decades ago, with an increasing proportion going to young adults, analysis shows.

Some 1,169 GRCs were issued in the year to March 2025, more than three times the number in 2019/20, when it stood at just 364.

It is also the highest annual total since 2005/06, which was the first full year that the scheme – which allows a person’s acquired gender to be recognised legally in the country – was in operation.

The surge is likely to reflect recent changes in the certification process, including a big cut in fees, combined with more applications from young people.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of certificates granted in the latest year were for people born since 2000 – loosely known as Generation Z – and 68% were for those born since 1990, up from 4% and 41% respectively in 2019/20.

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