{"chart":{"title":"People living in countries where a third gender is recognized","subtitle":"Another gender alongside \"man\" and \"woman\" is recognized by law.","citation":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024)","originalChartUrl":"https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/people-third-gender-recognized","selection":["World"]},"columns":{"Legal recognition of a third gender — Not recognized (population)":{"titleShort":"Not recognized","titleLong":"Not recognized","descriptionShort":"Total population of countries classified as \"Not recognized\" on the indicator on legal recognition of a third gender.","descriptionKey":"- This data comes from the LGBTI National Policy Dataset, compiled by Kristopher Velasco at Princeton University. It tracks the adoption, scope, and enforcement of 27 LGBTI-related policies across 195 countries, with annual data starting in 1991.\n- The dataset counts policies established by binding legal instruments — statutes, constitutional provisions, decrees and regulations with the force of law, and binding court rulings. Where no law governs a policy, a written rule that does can count too, such as a health-authority guideline, a blood service's donor questionnaire or a religious ruling. Bills, ministerial statements and non-binding declarations are not counted.","descriptionProcessing":"From the original dataset's single-direction proportion (0 = no policy, 1 = fully implemented, intermediate values = partial subnational adoption), we coded countries into three categories: the substantive direction in effect, partial subnational implementation (\"Varies by region\"), or no policy in effect. We then summed the populations of countries classified as \"Not recognized\" within each region. We calculate regional totals from the country data, using [our region definitions](https://ourworldindata.org/world-region-map-definitions), the [World Bank's income group classification](https://ourworldindata.org/world-bank-income-groups-explained), and, for population totals, our [consolidated population data](https://ourworldindata.org/population-sources).","shortUnit":"","unit":"people","timespan":"1991-2025","type":"Integer","owidVariableId":1354833,"shortName":"third_gender_recognition_not_recognized_pop","lastUpdated":"2026-07-15","nextUpdate":"2027-07-15","citationShort":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data","citationLong":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. “Not recognized – Velasco” [dataset]. Velasco, “LGBTI National Policy Dataset 3.0”; Various sources, “Population” [original data].","fullMetadata":"https://api.ourworldindata.org/v1/indicators/1354833.metadata.json"},"Legal recognition of a third gender — Varies by region (population)":{"titleShort":"Varies by region","titleLong":"Varies by region","descriptionShort":"Total population of countries where a third gender marker or non-binary category is legally recognized on identity documents in some parts of the country but not others.","descriptionKey":"- This data comes from the LGBTI National Policy Dataset, compiled by Kristopher Velasco at Princeton University. It tracks the adoption, scope, and enforcement of 27 LGBTI-related policies across 195 countries, with annual data starting in 1991.\n- The dataset counts policies established by binding legal instruments — statutes, constitutional provisions, decrees and regulations with the force of law, and binding court rulings. Where no law governs a policy, a written rule that does can count too, such as a health-authority guideline, a blood service's donor questionnaire or a religious ruling. Bills, ministerial statements and non-binding declarations are not counted.","descriptionProcessing":"From the original dataset's single-direction proportion (0 = no policy, 1 = fully implemented, intermediate values = partial subnational adoption), we coded countries into three categories: the substantive direction in effect, partial subnational implementation (\"Varies by region\"), or no policy in effect. We then summed the populations of countries classified as \"Varies by region\" within each region. We calculate regional totals from the country data, using [our region definitions](https://ourworldindata.org/world-region-map-definitions), the [World Bank's income group classification](https://ourworldindata.org/world-bank-income-groups-explained), and, for population totals, our [consolidated population data](https://ourworldindata.org/population-sources).","shortUnit":"","unit":"people","timespan":"1991-2025","type":"Integer","owidVariableId":1354837,"shortName":"third_gender_recognition_varies_by_region_pop","lastUpdated":"2026-07-15","nextUpdate":"2027-07-15","citationShort":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data","citationLong":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. “Varies by region – Velasco” [dataset]. Velasco, “LGBTI National Policy Dataset 3.0”; Various sources, “Population” [original data].","fullMetadata":"https://api.ourworldindata.org/v1/indicators/1354837.metadata.json"},"Legal recognition of a third gender — Recognized (population)":{"titleShort":"Recognized","titleLong":"Recognized","descriptionShort":"Total population of countries classified as \"Recognized\" on the indicator on legal recognition of a third gender.","descriptionKey":"- This data comes from the LGBTI National Policy Dataset, compiled by Kristopher Velasco at Princeton University. It tracks the adoption, scope, and enforcement of 27 LGBTI-related policies across 195 countries, with annual data starting in 1991.\n- The dataset counts policies established by binding legal instruments — statutes, constitutional provisions, decrees and regulations with the force of law, and binding court rulings. Where no law governs a policy, a written rule that does can count too, such as a health-authority guideline, a blood service's donor questionnaire or a religious ruling. Bills, ministerial statements and non-binding declarations are not counted.","descriptionProcessing":"From the original dataset's single-direction proportion (0 = no policy, 1 = fully implemented, intermediate values = partial subnational adoption), we coded countries into three categories: the substantive direction in effect, partial subnational implementation (\"Varies by region\"), or no policy in effect. We then summed the populations of countries classified as \"Recognized\" within each region. We calculate regional totals from the country data, using [our region definitions](https://ourworldindata.org/world-region-map-definitions), the [World Bank's income group classification](https://ourworldindata.org/world-bank-income-groups-explained), and, for population totals, our [consolidated population data](https://ourworldindata.org/population-sources).","shortUnit":"","unit":"people","timespan":"1991-2025","type":"Integer","owidVariableId":1354835,"shortName":"third_gender_recognition_recognized_pop","lastUpdated":"2026-07-15","nextUpdate":"2027-07-15","citationShort":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data","citationLong":"Velasco (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. “Recognized – Velasco” [dataset]. Velasco, “LGBTI National Policy Dataset 3.0”; Various sources, “Population” [original data].","fullMetadata":"https://api.ourworldindata.org/v1/indicators/1354835.metadata.json"}},"dateDownloaded":"2026-10-31"}