Transgender People and Poverty

Research by TGEU and national advocacy organizations shows that transgender people — especially trans women of color and migrants — are disproportionately likely to live in poverty.

International figures

Research by TGEU and national advocacy organizations shows that transgender people — especially trans women of color and migrants — are disproportionately likely to live in poverty. Unemployment, homelessness, and informal work are significantly more common.

Mechanisms

Discrimination in the labor market, conflicts with family members (including the loss of financial support during adolescence), health problems, and legal restrictions all contribute to vulnerability. Access to gender-affirming care is an additional financial burden in countries where it is not covered. In the Netherlands, information on what is covered can be found under health insurance and gender-affirming care.

Policy implications

Advocacy organizations call for labor-market protections, social shelters that also accept transgender people, and access to care. In the Netherlands, some of these protections are enshrined in law; in practice, challenges remain.

Figures for the Netherlands

In 2017, the Netherlands Institute for Social Research studied the living conditions of people who had changed their legal gender registration, using data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). They were more likely than the rest of the population to have a low income, less likely to have paid work, and more likely to receive benefits. They were also more likely to live alone. The study only included people with a changed registration and therefore says nothing about the larger group who identify as transgender or non-binary.

International research

In the large 2015 U.S. survey of transgender people, nearly one-third of participants lived in poverty — more than twice the rate in the general population. In the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights survey from 2019, transgender participants were more likely than other participants to say that they struggled to make ends meet. Both studies rely on participants who volunteered to take part, so the figures cannot automatically be applied to the entire population.

Cause and effect

Discrimination is not the only explanation. Mental health problems, autism, and disrupted education are more common in this group and each make it harder to find and keep a job. Medical transition takes time, involving surgeries and recovery periods, and in countries without coverage it can also be very expensive. Anyone seeking to reduce poverty must therefore look beyond the labor market alone. See trans people and mental health, gender in the workplace, and employment law and transition.