Gender Survey Questions (Inclusive Examples)

The single-question version most surveys need

If you are running a customer survey, a feedback form, or an event registration, this group is all you need. The phrasing matters more than the list: "how do you describe your gender" frames the answer as self-report, where "what is your gender" reads as picking from categories someone else decided were exhaustive.

• How do you describe your gender?

  Single choice
  WomanManNon-binaryPrefer to self-describePrefer not to say

  The default for general-purpose surveys. Both of the last two options matter and they are not the same thing — one is "my answer is not on your list", the other is "I do not want to answer".

• If you preferred to self-describe, how would you describe your gender?

  Short text

  Pair this with the question above. A self-describe option with nowhere to write the description is worse than not offering it.

• Which best describes you?

  Single choice
  FemaleMaleAnother genderPrefer not to say

  The minimal version, worth using only when you must match an older dataset that was collected this way. "Another gender" is a fallback, not an inclusive option — it groups everyone who is not in the first two into a residual category.

• Is your gender the same as the sex you were assigned at birth?

  Single choice
  YesNoPrefer not to say

  A single-question way to identify transgender respondents when you do not have room for the two-step measure below. Less accurate, and it requires the respondent to understand the framing.

The two-step measure, for research

Population research that needs to count transgender respondents accurately uses two questions rather than one, asked in this order. Testing has consistently found it identifies more transgender respondents than a single gender question does. Use it when accurate counts are the point; it is unnecessary overhead on a customer feedback form.

• What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate?

  Single choice
  FemaleMalePrefer not to say

  Asked first, because the chronological order gives the second question context — particularly for cisgender respondents, who may otherwise find the pair confusing.

• How do you describe yourself?

  Single choice
  MaleFemaleTransgenderDo not identify as female, male, or transgender

  The second step. Transgender status is derived by comparing the two answers, not by asking the respondent to label themselves as a mismatch.

• Do you consider yourself to be transgender?

  Single choice
  YesNoNot surePrefer not to say

  A direct alternative to deriving the answer. It depends on the respondent identifying with the term, which not everyone whose gender differs from their assigned sex does.

• Which term best describes your gender identity?

  Short text

  Open text alongside the structured questions. This is where you find the vocabulary your fixed options are missing.

Pronouns and how to address people

Pronouns are a separate question from gender and answer a different need: gender is data you analyze, pronouns are instructions for how to write back. If you are asking because a human will reply to this person, ask for pronouns and skip the gender question entirely — it is less intrusive and more directly useful.

• What pronouns should we use for you?

  Single choice
  She/herHe/himThey/themPrefer to self-describePrefer not to say

• What name would you like us to use?

  Short text

  Ask this separately from a legal-name field if you have one. The name someone goes by and the name on their payment method are frequently not the same.

• What title do you prefer?

  Single choice
  Mr.Ms.Mx.Dr.No titlePrefer to self-describe

  Include a no-title option and mean it. A required title field is a gender question wearing a hat.

• Is it okay to use these pronouns everywhere, or only in some settings?

  Single choice
  AnywhereOnly within our teamPlease ask me firstPrefer not to say

  Matters in workplace and school surveys. Someone can be out in one context and not another, and a form that quietly assumes otherwise can out them.

• How would you like to be addressed in written communication?

  Short text

Sexual orientation, if you actually need it

Sexual orientation is a different variable from gender and answering one tells you nothing about the other. Ask it only when it is genuinely part of your analysis — a diversity report, health research, a community survey — and never as a default rider on a gender question.

• Which best describes your sexual orientation?

  Single choice
  Straight or heterosexualGay or lesbianBisexualSomething elseNot surePrefer not to say

• How would you describe your sexual orientation in your own words?

  Short text

• Do you consider yourself part of the LGBTQ+ community?

  Single choice
  YesNoPrefer not to say

  Community identification, which is not the same as orientation and is often the more useful answer for programming and outreach decisions.

Comfort and consent

Identity questions are the ones respondents most often quietly resent, and you will never see that in the completion rate alone. One comfort question and one open field cost almost nothing and are the fastest way to find out that an option set is not working before you field the survey again.

• How comfortable were you answering these questions?

  Single choice
  1 - Very uncomfortable23 - Neutral45 - Very comfortable

• Did any question here not have an option that fit you?

  Single choice
  YesNoPrefer not to say

  The single most useful question on this page. A "yes" rate above a few percent means your option set is broken, and you will not learn that from completion rates alone.

• Is there anything about how we asked these questions you would change?

  Long text

• May we contact you about follow-up research?

  Single choice
  YesNo

Try it live

The same questions, asked one at a time

This is a working form built from the questions above — answer it the way a respondent would, then take it into your own account with one click.

See which question respondents quit on →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to ask about gender in a survey?

For most surveys, one question: "How do you describe your gender?" with woman, man, non-binary, a self-describe field, and a prefer-not-to-say option. That covers the great majority of respondents accurately, takes one line, and does not force anyone into a category that is wrong for them. Reach for the two-step measure only when identifying transgender respondents is an actual goal of the research.

Should the gender question be required?

No. A required identity question does not produce better data — it produces inaccurate answers from people who would rather not say, and abandonment from the rest. A prefer-not-to-say option records the refusal as real information, which is more useful than a forced guess.

Do I need to ask about gender at all?

Often not. If you are asking so a person can write back correctly, ask for pronouns and preferred name instead — it is less intrusive and directly answers the need. Ask for gender when you have a specific analysis that depends on it, and be able to name that analysis before you add the question.