TransActual, a leading trans advocacy organisation, has launched its largest survey yet, aiming to build a detailed picture of the experiences of trans people living across the country in 2026.
TransActual's Trans Lives Survey 2026, which is running for the third time, will gather information on issues including access to gendered spaces, employment, healthcare and experiences of transphobia. The findings will be used to help improve understanding of the challenges facing trans people in the UK and to inform future campaigning and policy discussions.
The anonymous survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is open to all trans people aged 18 and over who live in the UK. It will remain open until 12 November 2026.
TransActual said the results will be published in a freely available report and shared with policymakers, academics, healthcare organisations and charities.
Chay Brown, TransActual's Director of Operations, said the organisation hopes to attract more participants than ever before. "This is our third time running the Trans Lives Survey, and we want to make it our biggest one yet," Brown said.
"Even before the EHRC's unworkable Code of Practice came into effect, we know from speaking with our community that using a bathroom or accessing healthcare was already becoming more difficult for trans people living in the UK.
"This year's Trans Lives Survey will provide clarity on the consequences of the government's failure to stand up for trans equality, and will give us the data needed to more effectively campaign for real change."
TransActual, a trans-led organisation campaigning for trans rights and improved access to healthcare, says the survey will help document the realities of everyday life for trans people at a time of growing concern about equality, healthcare access and discrimination.
"This year's Trans Lives Survey will provide clarity on the consequences of the government's failure to stand up for trans equality, and will give us the data needed to more effectively campaign for real change."
The group's previous survey in 2025 attracted more than 4,000 respondents and painted what TransActual described as a stark picture of life for many trans people in the UK.
Among the findings, 99% of respondents said media coverage of trans issues had negatively affected their mental health, while 99% reported hearing politicians express transphobic views. Many also said they had been refused healthcare unrelated to gender transition because they were trans.
The survey also found that nearly two-thirds (64%) had avoided visiting their GP despite being unwell, while 56% said they felt less safe because their identification documents did not reflect their gender identity. One in four respondents reported experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives.
TransActual hopes the latest survey will provide updated evidence on the impact of recent policy developments and help shape future conversations about trans equality and inclusion in the UK.
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