It's hard question to answer because people are inclined to lie, and people may experiment but change their minds.
In the 1999-2001 National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, about 8% of British men and 10% of women reported at least one life experience of same-sex contact, but only 2.6% of either gender have had a same-sex partner in the last 5 years. It seems reasonably to suppose that the actual number of people who could accurately be described as non-heterosexual, in terms of long-term lifestyle habits, is between the 2.6% and about 9% figures.
In 2005 the Dept. Of Trade and Industry, trying to assess the impact of the New Civil Partnership Act, and reviewing various surveys, produced an estimate that 6% of the general population could reliably be identified as gay.
6% is probably a pretty representative figure internationally, see more estimates for other countries here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_sexual_orientation
In the 1999-2001 National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, about 8% of British men and 10% of women reported at least one life experience of same-sex contact, but only 2.6% of either gender have had a same-sex partner in the last 5 years. It seems reasonably to suppose that the actual number of people who could accurately be described as non-heterosexual, in terms of long-term lifestyle habits, is between the 2.6% and about 9% figures.
In 2005 the Dept. Of Trade and Industry, trying to assess the impact of the New Civil Partnership Act, and reviewing various surveys, produced an estimate that 6% of the general population could reliably be identified as gay.
6% is probably a pretty representative figure internationally, see more estimates for other countries here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_sexual_orientation