You asked
With regards to the population estimates of Mid-2018 for the UK and constituent home countries and regions, as released on 26 June 2019.
What I notice time and time and again is that estimates for the male population are placed first followed by the estimates for the female population, a reversal of the alphabetical order.
What is the specific ONS rationale for this ONS reversal of the alphabetical order in which "F" for "female" comes before "M" for "male"?
We said
Thank you for your request asking what is the specific ONS rationale for this ONS reversal of the alphabetical order in which "F" for "female" comes before "M" for "male"?
While it might seem straightforward to present data as females and males there are some background issues worth considering. In the collection, processing and presentation of statistics across government, it is standard to present males and then females. In the collection of data, male is usually assigned the value of 1 and females of 2; this convention is then continued on into output tables. The collection and presentation of data on sex has been consistent for many years and changing the collection or presentation of this data could be disruptive to those using data either for onward processing or historical comparisons. Without a coordinated overhaul across data suppliers and statistical outputs, changing the order could cause confusion within our processes and for our users.
We do, however, recognise the issue and are making steps to change, as the 2021 Census questionnaire demonstrates by having 'Female' first.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly on pop.info@ons.gov.uk if you require anything further.