LGBTQ+ Identification in the U.S. Reaches 9.3%
LGBTQ+ Identification in the U.S. Reaches 9.3%
Bisexuality Leads the Way; Young Adults Most Likely to Identify as LGBTQ+
WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to Gallup’s latest update on LGBTQ+ identification, 9.3% of American adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or another non-heterosexual orientation in 2024. This figure marks a rise of over one percentage point from the 2023 estimate. Over the longer term, this number has nearly doubled since 2020 and has significantly increased from 3.5% in 2012, the first year Gallup tracked this data.
Younger Generations Driving the Increase
LGBTQ+ identification continues to rise as younger generations of Americans enter adulthood, showing a significantly higher likelihood of identifying as non-heterosexual compared to older generations. More than one in five adults from Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2006, aged 18 to 27 in 2024—identify as LGBTQ+. This percentage steadily decreases across older generations, dropping to just 1.8% among Americans born before 1946.
Identification rates among younger adults have also seen a notable increase, climbing from an average of 18.8% in Generation Z between 2020 and 2022 to 22.7% over the past two years.
In contrast, older generations have shown only modest increases. Among millennials, the percentage rose from 10.3% to 12.0%, while Generation X saw an increase from 3.8% to 4.8%. No significant changes were observed among baby boomers or the Silent Generation.
Survey Insights and Breakdown
These results are based on interviews with over 14,000 U.S. adults conducted across Gallup’s 2024 telephone surveys. Respondents were asked whether they identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or another identity. Overall, 85.7% identified as heterosexual, 5.2% as bisexual, 2% as gay, 1.4% as lesbian, and 1.3% as transgender. Less than 1% cited another LGBTQ+ identity, such as pansexual, asexual, or queer. Around 5% of participants declined to answer.
Among nearly 900 LGBTQ+ individuals surveyed, more than half (56%) identified as bisexual, followed by 21% as gay, 15% as lesbian, 14% as transgender, and 6% as identifying with other categories. Respondents could select multiple identities, which explains why the percentages exceed 100%. However, for Gallup’s overall estimate of 9.3%, each respondent is counted only once, regardless of multiple identifications.
Bisexuality More Prevalent Among Younger Adults
One reason for the higher LGBTQ+ identification rates among younger adults is the growing number of individuals who identify as bisexual. Over half of LGBTQ+ members from Generation Z (59%) and millennials (52%) report being bisexual. This percentage drops to 44% among Generation X, and to less than 20% for baby boomers (19%) and the Silent Generation (11%). Older LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to identify as gay or lesbian.
Higher Identification Rates Among Women, Liberals, and Urban Residents
Beyond generational trends, LGBTQ+ identification also varies by gender, political affiliation, and geographic location:
- Political differences are stark: 14% of Democrats and 11% of independents identify as LGBTQ+, compared to only 3% of Republicans.
- Ideological distinctions are even more pronounced, with 21% of liberals, 8% of moderates, and 3% of conservatives identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
- Women are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than men (10% vs. 6%), primarily because women are more frequently bisexual. Among non-binary individuals—who make up between 1% and 2% of U.S. adults—about 80% identify as LGBTQ+.
- Gender gaps are especially significant among younger generations: 31% of Gen Z women versus 12% of Gen Z men, and 18% of millennial women compared to 9% of millennial men identify as LGBTQ+, with the majority of these young women identifying as bisexual.
- LGBTQ+ identification is more prevalent among urban (11%) and suburban (10%) residents than those living in rural areas (7%).
- Educational attainment appears to have little influence, with 9% of college graduates and 10% of non-graduates identifying as LGBTQ+.
Differences across other categories—such as ethnicity, income, marital status, parental status, and religious affiliation—tend to reflect generational gaps within these subgroups. For example, younger adults are generally less likely to have high incomes, be married, have children, practice religion, or be non-Hispanic white—groups that typically have lower LGBTQ+ identification rates.
Conclusion
In the 12 years since Gallup began tracking LGBTQ+ identification, the rate has nearly tripled. This growth is primarily driven by younger adults who are far more likely than older generations to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The recent surge in identification rates largely stems from more young adults—especially women—coming out as bisexual. Younger adults also show a higher likelihood of identifying with other non-heterosexual orientations.
Given these ongoing generational shifts, the rate of LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. is likely to continue rising in the years ahead.
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