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Many people ask for a single clean number that captures how many adults in the United States identify as LGBTQ+. Researchers spend years trying to measure that very thing, and the answer depends on how a survey works, how questions are asked, and how comfortable respondents feel when talking about identity with a stranger.
Even with all those moving parts, a consistent picture has started to form. According to Gallup, the closest national range for adult identification sits between roughly 9 percent and 10 percent. Major polling groups like Gallup and PRRI arrive in that band with very large samples and clear wording.
Other government health sources, such as the CDC, sit in the 5 percent to 6 percent range because they only count lesbian, gay, or bisexual categories and do not fold gender identity into an umbrella total. None of these sources is wrong. They are answering slightly different questions.
The real story lies in how each survey defines the population.
Let’s walk through the leading estimates, show what is counted in each dataset, and explain why numbers vary without turning the topic into a math puzzle. We want to give you some clarity here, not precision for its own sake. Still, when we cross-reference some numbers, we can get a pretty clear picture.
Average Numbers – About 1 in 10 Adults
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If someone stopped you on the street and asked you for one sentence, the fairest answer would be simple:
Recent national surveys put LGBTQ+ identification at roughly one in ten U.S. adults, while public health datasets that count only lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity tend to land closer to one in twenty.
Everything that follows expands that sentence into something you can actually use in a serious discussion or in your own reporting.
A Table of the Most Cited Estimates
| Source and release | Population covered | What counts as LGBTQ+ | Headline estimate |
| Gallup, published Feb 2025 (based on 2024 interviewing) | U.S. adults | Self-identification as LGBT plus transgender and an “other” option | 9.3 percent |
| PRRI American Values Atlas, 2024 | U.S. adults | Sexual minority and transgender or nonbinary identity | 10 percent |
| UCLA Williams Institute (BRFSS-based) | U.S. adults | Sexual orientation only, primarily LGB | 5.5 percent |
| CDC NCHS, NHSR 171 reference | U.S. adults | LGB identity | 5.2 percent |
Four serious sources. Four different outcomes. The variation exists because the surveys are built in different ways.
Gallup – 9.3 % of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBTQ+
Gallup occupies a special spot because it asks the same question year after year, building a long trend line. In its 2025 report covering 2024 interviews, Gallup reaches a headline figure of 9.3 percent.
That single number gets repeated across media and policy spaces because the trend is long, stable, and methodologically clear.
What Gallup Shows Inside the 9.3 Percent
Inside the LGBTQ+ umbrella in Gallup’s data:
- Bisexual identity is the largest category
- Gay and lesbian identity follows
- Transgender identity appears as its own category
- A small “other” group reflects respondents who do not fit conventional labels
The bisexual share carries real weight. It shapes how the overall percentage rises over time.
When more adults feel comfortable using bisexual labels, the total LGBTQ+ figure rises even if gay and lesbian shares stay fairly level.
Generational Patterns Drive the Trend
Gallup’s long arc is best explained by generation. Younger adults report LGBTQ+ identities at far higher rates than older cohorts.
As older generations age out of the sample and younger adults enter, the population rate moves upward. It is not a wave arriving out of nowhere. It is a slow replacement and changing disclosure comfort.
A Measurement Detail Many People Miss
Gallup also tracks the share of respondents who refuse to answer. Sensitive identity questions always produce some nonresponse. That matters.
If a survey makes people feel safer, disclosure rises. If a survey feels too formal or invasive, disclosure falls. Even a few percentage points of silence can shift an estimate.
PRRI – 10% of Adults Identify as LGBTQ in 2024
PRRI’s American Values Atlas sits close to Gallup on the high end. PRRI reports 10 percent for 2024.
PRRI interviews a very large sample each year and is especially known for providing state-level estimates, something most national polls cannot reliably do.
PRRI’s Umbrella Definition
PRRI treats LGBTQ identity as an umbrella category covering:
- Sexual minority identity
- Transgender identity
- Nonbinary identity
State Level Variation
PRRI highlights differences across states. Washington, DC, sits at about 18 percent. Several states show values in the low teens.
Many remain in the single digits. Those differences should be read carefully because some states have smaller sample sizes, but they still offer a useful picture for regional work.
Clear Age Breakdowns
PRRI’s age profile is blunt:
- 24 percent of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ
- 13 percent of millennials
- Low single-digit shares among older cohorts
The pattern matches Gallup. Identity levels among younger adults pull the national rate upward.
Why Estimates Disagree
Arguments over the “real” number often miss the point. The difference mostly reflects definitions and design choices rather than disagreement about the population.
1. LGBTQ+ Means Different Things in Different Surveys
Some surveys measure sexual orientation only. Others measure gender identity separately. Some combine them into one umbrella percentage.
A single respondent can land inside the LGBTQ+ category in one survey and outside it in another simply because the question offers different boxes.
PRRI’s method is explicit about how it classifies respondents. Gallup focuses on identity options and lets respondents choose what fits.
2. Interviewing Modes Affect Disclosure
Telephone calls with live interviewers, web surveys, and mixed modes all produce slightly different patterns.
Sensitive topics always respond to comfort. Gallup’s nonresponse metric offers a window into that dynamic.
3. Question Wording Shapes Interpretation
Small wording shifts can alter reporting. National Academies guidance on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation measurement exists for exactly that reason. Without consistent standards, estimates cannot be compared cleanly.
4. Language Changes Over Time
Identity labels change quickly. New words become common among younger cohorts. Older surveys might miss newer labels.
Surveys that add “nonbinary,” “queer,” or “something else” options often see higher reporting because respondents finally see themselves represented.
Government and Public Health Surveys at 5% to 6%
Government datasets often publish lower figures, usually in the five to six percent band. The main reason is straightforward.
Many of these surveys track LGB identity only and do not treat gender identity as part of the same category.
CDC NCHS – About 5.2% LGB in 2020
A National Health Statistics Reports publication references an adult LGB share of about 5.2 percent in 2020.
The report focuses on health disparities, drawing from several national health datasets. That design produces rich public health details but does not produce a combined LGBTQ+ umbrella number.
The Williams Institute – 5.5% LGBT in BRFSS-Based Estimates
The UCLA Williams Institute uses BRFSS state survey data to reach an estimate of about 5.5 percent of LGBT adults. That translates to roughly 13.9 million adults.
BRFSS is huge but runs through a patchwork of state implementations. Some states ask full identity questions. Others do not. The uneven structure shapes the final estimate.
Why You Cannot Average 5.5% With 9.3%
They are measuring different things. Public health surveys prioritize LGB categories and focus on health indicators.
Gallup and PRRI use broader, more current identity labels. Both are valid inside their own frameworks. Neither cancels the other out.
The Shape of the LGBTQ+ Population Inside the Total
You will find more infographics at Statista
No matter which source you read, a reliable pattern keeps showing up. Bisexual identity forms the largest share within the LGB population and the broader LGBTQ+ umbrella.
Pew has reported large bisexual shares in its own work. It has also been noted that bisexual adults report lower levels of “outness” than gay and lesbian adults, which naturally affects survey disclosure. Gallup’s profile of its 9.3 percent total shows the same large bisexual majority.
When bisexual identification grows, the total LGBTQ+ percentage grows too. Gay and lesbian shares can remain level while the overall total rises.
Age Patterns Are the Strongest Predictor
Generational differences dominate the trend lines in every major dataset. Gallup ties the long-term rise to replacement across cohorts.
PRRI puts precise numbers on the pattern, with nearly a quarter of Gen Z adults identifying as LGBTQ.
Several drivers fit the data:
- Lower stigma for younger adults
- More available labels that fit personal identity
- Wider visibility in media, schools, and communities
- Improved survey design
- Greater comfort disclosing in anonymous or mixed mode surveys
No single explanation accounts for all of it. They operate together in different proportions.
Youth Surveys Show Even Higher Non-Straight Shares
Many people who ask about the LGBTQ+ share have youth in mind. The leading government dataset for high school students is the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Sexual Identity in the 2023 National YRBS
CDC reports the following in its 2023 national release:
- 73.3 percent heterosexual
- 4.0 percent gay or lesbian
- 11.4 percent bisexual
- 4.4 percent questioning
- 4.3 percent “some other way”
- 2.5 percent “not sure what the question is asking”
Transgender Identity in the 2023 YRBS
CDC reports that 3.3 percent of high school students identify as transgender, and 2.2 percent are questioning whether they are transgender.
Why These Youth Numbers Matter
Adults glance at youth rates for clues about what future adult populations will look like. They also matter for policy. Schools, health providers, and state agencies use YRBS data to track safety, mental health, and risk.
How Gender Identity Affects the Overall Percentage
Some surveys measure sexual orientation thoroughly but skip or minimize gender identity. Others include transgender and nonbinary categories as full parts of the LGBTQ+ umbrella. Any headline number is shaped by the inclusion rule.
PRRI includes transgender and nonbinary identities inside its LGBTQ category. Gallup includes transgender identity within its full breakdown. Public health surveys often treat gender identity separately or omit it. Without checking the definition, you cannot interpret the number.
Why the Percentage Matters Beyond Curiosity
People sometimes treat the LGBTQ+ population share as trivia. In practice, it carries real weight.
Public Health Planning
When health agencies track smoking, mental health, cancer screening, or violence rates by sexual identity or gender identity, they rely on consistent categories.
Smaller groups need careful sampling because margins of error can be large. The NCHS mandate is built on that need.
Education and Youth Safety
YRBS results feed policy debates about school climate, bullying prevention, counselor staffing, and mental health resources. Data on questioning or transgender students helps districts identify disparities and respond.
Civil Rights and State Debates
PRRI’s state-level breakdowns shape local discussions around nondiscrimination laws, health coverage, and political attitudes. Numbers influence arguments about policy reach.
The percentage is not symbolic. It informs decisions with financial and legal consequences.
Bringing All the Numbers Together
Once you see how the categories work, interpreting the range becomes much easier.
- Large national values surveys and polling organizations that ask broad identity questions find roughly 9 to 10 percent of adults identifying as LGBTQ+.
- Government public health datasets that count only LGB categories without gender identity land in the 5 to 6 percent band.
- Youth surveys show much higher non-straight shares because identity, language, and comfort differ sharply across generations.
- Gender identity categories shift umbrella totals depending on how surveys classify respondents.
None of the sources contradict one another. They are measuring slightly different slices of the same population.
Summary
Roughly 1 in 10 adults in the United States identify as LGBTQ+ in recent major surveys, while government health sources that measure only lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity without gender identity produce numbers closer to one in twenty due to different definitions and question designs.
