About 9% of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual, according to Gallup.
That percentage is unchanged from last year but remains more than double the 3.5% from 2012, the first year Gallup measured LGBTQ identification. Gallup also has noted a 2-point increase in LGBTQ identification since 2023.
That is largely driven by young adults, the research firm says.
“LGBTQ identification has risen sharply over the past decade, mainly because more young adults today, especially young women, are identifying as LGBTQ. As more members of Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) reach adulthood, the LGBTQ percentage should rise further, given that nearly one in four adults in that generation currently identify as something other than heterosexual. This is in contrast to older Americans, among whom LGBTQ identification remains relatively uncommon.”
Another driver in this increase is a growing share of Americans who identify as bisexual — meaning they are sexually attracted to both men and women. This is especially true in Gen Z and the Millennial generation. “Bisexual identification far outpaces gay and lesbian identification among younger adults, but it is on par with gay and lesbian identification among older generations,” the report says.
The latest results are based on combined data from 2025 Gallup telephone interviews with 13,000 U.S. adults. In each poll it conducts, Gallup asks respondents whether they personally identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something else. The vast majority, 86%, say they are heterosexual, while 9% identify with one of the various LGBTQ identities and 5% do not give a response.
Among that 9% group:
- % identify as bisexual
- 17% identify as gay
- 16% identify as lesbian
- 12% identify as transgender
- 6% provide another identity, such as queer or pansexual
