A record 12% of the adult population in the United States – around 25.6 million people – identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender-diverse, according to new estimates released by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF).
The figures offer one of the most comprehensive recent pictures of the size and demographics of the LGBTQ+ population in the US and show that queer people make up more than 10% of the adult population in 40 of the country’s 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia.
The HRCF analysis draws on more than 2.4 million responses to the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected between 2021 and 2024.
“LGBTQ+ Americans are everywhere. There are 25 million of us across the country, and we now have critical mass in almost every state in the nation. We’re not a niche constituency, and no campaign, brand, or employer can afford to treat us like one,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson.
LGBTQ+ Population Tops 10% in 40 US States
The findings reveal how widely distributed the LGBTQ+ population is across the US.
LGBTQ+ adults account for 13.34% of the population in Arizona, 12.54% in Texas, 11.88% in New Hampshire, 11.46% in Georgia and 11.29% in Ohio.
They also make up 11.14% in Pennsylvania, 10.95% in Michigan and 10.56% in North Carolina.
The community is particularly young. More than half – 53.8% – of LGBTQ+ adults are between 18 and 34, while other recent studies cited by HRCF indicate that nearly 30% of adult Generation Z Americans identify as LGBTQ+.
Bisexual+ people represent the largest group, accounting for more than 7% of all US adults.
The findings also highlight the racial diversity of LGBTQ+ Americans. Hispanic adults comprise 18% of the LGBTQ+ population compared with 13% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, while Black adults account for around 9% compared with 12% of the non-LGBTQ+ population.
Why the New Estimate Is Higher Than Other Surveys
HRCF’s estimate is higher than Gallup’s most recent figure of 9% of US adults identifying as LGBTQ+.
The foundation says researchers attribute the difference to survey methodology rather than a sudden increase in the number of people identifying as LGBTQ+.
HRCF’s estimate comes from the Census Bureau’s self-administered Household Pulse Survey. Different methods of asking people about sexual orientation and gender identity can produce different results, including because respondents may feel more comfortable disclosing personal information in a self-administered survey.
The new figures nevertheless point to an LGBTQ+ population that is substantial, geographically widespread and increasingly influential.
LGBTQ+ Data Disappearing From US Federal Surveys
The findings come amid growing concern about the future availability of reliable LGBTQ+ population data in the US.
According to HRCF, the Household Pulse Survey was one of the last major federal data sources to include a gender identity measure before the Trump administration removed sexual orientation and gender identity questions from around 360 federal data collections.
HRCF argues that excluding these questions could make LGBTQ+ people less visible in the statistics that governments and other institutions use to shape policy and allocate resources.
“Reliable data are essential for understanding who lives in this country and what our communities need to thrive. Removing sexual orientation and gender identity questions from surveys like the one used for this analysis introduces significant gaps in this understanding,” said HRC Foundation Senior Director of Research and Education Tari Hanneman.
The figures also arrive as campaigning intensifies ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, with HRCF arguing that the size of the LGBTQ+ population makes the community an increasingly significant voting constituency.
LGBTQ+ Americans Wield Growing Economic Influence
The new population estimates also have implications beyond politics.
According to a recent HRCF consumer report, LGBTQ+ consumers in the US have more than $1.4 trillion in spending power.
Seven in 10 are already directing that spending towards companies that invest in inclusive policies and practices, according to HRCF.
The organisation argues that the figures demonstrate why businesses and employers cannot afford to view LGBTQ+ people as a small or marginal demographic, even as diversity and inclusion initiatives face political attacks in the US.
How Does South Africa Compare?
The findings are particularly interesting from a South African perspective, where researchers recently produced a new estimate of the size of its LGBTI population.
The Other Foundation and the Human Sciences Research Council’s Admission Reserved report concluded that 5.3% of South Africans aged 16 and older identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-diverse or intersex.
The US and South African percentages should not, however, be treated as a direct like-for-like comparison. They come from different surveys, populations, historical backgrounds and methodologies.
What both sets of findings demonstrate is that LGBTQ+ and LGBTI people represent a significant part of their respective societies rather than a small or isolated minority.
