An estimated 9 percent of U.S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual, according to Gallup’s latest national polling.
The figure, based on interviews conducted throughout 2025, is essentially unchanged from the previous year but remains more than double the share recorded when Gallup first began tracking LGBTQ+ identification in 2012.
Gallup’s data is one of the longest‑running and most closely watched measures of LGBTQ+ identification in the United States, offering insight into how Americans describe their sexual orientation and gender identity over time.
While the overall percentage has leveled off in recent years, the long‑term trend shows a substantial increase over the past decade, largely driven by differences between generations.
Gallup estimates that 9 percent of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, compared with 3.5 percent in 2012, the first year the organization asked the question as part of its polling.
In the survey, respondents are asked whether they personally identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something else. Those who select an identity other than heterosexual are counted within the LGBTQ+ total, while about 5 percent of respondents declined to answer.
Most LGBTQ+ adults identify as bisexual — about 5 percent of the U.S. population — according to Gallup’s breakdown. Smaller shares identify as gay, lesbian, transgender or another identity included in an “other LGBTQ+” category.
Gallup said that the rise in LGBTQ+ identification over time has been driven primarily by younger generations, who are far more likely than older adults to say they are something other than heterosexual. About 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ+, compared with roughly 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49. Among Americans age 50 and older, 3 percent or fewer identify as LGBTQ+.
Democrats are also much more likely than Republicans to have an LGBTQ+ identity, while city residents are more likely than those living in suburban or rural areas to identify as LGBTQ+.
The latest estimates are drawn from more than 13,000 telephone interviews with U.S. adults conducted across the year and weighted to reflect national demographics.
As more members of Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) reach adulthood, it is expected that the percentage of adults identifying as LGBTQ+ will rise further, given that nearly 1 in 4 adults in that generation currently identify as something other than heterosexual. This is in contrast to older Americans, where LGBTQ+ identification remains more uncommon.
Gallup’s findings suggest overall LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. may continue to evolve as younger generations make up a larger share of the adult population, though recent data indicates growth has slowed compared with earlier years.
Gallup continues to track LGBTQ+ identification annually, allowing for ongoing comparisons across age groups and over time.
