Number of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+ reaches record high, survey finds
The number of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ has reached a record high, according to a survey by Gallup. Approximately 7.1% of adults in the country consider themselves a member of the community, the research found.
This is double the percentage in 2012, the year of Gallup’s first study into the matter. A total of 86.3% of the respondents said they identify as straight or heterosexual, with 6.6% not providing an opinion.
Prior to 2021’s results, 2020 was the year with the highest percentage of people identifying as LGBTQ+ at 5.6%. The lowest number recorded was 3.5% in 2012, followed by 3.6% and 3.7% in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
The latest results note that 12% of respondents were Gen Z adults, up from just 7% in 2017 – something that is attributed to many of them turning 18 over the four years between the studies. “The increase in LGBT identification in recent years largely reflects the higher prevalence of such identities among the youngest U.S.
