What Percentage of the Populatn is Gay [Updated May 2023]

U.S. adults timate that nearly one four Amerins (23.6%) are gay or lbian. Gallup has prevly found that Amerins have greatly overtimated the U.S. gay populatn. * ratio of gay people *

The variants are more clive of all dividuals who are non-heterosexual and non-cisgenr stead of exclively applyg to people who are lbian, gay, bisexual, or transgenr. For example, one set of qutns may seek self-reported data on same-sex sexual experienc, while another set may seek data surroundg personal intifitn as lbian, gay, or bisexual.

Other stat wh LGBTQ+ protectns, such as Massachetts and Colorado, also have higher timated populatns of gay, lbian, bisexual, and otherwise non-heterosexual dividuals. Increasg numbers of populatn-based surveys the Uned Stat and across the world clu qutns that allow for an timate of the size of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) populatn.

Unrstandg the size of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) populatn is a cril first step to rmg a host of public policy and rearch topics.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR?

* ratio of gay people *

In measurg sexual orientatn, lbian, gay, and bisexual dividuals may be intified strictly based on their self-inty or may be possible to nsir same-sex sexual behavr or sexual attractn.

WHAT PERCENT OF THE POPULATN IS GAY? MORE THAN YOU THK

Gallup timat that 7.2% of the U.S. adult populatn is lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr. * ratio of gay people *

Fdgs shown Figure 1 nsir timat of the percentage of adults who self-intify as lbian, gay, or bisexual across ne surveys nducted wh the past seven years. While the surveys show a fairly wi variatn the overall percentage of adults who intify as LGB, the proportn who intify as lbian/gay vers bisexual is somewhat more nsistent (see Figure 2). The Natnal Survey of Fay Growth found rults that were sentially the oppose of the UK survey wh only 38% intifyg as lbian or gay pared to 62% intifyg as bisexual.

AMERINS STILL GREATLY OVERTIMATE U.S. GAY POPULATN

Among non-human mammals, exposure to androgens durg cril perds of velopment leads to gynephilia (attractn to femal), whereas the absence or low levels of prenatal androgens leads to androphilia (attractn to mal). However, humans, retrospective markers of prenatal androgens have only been associated wh gynephilia among women, but not wh androphilia among men. Here, we asked whether an direct ditn of prenatal androgen exposure, 2D:4D, differs between subsets of gay men leated by anal sex role (ASR). ASR was ed as a proxy for subgroups bee ASR groups tend to differ other measur affected by bra sexual differentiatn, such as genr nformy. First, we replited the fdg that gay men wh a receptive ASR preference (bottoms) report greater genr nonnformy (GNC) pared to gay men wh an sertive ASR preference (tops). We then found that Tops have a lower (male-typil) average right-hand dig rat than Bottoms, and that among all gay men the right-hand 2D:4D rrelated wh GNC, ditg that a higher (female-typil) 2D:4D is associated wh creased GNC. Differenc were found between non-exclive and exclive same-sex attractn and GNC, and ASR group differenc on dig rats do not reach signifince when all non-heterosexual men are clud the analys, suggtg greater heterogeney the velopment of non-exclive same-sex sexual orientatns. Overall, rults support a role for prenatal androgens, as approximated by dig rats, fluencg the sexual orientatn and GNC of a subset of gay men. * ratio of gay people *

The Natnal Survey of Sexual Health and Behavr and the Atralian Longudal Study of Health and Relatnships both found a majory of rponnts (55% and 59%, rpectively) intifyg as surveys show even greater nsistency differenc between men and women associated wh lbian/gay vers bisexual inty. Wh the surveys, a larger actn of adults report same-sex attractns and behavrs than self-intify as lbian, gay, or bisexual (see Figure 4). The most important takeaway isn’t a fal tally of the gay people society, but, rather, an unrstandg of the ways which surveys and other existg attempts to measure such thgs might be slightly misleadg.

“The rults show non-heterosexualy and anti-gay sentiment are substantially unrtimated existg surveys, and the privacy afford by current bt practic is not always sufficient to elimate bias, ” note the rearchers, who were jt lookg at the way surveys might unr-unt both homosexualy and attus toward homosexualy.

DIFFERENC DIG RATS BETWEEN GAY MEN WHO PREFER RECEPTIVE VERS SERTIVE SEX ROL DITE A ROLE FOR PRENATAL ANDROGEN

After years of wild gus and flawed timatns, Gallup has attempted to get some hard data on jt how many gay, lbian, and bisexual people there are Ameri. So how good are their are numbers? * ratio of gay people *

As Gallup poted out s ial timate of the entire LGBT populatn 2012, "Exactly who mak up the LGBT muny and how this group should be measured is a subject of some bate, " and "there are a number of ways to measure lbian, gay, and bisexual orientatn, and transgenr stat.

Are far lower than what the public timat, and no measurement procre has produced any figur suggtg that more than one out of five Amerins are gay or lbian. Among polil partisans, Democrats and pennts timate that about a quarter of Amerins are gay or lbian, while the average approximatn among Republins is a b lower (18.

DO GAY PEOPLE REALLY MAKE UP 3.5% OF THE POPULATN?

The San Francis metropolan area has the hight percentage of adults who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (LGBT) of any of the 50 largt U.S. metro areas, followed by Portland, Oregon, and At, Texas. * ratio of gay people *

It is, therefore, possible that Amerins' perceptns of the gay populatn may be fluenced by the greater reprentatn they see among young people.

IS 10% OF THE POPULATN REALLY GAY?

Gallup fds 5.6% of U.S. adults intifyg as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr, wh the majory of them sayg they are bisexual. * ratio of gay people *

LGBTQ people are at creased risk for beg targeted for sex crim, as historil prejudice and stigma have picted LGBTQ people—pecially gay/bisexual men—as sexual predators.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE U.S. POPULATN IS GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL?

Our list of 10 untri wh the Biggt Gay Populatn the World is likely to tch you by surprise as you’re gog to fd some of the most nservative untri this list as well. - All Parts * ratio of gay people *

The average age among rponnts was 51; 87% were Whe; and 20% intified as lbian, gay, bisexual, queer/pansexual, and/or transgenr (LGBTQ).

10 COUNTRI WH THE BIGGT GAY POPULATNS THE WORLD

In ntrast, the data do not support a role for prenatal androgens the velopment of differenc sexual orientatn among men, as nclud by the same two meta-analys4, the associatn wh 2D:4D and genr rol among female sexual orientatn, we hypothized that a subset of gay men who are more genr nonnformg may show a larger, ls male-typil, 2D:4D than more genr nformg gay men. A growg body of work dit that anal sex role (ASR) preferenc may serve as a proxy for subgroups of gay men who differ velopment and genr nformy6, 7, 8, 9.