An estimated 9 million people across the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a study released Thursday by the Williams Institute at UCLA’s School of Law.
Drawing on information from four recent national and two state-level population-based surveys, the analyses suggest that there are more than 8 million adults in the U.S. who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, comprising 3.5% of the adult population.
There are also nearly 700,000 transgender individuals in the U.S.
In total, the study suggests that approximately 9 million Americans — roughly the population of New Jersey — identify as LGBT.
Among other findings from the study:
- Among adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, bisexuals comprise a slight majority (1.8% compared to 1.7% who identify as lesbian or gay).
- Women are substantially more likely than men to identify as bisexual.
- An estimated 19 million Americans (8.2%) report that they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and nearly 25.6 million Americans (11%) acknowledge at least some same-sex sexual attraction.
The Williams Institute is a leading think tank dedicated to the field of sexual orientation and gender identity-related law and public policy.