HRC estimates a record 12% of US adults identify as LGBTQ+

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) published a new estimate of the United States LGBTQ+ population on August 20: 12.03% of American adults, or about 25.6 million people. According to HRC , this is the highest estimate produced by the organization.

The calculation draws on 37 waves of the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey conducted from 2021 through 2024. Starting with about 2.45 million responses, researchers pooled the data and applied survey weights. The figure therefore represents an average estimate for that period, not a standalone 2026 measurement. HRC classified respondents as LGBTQ+ if they identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender-expansive.

HRC’s detailed results show that about 54% of LGBTQ+ adults are under 35. Nearly 32% of people aged 18–24 and 22% of those aged 25–34 identified as LGBTQ+. The share exceeds 10% of adults in 40 states and the District of Columbia. About 65% of LGBTQ+ respondents identified as bisexual or used a related label, while 30% identified as gay or lesbian.

The result differs from Gallup’s estimate , which found that 9% of US adults identified as LGBTQ+ in telephone interviews conducted in 2025. Gallup interviewed more than 13,000 people, while the federal survey used by HRC was self-administered. HRC says the more private format may make respondents more willing to report their sexual orientation and gender identity. The gap between 12% and 9% may therefore reflect methodology and does not show a sudden one-year increase.