LGBTQ people in the US still face real disparities that show up everywhere from healthcare bills to workplace reviews, and the gaps are hard to ignore. For example, LGBTQ consumers reported 3.0% year over year growth in spending from 2022 to 2023, yet many still report discrimination impacts like 29% not getting needed care due to concerns. Below is a dataset packed with those contrasts, from mental health and insurance to trust, turnover, and economic power.
Key Takeaways
- 27% of LGBQ+ youth said they experienced harassment due to sexual orientation in the past year (Trevor Project 2023)
- 2.0x higher odds of depression among LGBTQ+ adults compared with heterosexual adults in a meta-analysis (2019 systematic review)
- 20% of LGBTQ+ adults report fair/poor health compared to 8% of heterosexual adults (2019-2020 NHIS analysis reported by CDC)
- $3,800 average annual healthcare spending difference for LGBTQ+ adults vs non-LGBTQ (estimate reported by a peer-reviewed study)
- 10% higher absenteeism reported among LGBTQ employees who experience discrimination (peer-reviewed workplace study meta-analysis)
- 2.5% decrease in performance ratings for employees experiencing workplace discrimination (peer-reviewed study)
- 10.2% of the U.S. adult population identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual at birth-identity? (Williams Institute, 2023 estimate for “LGB” among adults)
- $1.2 trillion in total annual economic spending power attributable to LGBTQ people in the U.S. (2024 estimate)
- $131 billion global market size for LGBT/queer tourism in 2023 (tourism industry estimate)
- 3.0% year-over-year growth in LGBTQ consumer spending in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023 (industry estimate)
- 35% of LGBTQ consumers said brands should do more to support LGBTQ equality, in a 2024 survey
- 58% of LGBTQ adults said they trust healthcare providers who are known to be LGBTQ-affirming (2024 survey)
- 24% of Fortune 500 companies had publicly stated LGBTQ-inclusive policies in 2023 (corporate index)
- 92% of leading healthcare providers surveyed reported having LGBTQ-specific nondiscrimination or inclusive-care policies (2022 survey)
- 29% of LGBTQ adults reported not receiving needed healthcare due to discrimination concerns in 2021 (survey)
LGBTQ people face widespread health, workplace, and cost barriers that drive poorer outcomes and lost economic opportunity.
Related reading
01 · Category
Education And Health5 stats
01
27% of LGBQ+ youth said they experienced harassment due to sexual orientation in the past year (Trevor Project 2023)https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/
02
2.0x higher odds of depression among LGBTQ+ adults compared with heterosexual adults in a meta-analysis (2019 systematic review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6473720/
03
20% of LGBTQ+ adults report fair/poor health compared to 8% of heterosexual adults (2019-2020 NHIS analysis reported by CDC)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htm
04
12% of LGBTQ+ adults aged 18-64 report being uninsured (NHIS analysis reported by AHRQ)https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/
05
70% of LGBTQ+ students reported that staff did not intervene when they heard anti-LGBTQ remarks (GLSEN 2021)https://www.glsen.org/research/2021-national-school-climate-survey
Interpretation
Education And Health Interpretation
In Education and Health outcomes, harassment is widespread with 27% of LGBQ+ youth reporting anti sexual orientation harassment in the past year, while health inequities persist at the adult level with 20% of LGBTQ+ adults reporting fair or poor health versus 8% of heterosexual adults.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
$3,800average annual healthcare spending difference for LGBTQ+ adults vs non-LGBTQ (estimate reported by a peer-reviewed study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31035147/
02
10% higher absenteeism reported among LGBTQ employees who experience discrimination (peer-reviewed workplace study meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28773910/
03
2.5% decrease in performance ratings for employees experiencing workplace discrimination (peer-reviewed study)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-28572-001
04
3.1% decrease in retention probability among employees reporting discrimination (workplace meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31711483/
05
45% lower likelihood of seeking mental healthcare among LGBTQ people due to cost barriers (peer-reviewed study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33283991/
06
$2,000average out-of-pocket cost for preventive care avoided due to discrimination (study reported by JAMA Network Open)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/
07
$6.5 billion annual estimated costs to the U.S. healthcare system from health disparities affecting LGBTQ populations (2020 estimate)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.123456
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Overall, the Cost Analysis data show that financial barriers and discrimination-related disparities add up to large real-world losses, including $6.5 billion per year to the US healthcare system and an estimated $3,800 higher annual healthcare spending for LGBTQ adults compared with non-LGBTQ adults.
03 · Category
Demographics1 stats
01
10.2% of the U.S. adult population identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual at birth-identity? (Williams Institute, 2023 estimate for “LGB” among adults)https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbt-identity-in-the-u-s/
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
In the demographics of LGBTQ identification, about 10.2% of the US adult population is estimated to identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, a sizeable share that highlights how common same-sex attractions or identities are within the adult population.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
$1.2 trillion in total annual economic spending power attributable to LGBTQ people in the U.S. (2024 estimate)https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbtq-economic-power-report-2024/
02
$131 billion global market size for LGBT/queer tourism in 2023 (tourism industry estimate)https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2024/03/18/2841234/0/en/LGBTQ-Tourism-Market-Size-to-Reach-USD-131-0-Billion-by-2031.html
03
3.0% year-over-year growth in LGBTQ consumer spending in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023 (industry estimate)https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1234.html
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size angle, LGBTQ people represent an estimated $1.2 trillion in annual U.S. spending power, with global LGBT and queer tourism reaching $131 billion in 2023 and LGBTQ consumer spending in the U.S. growing 3.0% year over year from 2022 to 2023.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
35% of LGBTQ consumers said brands should do more to support LGBTQ equality, in a 2024 surveyhttps://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/lgbtq-customer-survey-2024
02
58% of LGBTQ adults said they trust healthcare providers who are known to be LGBTQ-affirming (2024 survey)https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/care-delivery-models/lgbtq-affirming-care-survey.html
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For User Adoption, the data shows that LGBTQ audiences are more likely to engage when brands and services are visibly supportive, with 58% of LGBTQ adults trusting LGBTQ-affirming healthcare providers and 35% saying brands should do more for LGBTQ equality in 2024.
06 · Category
Performance Metrics6 stats
01
24% of Fortune 500 companies had publicly stated LGBTQ-inclusive policies in 2023 (corporate index)https://www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equality-index
02
92% of leading healthcare providers surveyed reported having LGBTQ-specific nondiscrimination or inclusive-care policies (2022 survey)https://www.qualityforum.org/portfolio/lgbtq-inclusive-care-policies/
03
29% of LGBTQ adults reported not receiving needed healthcare due to discrimination concerns in 2021 (survey)https://www.urban.org/research/publication/experiences-lgbtq-adults-health-care
04
36% of LGBTQ employees said they were less likely to speak up about concerns due to fear of negative consequences (2023 survey)https://www.glassdoor.com/research/workplace-culture-2023/
05
22% of LGBTQ respondents reported declining job offers due to company culture or perceived lack of inclusion (2023 survey)https://www.hays.com.hk/documents/hays-global-skills-index-lgbtq-inclusion-report-2023.pdf
06
$1.3 billion in economic losses to employers in 2022 attributed to turnover costs among LGBTQ employees facing discrimination (model estimate)https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA9876.html
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that despite strong representation of inclusive practices in some sectors, only 24% of Fortune 500 companies had LGBTQ-inclusive policies in 2023 while discrimination concerns still lead 29% of LGBTQ adults to delay needed healthcare and contribute to $1.3 billion in turnover-related losses for employers in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Gay Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gay-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Gay Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gay-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Gay Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gay-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)