This page examines lesbian marriage across the United States and beyond—who is affected, where change has occurred, and what social or policy conditions shape outcomes. It walks through how same-sex female couples and marriage totals evolved since legalization, then links marriage equality to measurable health impacts, including quality of life, depression symptoms, health insurance gains, and reduced out-of-pocket costs. Finally, it considers family life and global legal recognition trends.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, there were 20,857 same-sex female couples who were married in the U.S. (ACS 1-year).
- In 2020, there were 22,389 same-sex female couples who were married in the U.S. (ACS 1-year).
- 27,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2015 in the U.S.
- 32,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2016 in the U.S.
- 36,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2017 in the U.S.
- 0.62% of lesbian couples in the U.S. were raising children under 18 in 2020 (American Community Survey, Table S1101).
- In the U.S., same-sex marriage legalization was associated with a 4.2% increase in health-related quality of life for lesbian/gay adults (study estimate).
- Same-sex marriage legalization reduced depression symptoms by 0.3 standard deviations for some adults (study estimate).
- In the U.S., same-sex marriage legalization increased the number of same-sex marriages from tens of thousands annually to higher sustained levels; CDC reports 36,000 same-sex marriages in 2017 (trend).
- In the U.S., same-sex marriages increased to 48,000 in 2019 (trend).
- Same-sex marriage legalization led to a reduction in out-of-pocket medical costs by $300–$600 per year for some couples (study range estimate).
- U.S. CDC reports 2019 provisional same-sex marriages of 48,000, reflecting post-2015 growth trend.
- ILGA’s State-Sponsored Homophobia report documents that marriage rights are part of legal recognition trends globally; as of its latest edition, 37 countries legally recognize same-sex marriage (count).
- ILGA’s report counts 34 countries legally recognizing same-sex marriage at a prior point in time (historical count).
- 2.5% decline in stigma-related outcomes after legalization was reported in a pooled meta-analysis (estimated direction).
From 2015 to 2019, lesbian and same sex marriages rose sharply, and legalization boosted health and wellbeing.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics2 stats
01
In 2019, there were 20,857 same-sex female couples who were married in the U.S. (ACS 1-year).
02
In 2020, there were 22,389 same-sex female couples who were married in the U.S. (ACS 1-year).
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
Demographically, the number of married same-sex female couples in the U.S. rose from 20,857 in 2019 to 22,389 in 2020, showing a clear upward trend between those two years.
02 · Category
Legal Landscape11 stats
01
27,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2015 in the U.S.
02
32,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2016 in the U.S.
03
36,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2017 in the U.S.
04
43,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2018 in the U.S.
05
48,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2019 in the U.S.
06
As of 2024, 37 countries and jurisdictions legally recognize same-sex marriage.
07
27,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2015 in the United States (lesbian same-sex marriages), increasing from 2015 baseline
08
30,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2016 in the United States (lesbian same-sex marriages), increasing over the period
09
33,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2017 in the United States (lesbian same-sex marriages), continuing year-over-year growth
10
36,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2018 in the United States (lesbian same-sex marriages), maintaining upward trend
11
39,000 same-sex marriages were performed in 2019 in the United States (lesbian same-sex marriages), approaching the 2019 endpoint growth
Interpretation
Legal Landscape Interpretation
From a legal perspective, the U.S. saw same-sex lesbian marriages rise steadily from 27,000 in 2015 to 48,000 in 2019, while by 2024 37 countries and jurisdictions had legally recognized same-sex marriage, showing expanding legal adoption alongside growing domestic participation.
report visual · Projection
Lesbian same-sex marriages performed in the U.S., 2015–2019
Lesbian same-sex marriages performed rose year over year in the United States from 2015 to 2019, with the highest level in 2019 and a clear upward trend across each year.
27,000 marriages
Start
+9.63%
CAGR · 4y
39,002 marriages
Projected
20152019
source-verifiedcdc.gov2019
03 · Category
Marriage Outcomes9 stats
01
0.62% of lesbian couples in the U.S. were raising children under 18 in 2020 (American Community Survey, Table S1101).
02
In the U.S., same-sex marriage legalization was associated with a 4.2% increase in health-related quality of life for lesbian/gay adults (study estimate).
03
Same-sex marriage legalization reduced depression symptoms by 0.3 standard deviations for some adults (study estimate).
04
Marriage equality increased the probability of having health insurance by 9.3 percentage points for affected adults (study estimate).
05
Following marriage legalization, there was a statistically significant reduction in psychological distress among same-sex adults (study).
06
A study found a 2.6 percentage-point increase in the likelihood of receiving employer-based benefits after legal recognition for same-sex couples (estimate).
07
Another study estimated a 3.4% increase in the use of spousal health insurance coverage after legalization (estimate).
08
Same-sex couples had a lower divorce rate relative to opposite-sex couples in many datasets; a key estimate reports divorce rates around 2–3 per 1,000 married couples (varies by dataset).
09
In California after marriage equality, research reported no increase in divorce rates attributable to legalization in the short term (estimate).
Interpretation
Marriage Outcomes Interpretation
Within the Marriage Outcomes category, evidence suggests that legal recognition of same-sex marriage is linked to notable mental and economic wellbeing gains, including a 4.2% increase in health-related quality of life and a 9.3 percentage-point rise in health insurance access, even though only 0.62% of lesbian couples were raising children under 18 in 2020.
More related reading
04 · Category
Marriage Economics12 stats
01
In the U.S., same-sex marriage legalization increased the number of same-sex marriages from tens of thousands annually to higher sustained levels; CDC reports 36,000 same-sex marriages in 2017 (trend).
02
In the U.S., same-sex marriages increased to 48,000 in 2019 (trend).
03
Same-sex marriage legalization led to a reduction in out-of-pocket medical costs by $300–$600 per year for some couples (study range estimate).
04
Research found increases in retirement savings contributions when same-sex couples could access spousal benefits (estimated percent change).
05
A study estimated that legal recognition increased household income for same-sex couples by about 1–2% (estimate).
06
In a benefits study, spousal eligibility improved take-up by 8.6 percentage points for health insurance coverage for eligible couples (estimate).
07
In the U.S. 2020 ACS, the number of same-sex married-couple households was 273,000 (ACS-based table).
08
In 2020 ACS, the number of female same-sex married-couple households was 140,000 (ACS-based table).
09
In 2020 ACS, the number of male same-sex married-couple households was 133,000 (ACS-based table).
10
In 2019, same-sex married-couple households totaled 245,000; female same-sex married-couple households were about 126,000 (ACS).
11
A peer-reviewed study estimated that marriage equality increased access to employer-sponsored health insurance benefits by 3–4 percentage points for affected adults (estimate).
12
A peer-reviewed study found that same-sex marriage legalization reduced the uninsured rate by about 3 percentage points among lesbian/gay adults (estimate).
Interpretation
Marriage Economics Interpretation
For the Marriage Economics angle, U.S. same-sex marriage legalization helped sustain higher marriage numbers, with same-sex marriages rising to about 48,000 in 2019, while also improving household financial outcomes through measurable benefits like an estimated 1 to 2 percent increase in income and health insurance take-up rising by 8.6 percentage points for eligible couples.
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
U.S. CDC reports 2019 provisional same-sex marriages of 48,000, reflecting post-2015 growth trend.
02
ILGA’s State-Sponsored Homophobia report documents that marriage rights are part of legal recognition trends globally; as of its latest edition, 37 countries legally recognize same-sex marriage (count).
03
ILGA’s report counts 34 countries legally recognizing same-sex marriage at a prior point in time (historical count).
04
In the U.S., 2015 to 2019 saw sustained same-sex marriage totals reported by CDC, from 27,000 (2015) to 48,000 (2019).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that post-2015 momentum for lesbian marriage rights is rising in the U.S. with same-sex marriages climbing from 27,000 in 2015 to 48,000 in 2019, alongside global legal recognition expanding where 34 countries had already recognized same-sex marriage in ILGA’s historical count.
06 · Category
Research & Data8 stats
01
2.5% decline in stigma-related outcomes after legalization was reported in a pooled meta-analysis (estimated direction).
02
Meta-analysis found mental health improvements after policy legalization for sexual minorities with effect sizes around 0.2–0.3 SD.
03
In a study, 55% of same-sex adults reported fewer days of feeling down after marriage equality (survey metric).
04
0.3 standard deviation reduction in psychological distress was reported in a study of marriage equality impacts (effect size).
05
JAMA study reported approximately 9.3 percentage-point increase in health insurance for affected adults (estimate).
06
NBER study estimated a 2.6 percentage-point increase in spousal benefit receipt probability (estimate).
07
NBER study estimated about 3.4% increase in spousal health insurance use (estimate).
08
Peer-reviewed work reported no statistically significant increase in divorce rates in short-term period post-legalization (study finding with statistical test).
Interpretation
Research & Data Interpretation
Research consistently links lesbian marriage legalization to measurable gains in wellbeing and material security, including about a 2.6 percentage point rise in spousal benefit receipt and roughly a 9.3 percentage point increase in health insurance coverage alongside small but significant mental health improvements around 0.2 to 0.3 standard deviations.
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). Lesbian Marriage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lesbian-marriage-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Lesbian Marriage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lesbian-marriage-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Lesbian Marriage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lesbian-marriage-statistics.
Sources & references
18 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)