21 percent of LGBT adults in the United States experienced workplace discrimination or harassment. Businesses that adopted LGBTQ inclusive practices recorded a median revenue increase of 3.9 percent. The article reviews these workplace patterns along with health outcomes, education challenges, and public attitudes.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 5 LGBT adults (21%) in the United States experienced workplace discrimination or harassment in the past year (2017), indicating persistent labor-market inequities
- 3.9% was the estimated increase in revenue for businesses adopting LGBTQ-inclusive practices (median lift reported across included studies in a 2019 meta-analysis), indicating measurable business returns
- 62% of Americans reported being supportive of LGBTQ-inclusive marketing in 2021 (survey), reflecting consumer behavior orientation
- $1.3 billion in estimated lifetime productivity losses associated with LGB mortality in the United States (2015)
- 33% of LGBTQ people reported being denied services or being treated unfairly in the context of health care or social services (2019 survey), quantifying service exclusion
- 5.9% of LGBT adults in the U.S. were current smokers compared with 3.7% of non-LGBT adults (2016–2017 NHIS analysis), showing a smoking prevalence gap
- 27% of LGBTQ adults reported being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (2013–2014 NHIS analysis), quantifying mental-health prevalence
- 43% of LGBTQ students reported that staff did nothing or not enough when bullying was reported (2019), indicating institutional response gaps
- 45% of LGBTQ students reported being verbally harassed at school (2019)
- 1.8x higher odds that LGBTQ youth experience homelessness compared with non-LGBTQ youth (systematic review; 2016)
- 2.1% of adults in England and Wales identified as LGBT in 2023 (ONS), providing a UK-specific demographic snapshot
- 52% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. reported experiencing discrimination in at least one area of life (2017), showing cross-domain prevalence
- US$0 civil marriage license barriers were reported in states where marriage equality is established nationwide; however, 2024 remains relevant for administrative enforcement disparities (policy context statistic)
- 63% of Americans said same-sex marriage should be legal (2024)
- 53% of Americans supported a policy that schools should allow students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity (2024)
LGBTQ people face wide-ranging inequities from workplace discrimination to poorer health, yet inclusive practices can deliver real business gains.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Safety4 stats
01
33% of LGBTQ people reported being denied services or being treated unfairly in the context of health care or social services (2019 survey), quantifying service exclusion
02
5.9% of LGBT adults in the U.S. were current smokers compared with 3.7% of non-LGBT adults (2016–2017 NHIS analysis), showing a smoking prevalence gap
03
27% of LGBTQ adults reported being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (2013–2014 NHIS analysis), quantifying mental-health prevalence
04
19% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of major depressive disorder (2015), indicating elevated depression burden
Interpretation
Health & Safety Interpretation
In the Health and Safety area, the data show clear disparities, with 33% of LGBTQ people reporting denial of services or unfair treatment in health or social care and elevated mental health burdens such as 27% reporting an anxiety disorder and 19% major depressive disorder.
02 · Category
Education & Youth4 stats
01
43% of LGBTQ students reported that staff did nothing or not enough when bullying was reported (2019), indicating institutional response gaps
02
45% of LGBTQ students reported being verbally harassed at school (2019)
03
1.8x higher odds that LGBTQ youth experience homelessness compared with non-LGBTQ youth (systematic review; 2016)
04
20% of LGBTQ youth reported having experienced homelessness at some point (2017)
Interpretation
Education & Youth Interpretation
In the Education and Youth context, LGBTQ students face ongoing school-based and housing-related insecurity, with 43% reporting that staff did nothing or not enough after bullying and 45% reporting verbal harassment, while research shows LGBTQ youth have 1.8 times higher odds of homelessness and 20% report experiencing homelessness at some point.
03 · Category
Public Opinion4 stats
01
63% of Americans said same-sex marriage should be legal (2024)
02
53% of Americans supported a policy that schools should allow students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity (2024)
03
44% of LGBTQ adults in the United States reported experiencing employment discrimination (2017)
04
25% of LGBTQ adults reported being a target of hate crimes or bias incidents in the past 12 months (2021)
Interpretation
Public Opinion Interpretation
Public opinion in the United States is broadly supportive of LGBTQ rights, with 63% backing legal same sex marriage and 53% supporting policies that allow students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
More related reading
04 · Category
Health Outcomes4 stats
01
2.9x higher odds of experiencing fair or poor health among transgender adults compared with cisgender adults (age-adjusted analysis; 2017–2019)
02
1 in 4 (25%) transgender adults reported delaying needed medical care due to cost (2019)
03
16% of LGBTQ adults reported attempting suicide in their lifetime (2019)
04
37% of transgender adults reported experiencing depression symptoms (2019)
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
Across health outcomes, transgender and LGBTQ adults face notably poorer wellbeing, including 2.9 times higher odds of fair or poor health, 25% delaying needed care due to cost, and 16% reporting lifetime suicide attempts alongside 37% of transgender adults reporting depression symptoms.
05 · Category
Economic Impact3 stats
01
3.9% was the estimated increase in revenue for businesses adopting LGBTQ-inclusive practices (median lift reported across included studies in a 2019 meta-analysis), indicating measurable business returns
02
62% of Americans reported being supportive of LGBTQ-inclusive marketing in 2021 (survey), reflecting consumer behavior orientation
03
$1.3 billion in estimated lifetime productivity losses associated with LGB mortality in the United States (2015)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Under the Economic Impact category, businesses that adopt LGBTQ-inclusive practices can see a 3.9% median revenue lift, and with 62% of Americans supporting LGBTQ-inclusive marketing, the $1.3 billion in lifetime productivity losses from LGB mortality underscores both the financial upside of inclusion and the cost of failing to support LGBTQ health and wellbeing.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
52% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. reported experiencing discrimination in at least one area of life (2017), showing cross-domain prevalence
02
US$0civil marriage license barriers were reported in states where marriage equality is established nationwide; however, 2024 remains relevant for administrative enforcement disparities (policy context statistic)
03
25% of Fortune 500 companies include explicit protections or references for LGBTQ employees (2023)
04
60% of LGBTQ employees reported they would be more likely to stay with an employer that supports LGBTQ-inclusive benefits (2021)
05
19% of adults in the U.K. report being attracted to people of the same sex (2019)
06
4.5% of adults in Canada identified as LGB (2019)
07
1 in 5 LGBT adults (21%) in the United States experienced workplace discrimination or harassment in the past year (2017), indicating persistent labor-market inequities
08
2.1% of adults in England and Wales identified as LGBT in 2023 (ONS), providing a UK-specific demographic snapshot
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the industry landscape, evidence from multiple countries shows LGBTQ inclusion is still uneven, with 52% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. reporting discrimination while only 25% of Fortune 500 companies explicitly protect LGBTQ employees and 60% of LGBTQ workers say they would be more likely to stay at employers that offer inclusive benefits.
report visual · Key figures
What Americans and LGBTQ people report: support vs. experience
Shows contrasting views and lived experiences related to LGBTQ acceptance—public support for inclusion alongside reports of discrimination and harassment.
63%
63% of Americans said same-sex marriage should be legal (2024)
53%
53% of Americans supported a policy that schools should allow students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender id
44%
44% of LGBTQ adults in the United States reported experiencing employment discrimination (2017)
43%
43% of LGBTQ students reported that staff did nothing or not enough when bullying was reported (2019), indicating instit
45%
45% of LGBTQ students reported being verbally harassed at school (2019)
source-verifiednews.gallup.com · pewresearch.org · williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu · glsen.org · jstor.org2024
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
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Lgbtq Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbtq-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Lgbtq Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lgbtq-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Lgbtq Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbtq-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)