This page explores representation in media across film and broadcast television: race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identities, gender, and disability status. We compare patterns in speaking characters versus overall character roles, including how underrepresented groups show up as leads and how stereotypes or negative framing can appear. The analysis also connects these on-screen trends to reported real-world barriers, like difficulty hiring diverse talent, and the broader social impact people say media can have.
Key Takeaways
- 40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
- 15.9% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
- 19.4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups that are not Black
- 30% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were LGBTQ+
- 12.2% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were LGBTQ+
- 4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were transgender
- 24% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were women
- 41.6% of female leads in 2023 films were women
- 21% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were women
- 10% of characters were disabled in 2023 top-grossing movies
- 4.3% of characters in top films were portrayed with a disability
- 34% of US adults with disabilities report being underrepresented in media
- 19.3% of surveyed producers said they have difficulty hiring diverse talent for major roles
- 58% of respondents in a 2022 study said they believe media stereotypes affect social attitudes
- 29% of media representations of underrepresented groups were stereotypical in a content analysis
Underrepresented groups, LGBTQ+ people, women, and disabled characters still appear at low and often stereotyped rates in mainstream media.
Related reading
01 · Category
Racial And Ethnic Representation30 stats
01
40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
02
15.9% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
03
19.4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups that are not Black
04
11.1% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Asian
05
8.5% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Black
06
6.3% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Hispanic/Latino
07
29% of on-screen speaking characters were women of color in 2023
08
28% of directors were people of color in 2023
09
32% of cinematography credits were held by people of color in 2023
10
32% of children’s books feature protagonists who are white
11
15% of children’s books depict protagonists of color
12
20% of children’s TV main characters were non-white
13
30% of animated characters in 2023 were non-white
14
22% of characters in video games were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
15
19% of TV writers are people of color (US)
16
32% of lead actors in US TV dramas are people of color
17
36% of commercials featured diverse casts
18
22% of cast members in 2023 films were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
19
19% of directors were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in 2023
20
24% of producers were people of color in 2023
21
12% of writers were people of color in 2023
22
18% of cinematographers were people of color in 2023
23
38% of films in 2023 had at least one person of color in a key creative role (inclusion initiative metric)
24
27% of TV regular characters in 2023 were people of color (US network TV study)
25
14% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were people of color
26
11% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Asian
27
9% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Black
28
6% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Hispanic/Latino
29
40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
30
60% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were White
Interpretation
Racial And Ethnic Representation Interpretation
Racial and ethnic representation in media still skews unevenly because underrepresented groups made up 40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies while Black characters accounted for only 8.5% and Hispanic/Latino characters for 6.3%.
report visual · Breakdown
Racial/Ethnic Share of Speaking Characters (2023 Top-Grossing Movies)
In 2023 top-grossing US movies, White characters led with a dominant share, while underrepresented racial/ethnic groups together accounted for a large combined portion.
60%
60% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were White
40%
40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups
source-verifiedassets.uscannenberg.org2023
02 · Category
Lgbtq+ Representation26 stats
01
30% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were LGBTQ+
02
12.2% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were LGBTQ+
03
4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were transgender
04
6% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were transgender
05
13.5% of major characters in 2023 films were LGBTQ+
06
9% of LGBTQ+ characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were transgender
07
2% of LGBTQ+ characters were bisexual
08
34% of LGBTQ+ characters were shown with a major role according to GLAAD
09
37% of transgender characters were portrayed as criminals or victims in 2023
10
25% of LGBTQ+ characters were portrayed as defined by their sexuality only
11
14% of children’s TV main characters were LGBTQ+ in a study
12
3% of children’s TV main characters were transgender
13
18% of animated characters were LGBTQ+
14
6% of characters in video games were LGBTQ+
15
6% of TV writers are LGBTQ+ (US)
16
14% of lead actors in US TV dramas are LGBTQ+
17
5% of commercials included LGBTQ+ people
18
33% of LGBTQ+ characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were in ensemble casts
19
36% of LGBTQ+ characters were written as supportive friends rather than main romantic leads
20
13% of LGBTQ+ characters were in leading roles
21
7% of LGBTQ+ characters were depicted with negative stereotypes
22
10% of transgender characters were portrayed with respect
23
18% of transgender characters were portrayed as villains or threat
24
18% of films in 2023 included at least one LGBTQ+ main or recurring character (GLAAD metric)
25
8% of TV regular characters in 2023 were LGBTQ+ (US TV study)
26
3% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were LGBTQ+ (self-identified)
Interpretation
Lgbtq+ Representation Interpretation
LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media is substantial but still uneven, with 30% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing films identifying as LGBTQ+ while only 6% are transgender and broadcast TV shows an even smaller transgender share at 4%.
03 · Category
Gender Representation26 stats
01
24% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were women
02
41.6% of female leads in 2023 films were women
03
21% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were women
04
28% of on-screen roles were played by women in 2023
05
23% of film directors were women in 2023
06
25% of writers’ credits in 2023 films were women
07
18% of cinematographers in 2023 were women
08
17% of editors in 2023 were women
09
14.2% of top film roles went to women in 2023
10
27% of producers were women in 2023 films
11
25% of characters in children’s media depict gender-stereotyped roles (content analysis)
12
42% of books published for children are written by women
13
28% of main characters in children’s TV shows were female
14
33% of animated characters were female
15
20% of characters in video games were women
16
31% of TV writers are women (US)
17
43% of lead actors in US TV dramas are women
18
26.4% of characters in 2020 commercials were women
19
23% of lead actors were women in 2023
20
26% of directors in 2023 were women
21
28% of producers in 2023 were women
22
21% of writers in 2023 were women
23
17% of editors in 2023 were women
24
35% of films in 2023 had at least one woman director, producer, writer, or key crew role (inclusion initiative metric)
25
31% of TV regular characters in 2023 were women (US network TV study)
26
10% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were women
Interpretation
Gender Representation Interpretation
In 2023, women remained underrepresented across key gender representation benchmarks, with only 24% of speaking characters and 23% of film directors being women, even though female leads were higher at 41.6%, suggesting that visibility rises in lead roles but does not translate evenly across the broader on screen and behind the scenes workforce.
More related reading
04 · Category
Disability And Neurodiversity Representation30 stats
01
10% of characters were disabled in 2023 top-grossing movies
02
4.3% of characters in top films were portrayed with a disability
03
34% of US adults with disabilities report being underrepresented in media
04
16% of media portrayals show people with disabilities in professional roles
05
18% of TV series with main characters had a disability
06
9% of films studied by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative include a character with a disability
07
5% of characters were autistic in analyzed content
08
7% of characters used derogatory disability language
09
8% of characters had mental health diagnoses depicted inaccurately
10
13% of media portrayals of disability were framed as inspiration tropes
11
6% of characters with disabilities were villains
12
3.5% of TV characters were shown with chronic illnesses
13
10% of disability portrayals were medicalized
14
12% of portrayals showed people with disabilities in dependence roles
15
15% of portrayals included multiple disability stereotypes
16
11% of disabled characters had no dialogue
17
9% of disabled characters were never shown in community settings
18
6% of disabled characters had assistive devices shown accurately
19
7% of portrayals showed accommodations being used
20
23% of portrayals of neurodiversity show autism as savantism-only (content analysis)
21
10% of autism portrayals include savant traits
22
8% of autism portrayals are negative stereotypes (content analysis)
23
15% of characters with mental illness are depicted as dangerous in a 2017 study
24
27% of news articles about schizophrenia emphasize violence
25
13% of people with disabilities say they avoid certain media due to stigma
26
41% of US adults with disabilities say they feel society undervalues them
27
10% of protagonists in advertising are people with disabilities (study)
28
9% of animated characters had disabilities
29
2% of video game characters had visible disabilities
30
12% of game narratives include accessibility features for disabled players
Interpretation
Disability And Neurodiversity Representation Interpretation
In the disability and neurodiversity representation landscape, only about 9% to 18% of mainstream films and TV series include disabled characters as major or notable figures, while just 16% depict them in professional roles, showing that representation remains far too limited beyond simple presence.
05 · Category
Underrepresentation And Bias30 stats
01
19.3% of surveyed producers said they have difficulty hiring diverse talent for major roles
02
58% of respondents in a 2022 study said they believe media stereotypes affect social attitudes
03
29% of media representations of underrepresented groups were stereotypical in a content analysis
04
21% of films with LGBTQ+ characters received negative framing for LGBTQ+ identities
05
16% of racial/ethnic minorities in film were stereotyped (content analysis)
06
26% of media portrayals of immigrants omitted legal status context in a study
07
22% of news coverage uses stereotypes when describing Muslims in the US
08
28% of portrayals of women in film have traditional gender roles (content analysis)
09
31% of depictions of women are in appearance-focused contexts (content analysis)
10
24% of portrayals of women include sexual objectification (content analysis)
11
19% of disability portrayals perpetuate myths about disability (content analysis)
12
27% of disability portrayals rely on inspirational “supercrip” tropes (content analysis)
13
18% of disability portrayals show disability as punishment
14
12% of disability portrayals show people as burdens
15
52% of women report being treated as less credible in gaming communities (survey)
16
44% of LGBTQ+ gamers report harassment based on identity (survey)
17
60% of gamers of color report experiencing racism (survey)
18
28% of newsroom employees believe stereotypes are still common
19
19% of creators said they lack guidance on portraying disability accurately
20
23% of creators said they lack guidance on depicting LGBTQ+ characters accurately
21
26% of creators said they lack guidance on racial/ethnic character portrayal
22
45% of US adults believe media does not represent people with disabilities fairly (survey)
23
56% of US adults think media stereotypes affect how people treat others (survey)
24
39% of Americans think Hollywood is too male
25
34% of Americans think Hollywood represents minorities unfairly
26
27% of Americans think Hollywood represents LGBTQ+ people negatively
27
17% of Americans think Hollywood represents people with disabilities negatively
28
40% of underrepresented racial characters lacked complexity in a content analysis
29
36% of LGBTQ+ characters lacked depth and were plot devices
30
33% of women characters were written to support male plots rather than lead
Interpretation
Underrepresentation And Bias Interpretation
Across these Underrepresentation And Bias findings, a sizable share of media and industry participants reported problems with representation, including 29% of underrepresented-group portrayals being stereotypical and 19.3% of producers struggling to hire diverse talent for major roles.
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). Representation In Media Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/representation-in-media-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Representation In Media Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/representation-in-media-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Representation In Media Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/representation-in-media-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)