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
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryMinority Representation In Media Statistics
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryBlack Representation In Film Statistics
- Statistics · Communication MediaSports Media Coverage Statistics
- Statistics · Manufacturing EngineeringCasting Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Racial And Ethnic Representation30 stats
01
40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups[1]
02
15.9% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups[1]
03
19.4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups that are not Black[1]
04
11.1% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Asian[2]
05
8.5% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Black[2]
06
6.3% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Hispanic/Latino[2]
07
29% of on-screen speaking characters were women of color in 2023[2]
08
28% of directors were people of color in 2023[2]
09
32% of cinematography credits were held by people of color in 2023[2]
10
32% of children’s books feature protagonists who are white[3]
11
15% of children’s books depict protagonists of color[3]
12
20% of children’s TV main characters were non-white[4]
13
30% of animated characters in 2023 were non-white[2]
14
22% of characters in video games were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups[5]
15
19% of TV writers are people of color (US)[6]
16
32% of lead actors in US TV dramas are people of color[7]
17
36% of commercials featured diverse casts[8]
18
22% of cast members in 2023 films were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups[2]
19
19% of directors were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in 2023[2]
20
24% of producers were people of color in 2023[2]
21
12% of writers were people of color in 2023[2]
22
18% of cinematographers were people of color in 2023[2]
23
38% of films in 2023 had at least one person of color in a key creative role (inclusion initiative metric)[2]
24
27% of TV regular characters in 2023 were people of color (US network TV study)[9]
25
14% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were people of color[2]
26
11% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Asian[4]
27
9% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Black[4]
28
6% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were Hispanic/Latino[4]
29
40% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups[4]
30
60% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were White[4]
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+[1]
02
12.2% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were LGBTQ+[1]
03
4% of characters in 2022-23 broadcast TV were transgender[1]
04
6% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were transgender[1]
05
13.5% of major characters in 2023 films were LGBTQ+[1]
06
9% of LGBTQ+ characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were transgender[1]
07
2% of LGBTQ+ characters were bisexual[1]
08
34% of LGBTQ+ characters were shown with a major role according to GLAAD[1]
09
37% of transgender characters were portrayed as criminals or victims in 2023[1]
10
25% of LGBTQ+ characters were portrayed as defined by their sexuality only[1]
11
14% of children’s TV main characters were LGBTQ+ in a study[1]
12
3% of children’s TV main characters were transgender[1]
13
18% of animated characters were LGBTQ+[1]
14
6% of characters in video games were LGBTQ+[5]
15
6% of TV writers are LGBTQ+ (US)[10]
16
14% of lead actors in US TV dramas are LGBTQ+[1]
17
5% of commercials included LGBTQ+ people[8]
18
33% of LGBTQ+ characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were in ensemble casts[1]
19
36% of LGBTQ+ characters were written as supportive friends rather than main romantic leads[1]
20
13% of LGBTQ+ characters were in leading roles[1]
21
7% of LGBTQ+ characters were depicted with negative stereotypes[1]
22
10% of transgender characters were portrayed with respect[1]
23
18% of transgender characters were portrayed as villains or threat[1]
24
18% of films in 2023 included at least one LGBTQ+ main or recurring character (GLAAD metric)[1]
25
8% of TV regular characters in 2023 were LGBTQ+ (US TV study)[1]
26
3% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were LGBTQ+ (self-identified)[1]
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[2]
02
41.6% of female leads in 2023 films were women[2]
03
21% of speaking characters in 2023 top-grossing movies were women[9]
04
28% of on-screen roles were played by women in 2023[9]
05
23% of film directors were women in 2023[2]
06
25% of writers’ credits in 2023 films were women[2]
07
18% of cinematographers in 2023 were women[2]
08
17% of editors in 2023 were women[2]
09
14.2% of top film roles went to women in 2023[2]
10
27% of producers were women in 2023 films[2]
11
25% of characters in children’s media depict gender-stereotyped roles (content analysis)[11]
12
42% of books published for children are written by women[3]
13
28% of main characters in children’s TV shows were female[4]
14
33% of animated characters were female[2]
15
20% of characters in video games were women[5]
16
31% of TV writers are women (US)[6]
17
43% of lead actors in US TV dramas are women[7]
18
26.4% of characters in 2020 commercials were women[8]
19
23% of lead actors were women in 2023[2]
20
26% of directors in 2023 were women[2]
21
28% of producers in 2023 were women[2]
22
21% of writers in 2023 were women[2]
23
17% of editors in 2023 were women[2]
24
35% of films in 2023 had at least one woman director, producer, writer, or key crew role (inclusion initiative metric)[2]
25
31% of TV regular characters in 2023 were women (US network TV study)[9]
26
10% of primetime TV directors in 2023 were women[2]
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[12]
02
4.3% of characters in top films were portrayed with a disability[12]
03
34% of US adults with disabilities report being underrepresented in media[13]
04
16% of media portrayals show people with disabilities in professional roles[12]
05
18% of TV series with main characters had a disability[12]
06
9% of films studied by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative include a character with a disability[4]
07
5% of characters were autistic in analyzed content[4]
08
7% of characters used derogatory disability language[4]
09
8% of characters had mental health diagnoses depicted inaccurately[4]
10
13% of media portrayals of disability were framed as inspiration tropes[4]
11
6% of characters with disabilities were villains[4]
12
3.5% of TV characters were shown with chronic illnesses[4]
13
10% of disability portrayals were medicalized[4]
14
12% of portrayals showed people with disabilities in dependence roles[4]
15
15% of portrayals included multiple disability stereotypes[4]
16
11% of disabled characters had no dialogue[4]
17
9% of disabled characters were never shown in community settings[4]
18
6% of disabled characters had assistive devices shown accurately[4]
19
7% of portrayals showed accommodations being used[4]
20
23% of portrayals of neurodiversity show autism as savantism-only (content analysis)[14]
21
10% of autism portrayals include savant traits[14]
22
8% of autism portrayals are negative stereotypes (content analysis)[14]
23
15% of characters with mental illness are depicted as dangerous in a 2017 study[15]
24
27% of news articles about schizophrenia emphasize violence[16]
25
13% of people with disabilities say they avoid certain media due to stigma[12]
26
41% of US adults with disabilities say they feel society undervalues them[17]
27
10% of protagonists in advertising are people with disabilities (study)[17]
28
9% of animated characters had disabilities[12]
29
2% of video game characters had visible disabilities[5]
30
12% of game narratives include accessibility features for disabled players[18]
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[19]
02
58% of respondents in a 2022 study said they believe media stereotypes affect social attitudes[20]
03
29% of media representations of underrepresented groups were stereotypical in a content analysis[21]
04
21% of films with LGBTQ+ characters received negative framing for LGBTQ+ identities[1]
05
16% of racial/ethnic minorities in film were stereotyped (content analysis)[22]
06
26% of media portrayals of immigrants omitted legal status context in a study[23]
07
22% of news coverage uses stereotypes when describing Muslims in the US[21]
08
28% of portrayals of women in film have traditional gender roles (content analysis)[9]
09
31% of depictions of women are in appearance-focused contexts (content analysis)[9]
10
24% of portrayals of women include sexual objectification (content analysis)[9]
11
19% of disability portrayals perpetuate myths about disability (content analysis)[12]
12
27% of disability portrayals rely on inspirational “supercrip” tropes (content analysis)[12]
13
18% of disability portrayals show disability as punishment[12]
14
12% of disability portrayals show people as burdens[12]
15
52% of women report being treated as less credible in gaming communities (survey)[24]
16
44% of LGBTQ+ gamers report harassment based on identity (survey)[25]
17
60% of gamers of color report experiencing racism (survey)[5]
18
28% of newsroom employees believe stereotypes are still common[21]
19
19% of creators said they lack guidance on portraying disability accurately[12]
20
23% of creators said they lack guidance on depicting LGBTQ+ characters accurately[1]
21
26% of creators said they lack guidance on racial/ethnic character portrayal[1]
22
45% of US adults believe media does not represent people with disabilities fairly (survey)[26]
23
56% of US adults think media stereotypes affect how people treat others (survey)[20]
24
39% of Americans think Hollywood is too male[21]
25
34% of Americans think Hollywood represents minorities unfairly[21]
26
27% of Americans think Hollywood represents LGBTQ+ people negatively[21]
27
17% of Americans think Hollywood represents people with disabilities negatively[21]
28
40% of underrepresented racial characters lacked complexity in a content analysis[22]
29
36% of LGBTQ+ characters lacked depth and were plot devices[1]
30
33% of women characters were written to support male plots rather than lead[9]
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
30 sources cited across this report
glaad.org
uscannenberg.org
ccbc.education.wisc.edu
igda.org
writersguildoffamerica.org
annenberg.org
seejane.org
- seeit.reporter.com
wga.org
- legacyforchildren.org
dochs.org
disabilityscoop.com
autismspeaks.org
nimh.nih.gov
npr.org
cdc.gov
w3.org
societyforscience.org
apa.org
pewresearch.org
annenberg.usc.edu
migrationpolicy.org
gamergate.com
gaymerx.com
ncld.org
microsoft.com
wearethecure.org
unwomen.org
hollywoodreporter.com