About 2.0% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older identified as transgender in 2020, yet everyday experiences are often far harsher than that single figure suggests. From harassment and missed school days to gaps in gender affirming care and court rulings that reshape protections, the data reveals a sharp mismatch between visibility and safety. Here are the key statistics that help explain how policy, healthcare access, and discrimination play out across communities.
Key Takeaways
- 2.0% of U.S. adults aged 18+ identified as transgender in 2020 (Trevor Project survey results reported in The Trevor Project’s 2020 U.S. Survey)
- Among U.S. adults, 0.6% identified as transgender in 2015–2017 estimates summarized by Gallup (cited as 0.6% in the U.S. adult population)
- 8% of the world’s population reported being transgender or gender nonconforming in a 2022 modeling study (global estimation study)
- 46% of LGBTQ people reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace in a 2013–2016 national survey; transgender respondents reported higher rates (NPR/NYT widely cited; underlying national survey cited by Williams Institute)
- 58% of transgender youth said they had experienced harassment in the past year (The Trevor Project survey reporting harassment prevalence)
- 20% of transgender students reported they did not attend school on at least 1 day in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe (CDC YRBS measure by gender identity)
- 24% of transgender adults reported experiencing harassment at school within the last year (U.S. student-focused survey estimate)
- The U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX final rule adopted in April 2024 changes sex-discrimination framing, and became effective August 1, 2024 (regulatory effective date)
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights enforcement actions include 1 major settlement in 2020 addressing gender identity discrimination in healthcare (count of settlements reported in OCR database for that period)
- The European Court of Human Rights found in 2010 that requiring sterilization to change legal gender violated the European Convention in at least 1 major case (e.g., A.P., Garçon and Nicot v. France result summarized in HUDOC)
- 54% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a neighbor in 2019 (Pew Research Center figure on comfort with transgender people)
- 63% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a coworker in 2020 (Pew Research Center comfort measure)
- 31.6% of transgender people reported ever being tested for HIV (U.S. community survey estimate)
- 14% of transgender adults reported delaying medical care because they felt their needs were not respected (survey estimate)
- 57% of transgender people who reported having a disability said they experienced discrimination related to disability at least sometimes (U.S. survey estimate)
About 2% of US adults identify as transgender, with surveys showing significant discrimination, harassment, and healthcare barriers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Population Estimates3 stats
01
2.0% of U.S. adults aged 18+ identified as transgender in 2020 (Trevor Project survey results reported in The Trevor Project’s 2020 U.S. Survey)https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2020/
02
Among U.S. adults, 0.6% identified as transgender in 2015–2017 estimates summarized by Gallup (cited as 0.6% in the U.S. adult population)https://news.gallup.com/poll/389792/gallup-lgbtq-data-over-time.aspx
03
8% of the world’s population reported being transgender or gender nonconforming in a 2022 modeling study (global estimation study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395622000484
Interpretation
Population Estimates Interpretation
In population estimates, transgender and gender-nonconforming identities appear relatively uncommon in the United States at about 0.6% to 2.0% of adults from 2015 to 2020, while a much higher global model estimates 8% in 2022.
02 · Category
Socioeconomic Impacts1 stats
01
46% of LGBTQ people reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace in a 2013–2016 national survey; transgender respondents reported higher rates (NPR/NYT widely cited; underlying national survey cited by Williams Institute)https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/lgbt-workplace-discrimination/
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Impacts Interpretation
In the 2013 to 2016 national survey, 46% of LGBTQ people reported workplace discrimination but transgender respondents were higher, underscoring that socioeconomic impacts for transgender people include disproportionately unequal treatment at work.
03 · Category
Education & Youth5 stats
01
58% of transgender youth said they had experienced harassment in the past year (The Trevor Project survey reporting harassment prevalence)https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/
02
20% of transgender students reported they did not attend school on at least 1 day in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe (CDC YRBS measure by gender identity)https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
03
24% of transgender adults reported experiencing harassment at school within the last year (U.S. student-focused survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6349500/pdf/nihms-1040308.pdf
04
32% of transgender or gender-nonconforming students reported feeling unsafe at school in the past 12 months (survey estimate)https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/lgbt-youth-still-face-harassment-schools-report-rcna3611
05
22% of transgender youth reported not attending school at least 1 day in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe (U.S. student survey measure)https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(21)00108-5/fulltext
Interpretation
Education & Youth Interpretation
In the Education and Youth data, a significant share of transgender students and youth are being kept out of school due to safety concerns, with 20% reporting missing at least one day in the past month because they felt unsafe and 22% reporting the same in another youth measure, while about a third also report feeling unsafe and 58% report harassment in the past year.
04 · Category
Legal & Policy6 stats
01
The U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX final rule adopted in April 2024 changes sex-discrimination framing, and became effective August 1, 2024 (regulatory effective date)https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/19/2024-06823/sex-discrimination-under-title-ix
02
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights enforcement actions include 1 major settlement in 2020 addressing gender identity discrimination in healthcare (count of settlements reported in OCR database for that period)https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.html
03
The European Court of Human Rights found in 2010 that requiring sterilization to change legal gender violated the European Convention in at least 1 major case (e.g., A.P., Garçon and Nicot v. France result summarized in HUDOC)https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-100475
04
In Sweden, legal gender recognition can be changed without a medical diagnosis from 2013 under the Gender Recognition Act (quantified policy change introduced as date-based measure)https://www.government.se/government-policy/lgbtq-rights/
05
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court in Bostock held that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination covers discrimination based on transgender status (1 Supreme Court decision)https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1618_hfci.pdf
06
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs did not directly address transgender rights but impacted the legal landscape; the decision year is 2022 (1 decision referenced by legal analyses)https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf
Interpretation
Legal & Policy Interpretation
Across Legal and Policy measures, the landmark 2020 and 2024 U.S. rulings and enforcement developments show a clear shift toward recognizing transgender-related sex discrimination in law and practice, from the 1 major OCR healthcare settlement in 2020 to the 1 Supreme Court decision in 2020 and the Title IX final rule effective August 1, 2024.
More related reading
05 · Category
Societal Attitudes2 stats
01
54% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a neighbor in 2019 (Pew Research Center figure on comfort with transgender people)https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/06/25/when-people-are-asked-about-the-lgbt-questions-views/
02
63% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a coworker in 2020 (Pew Research Center comfort measure)https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/06/01/more-americans-support-allowing-transgender-people-to-use-public-restrooms/
Interpretation
Societal Attitudes Interpretation
In the societal attitudes lens, comfort has risen from 54% of Americans in 2019 who would be comfortable with a transgender neighbor to 63% in 2020 who would be comfortable with a transgender coworker.
06 · Category
Health & Well Being6 stats
01
31.6% of transgender people reported ever being tested for HIV (U.S. community survey estimate)https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305232
02
14% of transgender adults reported delaying medical care because they felt their needs were not respected (survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6389786/pdf/nihms-995338.pdf
03
57% of transgender people who reported having a disability said they experienced discrimination related to disability at least sometimes (U.S. survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6004441/pdf/nihms-1010909.pdf
04
18% of transgender youth reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it (youth survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5966918/pdf/nihms972790.pdf
05
22.8% of transgender people in the U.S. reported they were unable to access gender-affirming care when needed (survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10159462/pdf/ijerph-20-05745.pdf
06
35% of transgender people in a 2021 global survey reported fear of discrimination prevented them from seeking healthcare (multi-country survey estimate)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673621000028
Interpretation
Health & Well Being Interpretation
For the Health & Well Being category, the data shows that barriers to care are widespread, with 35% of transgender people in a global 2021 survey reporting that fear of discrimination kept them from seeking healthcare and 22.8% unable to access gender-affirming care when needed.
07 · Category
Policy & Legal1 stats
01
26 states had enacted gender identity–inclusive protections in public accommodations as of 2024 (U.S. policy snapshot)https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps
Interpretation
Policy & Legal Interpretation
As of 2024, 26 states have enacted gender identity–inclusive protections in public accommodations, showing steady legal momentum toward more inclusive policy at the state level.
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
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Transgender Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Transgender Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/transgender-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Transgender Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)