Transgender Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Transgender Statistics

Transgender identity appears in every part of daily life, from 2.0% of U.S. adults who identified as transgender in 2020 to 22.8% who said they could not get gender affirming care when needed. The page also connects policy and personal risk, including a 2024 shift in Title IX enforcement and survey findings such as 58% of transgender youth reporting harassment in the past year.

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

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)

Statistic 2

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)

Statistic 3

8% of the world’s population reported being transgender or gender nonconforming in a 2022 modeling study (global estimation study)

Statistic 4

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)

Statistic 5

58% of transgender youth said they had experienced harassment in the past year (The Trevor Project survey reporting harassment prevalence)

Statistic 6

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)

Statistic 7

24% of transgender adults reported experiencing harassment at school within the last year (U.S. student-focused survey estimate)

Statistic 8

32% of transgender or gender-nonconforming students reported feeling unsafe at school in the past 12 months (survey estimate)

Statistic 9

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)

Statistic 10

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)

Statistic 11

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)

Statistic 12

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)

Statistic 13

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)

Statistic 14

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)

Statistic 15

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)

Statistic 16

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)

Statistic 17

63% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a coworker in 2020 (Pew Research Center comfort measure)

Statistic 18

31.6% of transgender people reported ever being tested for HIV (U.S. community survey estimate)

Statistic 19

14% of transgender adults reported delaying medical care because they felt their needs were not respected (survey estimate)

Statistic 20

57% of transgender people who reported having a disability said they experienced discrimination related to disability at least sometimes (U.S. survey estimate)

Statistic 21

18% of transgender youth reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it (youth survey estimate)

Statistic 22

22.8% of transgender people in the U.S. reported they were unable to access gender-affirming care when needed (survey estimate)

Statistic 23

35% of transgender people in a 2021 global survey reported fear of discrimination prevented them from seeking healthcare (multi-country survey estimate)

Statistic 24

26 states had enacted gender identity–inclusive protections in public accommodations as of 2024 (U.S. policy snapshot)

Sources
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Karl Becker

Written by Karl Becker·Edited by Leah Kessler·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 15, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

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.

Population Estimates

12.0% 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)[1]
Single source
2Among 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)[2]
Verified
38% of the world’s population reported being transgender or gender nonconforming in a 2022 modeling study (global estimation study)[3]
Verified

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.

Socioeconomic Impacts

146% 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)[4]
Verified

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.

Education & Youth

158% of transgender youth said they had experienced harassment in the past year (The Trevor Project survey reporting harassment prevalence)[5]
Verified
220% 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)[6]
Verified
324% of transgender adults reported experiencing harassment at school within the last year (U.S. student-focused survey estimate)[7]
Verified
432% of transgender or gender-nonconforming students reported feeling unsafe at school in the past 12 months (survey estimate)[8]
Directional
522% 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)[9]
Directional

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.

Societal Attitudes

154% 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)[16]
Directional
263% of Americans said they would be comfortable with a transgender person as a coworker in 2020 (Pew Research Center comfort measure)[17]
Verified

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.

Health & Well Being

131.6% of transgender people reported ever being tested for HIV (U.S. community survey estimate)[18]
Single source
214% of transgender adults reported delaying medical care because they felt their needs were not respected (survey estimate)[19]
Verified
357% of transgender people who reported having a disability said they experienced discrimination related to disability at least sometimes (U.S. survey estimate)[20]
Directional
418% of transgender youth reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it (youth survey estimate)[21]
Verified
522.8% of transgender people in the U.S. reported they were unable to access gender-affirming care when needed (survey estimate)[22]
Verified
635% of transgender people in a 2021 global survey reported fear of discrimination prevented them from seeking healthcare (multi-country survey estimate)[23]
Verified

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.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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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.

References

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