Over 2.8 Million Americans Identify as Transgender in UCLA Study

New research from the UCLA Williams Institute estimates that over 2.8 million Americans aged 13 and older, or about 1% of the population in that age group, identify as transgender. This includes approximately 2.1 million adults and 724,000 youth aged 13 to 17, with youth representing a higher proportion (3.3%) and a significant share of the transgender population. The data reveals that younger generations are more likely to identify as transgender, with 76% of trans individuals under 35, and highlights gender diversity within the community, including trans men, trans women, and non-binary people. These findings come amid President Donald Trump's administration policies, which have sought to erase transgender recognition by implementing executive orders recognizing only two genders and removing trans references from federal surveys and programs. Researchers warn that ongoing government efforts to exclude transgender identities from official data may prevent similarly comprehensive analyses in the near future, underscoring the importance of this study in capturing the current landscape of the transgender population in the U.S. Lawmakers are urged to consider the unique needs and barriers faced by this population in policy decisions.