The US Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey started collecting information on gender identity in July 2021. This survey data allows for better understanding the transgender population in the United States.

What does it mean to be transgender?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity or expression is different from their sex assigned at birth.

On the other hand, the term cisgender describes “individuals whose current gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.”

What percentage of the US population is transgender?

About 1.03% of the nation’s adult population identifies as transgender, according to the Household Pulse Survey.[1] This is equivalent to approximately 2.6 million Americans.

Most of the US adult population (97.5%) self-identifies as cisgender.

Donut chart showing the proportion of US adults who identify as cisgender male (47.7%), cisgender female (49.9%), transgender (1.0%), and none of these (1.4%).
Household Pulse Survey
[1]

These numbers were calculated using weeks 53-59 of the US Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey.