What percentage of the United States population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)? A large, nationally representative survey conducted by Gallup in 2017 put the overall number at 4.5% of the U.S. population. This number is up a full percentage point from 2012, when it stood at 3.5%. This trend suggests that as the LGBT community has made more social and political gains--including nationwide marriage equality in 2015--more Americans have decided to come out.

The overall number is but one small part of the story here, however. What is perhaps even more interesting about this survey is that it reveals a major generational divide when it comes to the number of Americans who identify as LGBT. You’ll see exactly what I'm talking about in the table below.

Percentage of Americans responding affirmatively to the question "Do you personally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?" by birth cohort (2012-2017)