Study shows sharp drop in young Americans identifying as transgender
A new study shows that the share of young Americans identifying as transgender has sharply declined after years of rapid growth. The percentage of university students ages 18-24 identifying as “not male or female” peaked in 2023 at nearly 7% but fell to below 4% this year, according to data analyzed by politics professor Eric Kaufmann.
The study also found a decline in students identifying as non-heterosexual, with a ten percentage point drop, mainly due to fewer students identifying as queer or pansexual. Meanwhile, the proportion of heterosexual students rose to 77% in 2025 from 68% two years earlier. Kaufmann attributed this shift to changing cultural trends rather than factors like social media use or political shifts. He noted that the decline may be linked to improved mental health post-pandemic.
