Study Reveals 150,000 American Youth Ages 13 to 17 Identify as Transgender

Author: The Williams Institute
Published: 19th Jan 2017 - Updated: 28th Feb 2017
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Additional References: LGBT Facts and Statistics Publications

Summary: Age of Individuals Who Identify as Transgender in the United States study provides new estimates of age composition of individuals who identify as transgender in the U.S. and estimates of size of transgender identified population by age group.

Main Document

New Estimates Show that 150,000 Youth Ages 13 to 17 Identify as Transgender in the US - In addition to 0.6 percent of U.S. adults (1.4 million individuals), new study finds that 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender...

An estimated 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17, or 150,000 youth, identify as transgender in the United States, according to a new study released by The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. This study is the first to provide population estimates for youth who identify as transgender in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.

The study, titled Age of Individuals Who Identify as Transgender in the United States, by Jody L. Herman, Ph.D., Andrew R. Flores, Ph.D., Taylor N. T. Brown, MPP, Bianca D.M. Wilson, Ph.D., and Kerith J. Conron, Sc.D., provides new estimates of the age composition of individuals who identify as transgender in the U.S. and estimates of the size of the transgender-identified population by age group. The youngest age group, 13 to 17, has the highest estimated percentage of individuals who identify as transgender.

"Current policy debates in several states have involved legislation that would impact transgender students," said Dr. Jody L. Herman. "Our estimates suggest that thousands of youth could be negatively impacted by laws that would limit their access to school facilities and undermine protections against discrimination."

Key findings from the report:

• In the U.S. population, the study estimates that 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17, 0.7 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24, 0.6 percent of adults ages 25 to 64, and 0.5 percent of adults ages 65 and older identify as transgender.
• About 150,000 youth (13 to 17) and 1.4 million adults (18 and older) identify as transgender in the U.S.
• Of individuals ages 13 and older who identify as transgender in the U.S., 10 percent are youth (13 to 17), 13 percent are young adults (18 to 24), 63 percent are ages 25 to 64, and 14 percent are ages 65 and older. This distribution is similar to the age distribution of the general population.
• Mirroring the relative population size of U.S. states, the largest populations of youth that identify as transgender are found in California, Texas, New York, and Florida. The smallest populations are found in North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

"Agencies and institutions that have a responsibility to protect and promote the wellbeing of adolescents now have an idea of how many transgender youth should be served in every state in the U.S.," remarked Dr. Kerith J. Conron.

For Age of Individuals who Identify as Transgender in the United States, the authors utilized data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a national, state-administered survey, which collected data on transgender identity among adults in 19 states for the first time in 2014. The BRFSS represents the best available population-based data to study the size and characteristics of adults who identify as transgender. The authors used an advanced statistical method to produce population estimates for youth, as well as adults. Inclusion of gender identity measures in population-based youth surveys remains necessary to advance knowledge about the size, characteristics, and needs of the transgender youth population.