Alarming new data shows LGBTQ+ students in the United States are twice as likely to drop out of high school as their straight peers, a brain drain that could cost the U.S. economy more than $30 billion.More than one in 10 LGBTQ+ students in the U.S. are projected to drop out of school at some point, according to researchers for Theirworld, a global childrens charity. Related Texas students sue over unsafe & unjust Dont Say Gay law that bans GSAs Republican Gov. Greg Abbott just signed a sweeping new package of anti-LGBTQ+ measures. That number is more than twice the national average, researchers say. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The study analyzed education figures for 38 members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international group that works to promote policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The team applied data modelling on OECD and official government statistics across all 38 OECD member countries to estimate the drop-out rates among LGBTQ+ students.The projections show a dropout rate of between 8.3% and 14% for LGBTQ+ high school students in the U.S., with a median of 11.6%. That number compared to 5.7% for all students who dropped out.Historically, it has been difficult to pinpoint drop-out rates among LGBTQ+ students, so this data is likely to come as a shock to many, said Justin van Fleet, PhD, lead researcher of the study and president of Theirworld.To see that so many LGBTQ+ students may not make it through the education system is incredibly alarming.The projection suggests more than 650,000 LGBTQ+ students aged 12-17 in the U.S. are at risk of not completing high school.The economic consequences could be enormous, researchers said, for both the drop-outs and the U.S. economy: each graduating class of LGBTQ+ students who leave school early costs the U.S. economy up to $706 million.Over a working lifetime, that adds up to more than $30 billion for each cohort of students not graduating.Three countries Poland, Canada, and South Korea had lower drop-out rates for LGBTQ+ students than the U.S. | Theirworld Mexico had the highest, with a 40% drop-out rate overall and a median 80% drop-out rate for LGBTQ+ students.The startling U.S. figures build on earlier research by the charity, which revealed widespread bullying and discrimination of LGBTQ+ students in U.S. high schools, which may explain part of the reason theyre more receptive than their peers to abandoning the educational system altogether.More than half (52%) of LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. say theyve faced hostility in educational settings, with 13% saying they were bullied by teachers or school administrators. More than a third (38%) do not think U.S. schools are safe environments for LGBTQ+ students. 29% reported their personal school experience as negative.Its astonishing that young people identifying as LGBTQ+ are finding schools to be places of discrimination instead of tolerance, understanding, and safety, said Theirworld President van Fleet.When we fail to nurture all young people, we face not only a moral dilemma, but serious economic consequences.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.