A new analysis from the Williams Institute estimates that 2.8 million people ages 13 and over identify as transgender in the United States, including 724,000 children.Using data from federal surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, the authors also found that the youngest age groups of adults are significantly more likely to identify as transgender than members of the older age groups. Related Gender-affirming care improves trans mens quality of life The report says 76% of trans people over 13 are under 35, compared to 34% of the overall U.S. population in this age category. Additionally, 25% of trans-identifying people are between the ages of 13 and 17, compared to 8% of the general U.S. population falling in this age group.The youngest age group, then, has the highest percentage of trans people, with 3.3% of youth ages 13 to 17 identifying as transgender. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In comparison, 0.8% of adults in the United States identify as trans, as do 1% of people 13 and over, 0.3% of those over 65, 0.4% of those 35 to 64, 1.4% of those 25 to 34, and 2.7% of those 18 to 24. True to their reputation as being more comfortable with fluidity, young people were also more likely to identify as nonbinary.Dr. Andrew Flores, Williams Institute distinguished visiting scholar, associate professor of government at American University, and a co-author of the report, told The Guardian that there are several factors to explain the larger percentages of young people identifying as transgender. For one, young people are more likely to respond to survey questions about gender, Flores explained, but there is also more to it. Younger people are growing up among other younger people who already hold more accepting attitudes toward LGBT and transgender people more broadly. In this generation, they might be more willing and safe to identify that they are transgender, because they dont see as much of a harm or threat as older generations.Report co-author Jody Herman, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute, told The Guardian that the trans population in the country exceeds the total populations of over 12 states. This is a substantial population that has unique concerns and barriers to getting their needs met, and lawmakers need to keep that in mind, Herman said. The authors explain in the report that the data is the best they have ever had when it comes to youth, though the shifting collection methods over the years for both youth and adults make it difficult to compare the numbers to previous years. But most worrisome for the authors is the fact that this could be the last time they have access to data like this for at least a decade. In its quest to eliminate trans people from public life, the current administration is removing questions on gender identity from CDC, Census Bureau, and Department of Justice surveys. We didnt really have decent national data until around 10 years ago, so we just very recently got a grasp on how many people identify as trans in the US and what their characteristics are, Herman said. For these data sources to just suddenly disappear, it is a major setback. The population is not going to go away, were just not going to know more about them than what we have from our current sources. Flores emphasized that the stakes are high. In some policy circles, they say if you cant be counted, you dont count. And for members of the LGBTQ+ community, to be able to see numbers that reflect their lived experiences is quite important.Indeed, government survey questions are critical in determining everything from equal employment and civil rights enforcement to the kind of public assistance certain communities need.We can learn about health, economic, housing and other outcomes that might be worse for LGBT people because of the stigma and discrimination that they face, economics professor M. V. Lee Badgetttoldthe Associated Press in 2023, and we can track changes over time to see if laws and policies are leading to more equality. Even if the survey questions are reinstated by a future administration, the gap in data could have major consequences. But Flores said researchers are working to find alternate ways to collect the information.Were not just going to close up shop. Were going to try to find a way to keep telling these stories and be persistent.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.