Counting people is hard. Counting who people love is even harder. If you’ve ever wondered what percentage of women are lesbian, you’ve probably noticed the numbers are all over the place. Depending on which study you click on, you might see 1% or you might see 10%.
Honestly, the "real" number depends entirely on who you ask and how you ask them. In 2024 and 2025, major data shifts happened. Organizations like Gallup and the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) released updated figures that show a world looking very different from the one we lived in just ten years ago.
The Raw Data: What the Big Polls Say
Gallup’s most recent data from early 2025 (tracking 2024 trends) tells a specific story. Across the total U.S. adult population, roughly 1.4% of women identify specifically as lesbian.
Now, that might sound low to some people. But wait.
When you zoom out to look at the broader "queer" umbrella, the numbers explode. About 10% of all American women now identify as LGBTQ+. The reason for the gap? Bisexuality.
Among women who aren't straight, the vast majority—more than half—identify as bisexual rather than lesbian. In fact, Gallup found that about 5.2% of the total population is bisexual, while gay and lesbian identities hover at lower, more stable percentages.
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Over in the UK, the ONS reported similar vibes for 2024. They found that about 1.4% of women identify as gay or lesbian, while roughly 2.0% identify as bisexual. It’s a global trend: the "lesbian" label is holding steady or growing slowly, while the "bisexual" and "queer" labels are the ones doing the heavy lifting in the charts.
The Generational Earthquake
Numbers don't exist in a vacuum. They exist in birth years.
If you talk to a woman born in 1950, there is a very small chance she will tell a pollster she is a lesbian. According to Gallup, less than 2% of the Silent Generation identifies as LGBTQ+ at all.
But look at Gen Z.
Among Gen Z women (those born between 1997 and 2006), a staggering 31% identify as LGBTQ+. That is one in three. While most of these women identify as bisexual, the number of young women identifying as lesbian is also significantly higher than in previous generations.
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Why? It’s not that people are "becoming" gay. It's that the cost of saying it out loud has dropped.
Why Do the Percentages Keep Changing?
You’ve probably seen headlines saying the "lesbian population is shrinking." That’s a bit of a misunderstanding. It’s more like the vocabulary is expanding.
Back in the 70s or 80s, if you were a woman attracted to women, "lesbian" was often the only word on the menu that felt like it had a community attached to it. Today, women have options.
- Pansexual: Attraction regardless of gender.
- Queer: An umbrella term that feels less "boxed in."
- Bisexual: Attraction to more than one gender.
A 2025 study from the dating app Zoe—which is specifically for queer women and non-binary folks—found that among their users, about 48% identify as lesbian. But when they looked at just their Gen Z users, bisexuality actually overtook the lesbian label (45% vs 42%).
Basically, the "lesbian" percentage stays smaller because many women who might have used that label 30 years ago now feel more comfortable using "bisexual" or "queer."
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The "Under-Counting" Problem
Let's be real: government surveys are awkward.
When a census worker calls or a formal form arrives, not everyone wants to check a box about their private life. Research from Pew and ResearchGate suggests that "internalized heterosexism" still keeps numbers lower than they actually are.
Many women experience "same-sex attraction" or "same-sex behavior" but never adopt the label. If a survey asks, "Are you a lesbian?" they say no. If the survey asks, "Have you ever been attracted to a woman?" the percentage jumps.
What This Means for the Future
By 2026, we expect these numbers to climb even higher as more of Gen Z reaches adulthood and the "Alpha" generation starts to be surveyed. We are moving toward a world where the "norm" is no longer a given.
If you’re a researcher, a marketer, or just a curious human, the takeaway is simple: the percentage of women identifying as lesbian is part of a much larger, more fluid shift toward sexual diversity.
Actionable Takeaways for Understanding the Data
- Look at the age group: Always ask "which generation are we talking about?" A 1.4% average hides the 30% reality for young women.
- Distinguish between "Identity" and "Behavior": Many more women have same-sex experiences than those who call themselves lesbians.
- Watch the "Bisexual" growth: This is where the real statistical movement is happening.
- Check the source: Academic studies and dating app data will always show higher numbers than conservative government census data because of the "safety" factor in reporting.
The data shows we are living through a massive cultural pivot. Whether it's 1% or 10%, the visibility of lesbian and queer women is higher than it has ever been in recorded history.
Stay updated on the latest demographic shifts by following the 2026 Census releases from the U.S., UK, and Australia, as these will provide the most granular look yet at how sexual orientation intersects with daily life.