Over 2,8 million people identify as transgender in the US, research says

More than 2.8 million people now identify as transgender in the U.S., including about 724,000 young people, according to a new data analysis that is the largest of its kind to date.

Researchers from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) used federal surveys and data from state health agencies to identify the size and demographics of the transgender population in each state.

The analysis, published on Wednesday, documented thousands of transgender youth living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, The Guardian reports.

The findings contradict Donald Trump's aggressive efforts to deny the existence of transgender minors, as his administration removes references to transgender people in all federal agencies, eliminating protections and programs for LGBTQ+ communities.

The authors warn that their study may be the last comprehensive portrait of the country's transgender population for a decade or more, as transgender people are hidden from U.S. vital surveys, including health reports and crime data analyses.

“Transgender people live everywhere and are represented in every state,” said Dr. Jody Herman, senior public policy scholar at the Williams Institute and co-author of the report, noting that the total transgender population in the U.S. was larger than the individual size of some states. 

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"This is a significant population that has unique concerns and barriers to meeting their needs, and lawmakers need to remember that," he added.

Minnesota had the highest rate of adults identifying as trans (1.2%), while Hawaii had the highest rate of trans youth (3.6%), although the rates were similar across states.

The report also found that the race and ethnicity of transgender people was largely similar to the broader U.S. demographics, with Native American, Latino, and multiracial adults slightly more likely to identify as transgender than other groups.