Gay marriage success rate
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Unfortunately, the head of the adoption service in northern France, Pascale Lemare, reported that homosexual couples are more likely to be left with children who are either “atypical” or ill.
21. We compare same-sex newlyweds to different-sex newlyweds based on their marital history, average age at most recent marriage, and couple’s age gap (including 95% confidence intervals).
With laws, workplace policies and social attitudes shifting rapidly, these current statistics matter for policymakers, employers and families — and here you’ll find the concrete numbers and evidence-based insights needed to understand what’s changing.
Demographics & Prevalence
- As of 2022, 7.1% of U.S.
adults identify as LGBT, double the percentage from 2012
- The U.S. Census Bureau reported approximately 1.2 million same-sex couple households in 2021
- About 58% of same-sex couples living together in the U.S. were married as of 2019
- In the UK, there were 212,000 same-sex families in 2019, an increase of 40% since 2015
- Approximately 1 in 5 Gen Z adults identify as LGBT according to Gallup data
- The District of Columbia has the highest percentage of LGBT-identifying adults in the US at roughly 10%
- Canada reported 1 million people identifying as LGBTQ2+ in 2018, representing 4% of the population aged 15 and older
- Same-sex couples are more likely to be interracial (31%) compared to opposite-sex couples (18%)
- In 2021, roughly 89% of LGBT adults in the US lived in urban areas
- Australia counted nearly 78,000 same-sex couples in the 2021 Census, a 68% increase from 2016
- About 5.5% of the U.S.
workforce identifies as LGBTQ
- Bisexual people comprise the largest proportion of the LGBT community at 57%
- Brazil has one of the largest self-identified LGBT populations in Latin America, estimated at over 15 million people
- 2.3% of the U.S. population identifies specifically as gay or lesbian (excluding bisexuals)
- In the EU, about 6% of people identify as LGBT
- The number of married same-sex couples in the U.S.
surpassed half a million in 2019
- Same-sex couples in the US have a higher median household income ($107,200) than opposite-sex married couples ($96,930)
- Nearly 60% of same-sex couples in the US have both partners employed, compared to 50% of opposite-sex couples
- Same-sex male couples are the most likely demographic to live in city centers in the U.S.
- New Zealand's 2018 census showed 5.5% of adults identifying as LGBT+
Demographics & Prevalence Interpretation
Taken together, these numbers show that LGBT life has moved from the margins to the mainstream: identification has surged, Gen Z leads with one in five identifying as LGBT, same-sex couples are marrying, forming families, earning competitive incomes, and tending to be interracial and urban, making the community a clear demographic and economic force from Washington, DC to São Paulo.
Marriage & Legal Rights
- Support for same-sex marriage in the U.S.
reached a record high of 71% in 2022
- Same-sex marriage is legal in 34 countries as of 2023
- The Respect for Marriage Act was signed into U.S. law in 2022, codifying federal recognition of same-sex marriage
- 300,000 same-sex couples married in the U.S. within the first five years after the Obergefell v. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research.
Same-sex marriages are still illegal in countries around the world, and even if they are legal, gay couples still face discrimination.
Even though gay marriage is legal nationwide, there are plenty of countries that do not let two men or two women tie the knot. Hence, a Statistics Netherland study concluded that lesbian married couples are more likely to end in divorce.
14.
Since then the support and acceptance of these unions are growing nation-wide. On the other hand, 21% of the Spaniards who participated in the study believe that homosexual marriages are unacceptable.
12. Hodges that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right
- More than 80% of same-sex couples in Sweden are married rather than in registered partnerships
- South Africa was the first African nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006
- Switzerland legalized same-sex marriage by popular vote with 64.1% approval in 2021
- Tax benefits are a primary motivator for marriage for 46% of same-sex couples
- Same-sex marriage bans were overturned in 17 U.S.
states prior to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling
- Northern Ireland legally recognized same-sex marriage in 2020, the last part of the UK to do so
- Married same-sex couples are significantly less likely to live in poverty (4%) than unmarried same-sex couples (14%)
- Estonia became the first former Soviet country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2023
- The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001
- Support for same-sex marriage among U.S.
Republicans increased to 55% in 2021
- In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA, allowing federal benefits for married gay couples
- Chile legalized same-sex marriage in 2021, joining a growing number of Latin American nations
- 83% of Democrats support same-sex marriage as of 2022
Marriage & Legal Rights Interpretation
From the Netherlands' pioneering 2001 law to 34 countries and a record 71% U.S.
approval, same-sex marriage has moved from courtroom controversy to mainstream reality, winning bipartisan and religious-majority support while delivering both symbolic justice and practical benefits like federal recognition, tax incentives, and markedly lower poverty for married couples.
Mental Health & Social Well-being
- LGBTQ youth who have highly supportive families are 47% less likely to attempt suicide than those with unsupportive families
- 61% of bisexual women report experiencing intimate partner violence, a rate higher than lesbian women (44%) or heterosexual women (35%)
- Same-sex marriage legalization has been linked to a 7% reduction in suicide attempts among all high school students
- 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year
- Older LGBTQ adults are twice as likely to live alone compared to older heterosexual adults, increasing isolation risks
- 57% of LGBTQ employees have experienced discrimination or harassment at work
- Gay and bisexual men are 3.5 times more likely to experience depression than heterosexual men
- 1 in 3 LGBTQ people avoided medical treatment due to fear of discrimination
- Minority stress theory posits that chronic stress from stigma leads to higher mental health issues in gay relationships
- 73% of LGBTQ youth reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in 2022
- Transgender adults in relationships have a suicide attempt rate 9 times higher than the general US population
- Marriage significantly reduces psychological distress for same-sex couples compared to those in cohabitating relationships
- 36% of LGBTQ adults reported being physically or verbally abused in 2020
- Substance abuse rates are an estimated 20-30% within the LGBTQ community compared to 9% in the general population
- 30% of homeless youth in the U.S.
identify as LGBTQ, often due to family rejection
- LGBTQ adults living in states with anti-discrimination laws report significantly better health outcomes
- 60% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation
- Access to gender-affirming care reduces depression rates in transgender youth by 60%
- 86% of LGBTQ youth say politics negatively impacted their mental-being in 2022
- In 2021, hate crimes based on sexual orientation bias comprised 15.6% of all hate crime victims in the US
Mental Health & Social Well-being Interpretation
With family support cutting suicide attempts by 47% and gender-affirming care reducing depression by 60%, these statistics show that acceptance and legal protections are not feel-good gestures but life-saving medicine, because rejection, discrimination, violence and isolation drive dramatically higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness and suicide attempts and hit transgender people and bisexual women particularly hard.
Parenting & Family Life
- Same-sex couples raise approximately 15% of the 1.1 million adopted children in the U.S.
- 29% of LGBTQ adults aged 18-35 are parents or expecting parents
- Same-sex couples are four times more likely to adopt children than opposite-sex couples
- Research by the APA confirms there is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to sexual orientation
- 63% of LGBTQ millennials are considering expanding their families
- Approximately 2 to 3.7 million U.S.
children under age 18 have an LGBTQ parent
- Female same-sex couples are more likely to be raising children (22%) than male same-sex couples (6%)
- Children of same-sex parents show no significant difference in academic performance compared to children of opposite-sex parents
- Gay men are the largest users of gestational surrogacy services in the U.S.
- 25% of same-sex couples raising children are people of color
- The cost of surrogacy for gay couples can range from $100,000 to $150,000, creating a barrier to entry
- States in the U.S.
South have the highest rates of same-sex couples raising biological, adopted, or step-children
- In the UK, 12% of all adoptions in 2019 were to same-sex couples
- Lesbian couples are increasingly using Reciprocal IVF, allowing both partners to participate biologically
- Children raised by same-sex parents are often more tolerant and open-minded about gender roles
- Same-sex couples are 6 times more likely to foster children than opposite-sex couples
- In Israel, a 2022 court ruling granted same-sex couples equal rights to adopt children
- 48% of LGBTQ millennials actively planning families expect to use assisted reproductive technology
- Studies indicate children of lesbian mothers score higher in social and academic competence than national norms
- Only 28% of same-sex couples raising children are married, compared to 95% of different-sex couples raising children, reflecting legal lags
Parenting & Family Life Interpretation
Put simply, these numbers show same-sex couples are doing the heavy lifting to create families through adoption, fostering and assisted reproduction despite six-figure price tags and patchwork laws, that their children do as well or better academically and socially and often grow up more tolerant, and that marriage gaps, regional and racial disparities still keep many doors closed.
Relationship Dynamics & Intimacy
- 65% of same-sex couples meet online, compared to 39% of heterosexual couples
- Same-sex couples are significantly more likely to share household chores equitably than opposite-sex couples
- Gay men in relationships are more likely to have "open" or non-monogamous agreements (42%) than other couple types
- Lesbian couples report the highest levels of relationship quality and intimacy among all couple types
- Heterosexual couples have a lower divorce rate (2%) annually compared to lesbian couples (3%)
- Gay male couples have the lowest divorce rate of all couple pairings
- Same-sex couples use more humor and affection during conflicts than heterosexual couples
- 50% of gay men report having used a dating app in the past year
- Same-sex couples are less likely to stay in unhappy relationships due to fewer institutional barriers to leaving
- Lesbian couples tend to report lower frequencies of sexual intimacy than gay male or heterosexual couples (known as "Lesbian Bed Death")
- Grindr, a dating app for gay men, has over 11 million monthly active users, influencing modern dating dynamics
- Same-sex couples are more likely to remain friends after a breakup than heterosexual couples
- Relationship satisfaction in same-sex couples is strongly correlated with the level of social support they receive from friends
- Gay dating apps are the primary way 70% of gay relationships start in the U.S.
- Same-sex couples are less likely to assign roles based on gender, leading to better negotiation skills
- 40% of those in same-sex relationships live more than 10 miles apart when they start dating, necessitating long-distance dynamics
- Cohabitating same-sex couples break up at rates equal to cohabitating opposite-sex couples when marriage is not an option
- Gay men report higher levels of sexual satisfaction in their relationships compared to heterosexual men
- Same-sex couples tend to have fewer distinct "spheres of influence" (one partner handling finance, one handling home) than straight couples
- Tinder reported that LGBTQ users are the fastest-growing demographic on the app
Relationship Dynamics & Intimacy Interpretation
Taken together, these stats paint same-sex couples as digital-first, role-agnostic pioneers of modern partnership who meet on apps far more than straight couples, share chores and decision-making more equitably, lean on humor and friendship for intimacy and conflict repair, are more open to non-monogamy and long-distance dynamics, are likelier to leave unhappy unions yet often remain friends afterward, and exhibit unique patterns of sexual satisfaction and divorce that show how social support and fewer institutional ties shape more negotiable, resilient relationships in the twenty-first century.
23 Important Gay Marriage Statistics for 2024
While it may be unbelievable we’re still discussing someone’s right to love in 2022, the facts indicate that awareness-raising is still necessary.
Additionally, Americans’ support for same-sex marriage has increased over the past 10 years, to near 70%.
First marriage refers to a first marriage for both members of the couple and remarriage refers to a remarriage for at least one member of the couple. Just months before the high court’s decision, the percentage was 7.9%.
7. As of 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian nation to legalize marriage among same-sex couples.
(BBC)
According to recent same-sex marriage facts, over 2,000 gay couples have married since Taiwan legalized gay marriage in May 2019.
In fact, civil unions have been recognized by law in Italy since 2016.
11. Analyses are limited to householders and spouses of householders. These figures represent less than 1% of U.S. adults each.
A higher percentage of LGBTQ+ Americans, 22.8%, are in a cohabiting relationship with an opposite-sex person, including 11.3% who are married and 11.5% living together.
The largest share of LGBTQ+ adults — 51.1% — report that they are single or have never married, reflecting that young adults are disproportionately likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual.
Using data from the ACS 1-year PUMS files from 2019 (the first time the revised roster was implemented), we present the most recent American Community Survey (ACS) estimates of individuals entering into a same-sex marriage. After the Netherlands, other countries in Europe—such as England, Ireland, Spain, and Austria—legalized it.
Same Sex Marriage Statistics Around the World
Although a lot of people consider this to be a basic human right, the fact is thatsame-sex marriages are illegal in many parts of the world.
79% of Americans who are not religious support same-sex marriage.
(PewResearch)
In contrast, the statistics on same-sex marriage in the USA reveal that 66% of white mainline Protestants and an impressive 61% of Catholics support gay marriages. In general, all Scandinavian countries are known for their liberal attitudes and friendly people.
17.
The same sex marriage statistics show that 40% of American gay men and 34.5% of lesbians don’t want kids.
(Statista)
The stats further show that 29.9% of lesbians and 13% of gay men already have children. Mean Age at Marriage and Marital History for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples Married in the Last Year, 2019
Source: NCFMR calculations of the American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2019
Newlyweds’ Age Gap for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: First Marriages and Remarriages
- Mean age differences between same-sex couples who married in the last year were significantly higher than among different-sex couples, 6.3 years contrasted with 3.9 years.
- The age gap was smallest for recent first marriages, particularly among different-sex couples.
However, the percentage of Americans in favor of legal same-sex marriage appears to be leveling off, if not declining slightly, because of reduced support among Republicans.
The past decade has also seen a sharp increase in the number of LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S., with these identities now common among the youngest U.S.
adults.
These trends indicate that the number of same-sex marriages in the U.S. is likely to continue to grow.
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Survey Methods
Results for this poll are based on telephone interviews conducted between 2021 and 2024, with combined random samples totaling 48,444 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S.
states and the District of Columbia.