A new study shows the share of Gen Z Americans identifying as transgender or non-binary has sharply dropped since 2023.
Recent Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) survey data found that 3.6% of U.S. undergraduates still identify as something other than male or female, a significant decrease from the previous year, according to the Centre for Heterodox Social Science.
In 2024, 5.2% of U.S. undergraduates identified as transgender or non-binary, down from 6.8% in both 2022 and 2023. The latest 2025 survey shows only 3.6% now identify as something other than male or female—a nearly 50% drop since 2023. Researchers suggest the reversal may shed light on earlier influences behind the rise, such as social contagion, social media, or mental health factors.
The report’s author notes that rates of depression and anxiety among U.S. college students have also fallen in recent years. After peaking at 44% in 2022, signs of depression dropped to 41% in 2023 and 38% in 2024, according to The Economist—the first sustained improvement in over 15 years.
The decline in gender identity claims doesn’t appear tied to a broader political shift. FIRE’s 2025 report found growing support among students for left-wing tactics, including using violence to silence opposing views. Another theory points to social contagion: a 2023 study found over half of teen girls identifying as transgender had friends who did the same, and both boys and girls were more likely to adopt a transgender identity if their peers did. Despite steady youth politics and persistent social media use, transgender identification may simply be losing its social appeal.
Woke is dying, like pesky weeds in a flower bed https://t.co/OIOO3q59Xa
— Dennis Michael Lynch (@TrustDML) October 14, 2025
