New CDC-linked analysis suggests fewer younger American teens identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than in 2021, with ninth-grade girls showing the steepest change. The figures have fuelled political debate, but researchers caution that the reasons remain uncertain and that older pupils show a far steadier pattern.

Essential Takeaways

  • The biggest shift: Ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual fell from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025.
  • Bisexual identification changed most: The share fell from 26% to 13% among those girls.
  • Younger pupils led the reversal: LGB identification among all ninth-graders dropped from 17% in 2023 to 11% in 2025.
  • Older pupils were steadier: Among 12th-graders, the figure moved from 18% to 16% over the same period.
  • The explanation isn't settled: Researchers say the trend needs more data before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Ninth-grade girls show the most dramatic change

The clearest movement appears among ninth-grade girls, according to an analysis of the latest Youth Risk Behaviour Survey figures. In 2021, 30% said they were lesbian or bisexual. By 2025, that had dropped to 17%, a striking shift over four years.

Bisexual identification accounts for much of the change, falling from 26% to 13%. That's not a subtle nudge at the edges of a chart; it is the kind of movement that immediately raises questions about identity, survey responses and the social environment surrounding younger teenagers.

The International Business Times reported that the wider pattern is concentrated among younger students, rather than being evenly spread across American high schools.

What the CDC survey actually measures

The Youth Risk Behaviour Survey is a nationally representative CDC survey of pupils in grades 9 to 12. It tracks a broad range of issues affecting young people's health and wellbeing, including behaviours, experiences and self-reported characteristics.

For this analysis, students who selected another identity, were unsure or said they didn't understand the question were excluded. That means the comparison focuses on respondents identifying as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual, rather than capturing every possible response.

The CDC's own Youth Health in Focus material presents the survey as a way to monitor changes across student populations. Still, a questionnaire can show that a pattern has moved without explaining why it moved.

Why the numbers need careful handling

Among all ninth-graders, LGB identification fell from 17% in 2023 to 11% in 2025. The change among 12th-graders was much smaller, moving from 18% to 16%, while the shift among boys was less pronounced.

That age difference matters. If the decline were driven by one broad force affecting every teenager equally, we'd expect a more uniform pattern. Instead, the sharpest change appears among the youngest pupils, particularly girls, which leaves several possible explanations open.

The International Business Times noted that the latest figures shouldn't be treated as proof of a single cause. Survey wording, willingness to choose a label, changing social norms and the experiences of different age groups could all affect the results.

A reversal, but not a return to pre-pandemic levels

The latest results represent a reversal from the rise in identification seen in recent years, but today's teenagers still appear more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than teenagers did before the pandemic.

That detail is easy to lose when a headline focuses on a dramatic fall. The new data suggest a change in direction among younger respondents, not necessarily a complete return to older patterns.

The CDC's survey resources encourage comparisons over time, but trends are most useful when viewed across several survey cycles. One result can be a signal; a sustained sequence is stronger evidence.

Researchers say the biggest question is still unanswered

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, described the change among ninth-grade girls as looking like a "free fall" while also saying its cause was unclear, according to The Washington Post.

Jody Herman of the Williams Institute has likewise urged caution, saying the evidence raises more questions than answers. That restraint is important, particularly when the figures are being used in an already heated cultural argument.

For families, teachers and policymakers, the sensible next step is to watch whether the trend continues, levels off or reverses again. The next few survey rounds may tell us much more than a single striking comparison.

It's a notable change in youth survey data, but the explanation remains unfinished.

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