How many gay marriages in the us have there been
Number of Married Same-Sex Couples
Two years ago, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Constitution guarantees queer couples the right to marry and to include their marriages recognized by the states. And four years ago, on June 26, 2013, the Court ruled in United States v. Windsor that the federal government must notice marriages between same-sex couples. This research brief shows:
- As of June 2017, nearly 1.1 million LGBT people in the United States are married to someone of the same sex, implying that more than 547,000 same-sex couples are married nationwide.
- Since Obergefell, at least 157,000 same-sex couples married.
- Since Windsor, at least 317,000 same-sex couples married.
New data from the Gallup Daily Tracking Survey—a nationally-representative survey that includes a measure of LGBT identity—indicate that 4.3% of adults in the United States identify as LGBT. Numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that there are more than 249 million U.S. adults. Applying the LGBT percentage from Gallup to the Census population data indicates that more than 10.7 million adults in the Joined States identify as
LGBT. The Gallup data in
LGBT Americans Married to Same-Sex Spouse Constant at 10%
Story Highlights
- 10% married to homosexual spouse; 6% inhabit with same-sex partner
- LGBT adults most likely to say they are single
- Less than 1% of all U.S. adults are in a lgbtq+ marriage
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup's annual update on marital status among LGBT Americans finds 10% are married to a same-sex spouse, a proportion that has been steady in the years after the U.S. Supreme Court's legalizing of same-sex marriages nationwide. Meanwhile, the proportion of LGBT adults in same-sex national partnerships has fallen to 6%, while the percentage recognizing as single or never married has risen to 53%.
Line graph. Trend in marital status among LGBT adults in the U.S. The percentage of LGBT adults married to a same-sex spouse has leveled off to 10% after increasing from 8% once the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide in 2015. The percentage of LGBT adults in same-sex household partnerships has fallen from 13% in the first half of 2015 to 6% currently. Fifty-three percent of LGBT adults say they are single, up from 47% before same-sex marriage was legal nationwide.
These results are based on
The Journey to Marriage Equality in the Merged States
The road to nationwide marriage equality was a long one, spanning decades of United States history and culminating in victory in June 2015. Throughout the long struggle for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.
Volunteer with HRC
From gathering supporters in small towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, we gave our all to confirm every person, regardless of whom they love, is recognized equally under the law.
A Growing Call for Equality
Efforts to legalize lgbtq+ marriage began to pop up across the nation in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for same-sex couples existed in many states but created a separate but equivalent standard. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a male and woman, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.
New Century & Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to authorize movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025. 
The tin anniversary – a review of the status of same-sex relationships around the world
Posted: 28/03/2024
On 29 March 2024, it will be the 10-year anniversary of the first same-sex marriage ceremony in England. It is sometimes straightforward to forget that up until 1967 homosexuality was illegal in this land. Interestingly, it was never illegal to be lesbian, perhaps one of the few ways women were historically overlooked by law makers which had an inadvertently positive effect!
It may come as a shock to some same-sex couples who move abroad that their affair might not be recognised, or they may even be treated differently than a heterosexual couple in their fresh home country if their relationship or marriage ends.
In England, there are a myriad of financial claims arising from the breakdown of a marriage or civil partnership, and these rights could be lost if you move abroad.
In contrast, cohabiting couples in England still face limited financial protection on separation despite calls for reform. Our International Family Law Report: The Cohabitation Conundrum summarises the legal remedies for cohabiting couples on the breakdown of their relationship in England an
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to authorize movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
The tin anniversary – a review of the status of same-sex relationships around the world
Posted: 28/03/2024
On 29 March 2024, it will be the 10-year anniversary of the first same-sex marriage ceremony in England. It is sometimes straightforward to forget that up until 1967 homosexuality was illegal in this land. Interestingly, it was never illegal to be lesbian, perhaps one of the few ways women were historically overlooked by law makers which had an inadvertently positive effect!
It may come as a shock to some same-sex couples who move abroad that their affair might not be recognised, or they may even be treated differently than a heterosexual couple in their fresh home country if their relationship or marriage ends.
In England, there are a myriad of financial claims arising from the breakdown of a marriage or civil partnership, and these rights could be lost if you move abroad.
In contrast, cohabiting couples in England still face limited financial protection on separation despite calls for reform. Our International Family Law Report: The Cohabitation Conundrum summarises the legal remedies for cohabiting couples on the breakdown of their relationship in England an