A new study reveals a significant decline in the number of young people identifying as transgender or nonbinary, reversing years of steady growth. The research, which analyzed tens of thousands of college students, found the percentage identifying as nonbinary dropped nearly by half since 2023, suggesting a major cultural shift among America’s youth.
The study, reviewed by The Free Press, found that among 50,000 college students across 134 campuses, 3.6% now identify as nonbinary—down from 6.8% in 2023. Similar declines were recorded among elite private high schools and universities that previously reported some of the highest rates of gender-fluid identity. Analysts are pointing to a generational correction after years of what some describe as social contagion driven by activist influence and online reinforcement.
Report author Liza Featherstone attributes the drop to a growing skepticism among Gen Z. As she noted, “The trans kid phenomenon is less shocking or interesting than it was a few years ago,” and young people today are “more suspicious of corporate or institutional attempts to co-opt identity politics.” She also acknowledged that previous high numbers may have reflected trend adoption rather than firmly held beliefs.
In recent years, trans identification among youth rose sharply, driven in part by aggressive messaging from schools, media, and activist groups. The sudden drop in 2025 shows that many young people may be stepping back from ideological labels as the public becomes more aware of the consequences of gender ideology—both medically and socially.
