Equaldex's Equality Index is a rating from 0 to 100 (with 100 being the most equal) to help visualize the legal rights and public attitudes towards Homosexual (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual , queer, questioning, intersex...) people in each region. The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the public opinion Index.
Equality Index
Average of Legal Index and Public Opinion Index
Legal Index
The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 distinct issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, LGBT discrimination protections, LGBT censorship laws, and more. Each topic is weighted differently (for example, if same-sex marriage is illegal in a region, it would have a much bigger impact on the score than not allowing LGBT people to assist in the military). Each topic is assigned a "total possible score" and a "score" is assigned based the status of the law using a rating scale that ranges from 0% to 100% (for example, if homosexuality is legal, it would would receive a score of 100, but if it's illegal, it would receve a score
LGBT Equality Index
Equality Index Methodology
Equaldex's Equality Index is a rating from 0 to 100 (with 100 being the most equal) to aid visualize the legal rights and widespread attitudes towards Diverse (lesbian, gay, multi-attracted , transgender, queer, questioning, intersex...) people in each region. The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the public notion Index.
Equality Index
Average of Legal Index and Public Opinion Index
Legal Index
The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 diverse issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, lgbtq+ marriage, transgender rights, LGBT discrimination protections, LGBT censorship laws, and more. Each topic is weighted differently (for example, if same-sex marriage is illegal in a region, it would have a much bigger impact on the score than not allowing LGBT people to serve in the military). Each topic is assigned a "total possible score" and a "score" is assigned based the status of the law using a rating scale that ranges from 0% to 100% (for example, if homosexuality is legal, it would would receive a score of 100, but if it's illegal, it would receve a score of 0.)
Rainbow Europe Map and Index 2022
The 2022 Rainbow Europe Guide finds that over the past 12 months a fresh dynamic has appeared to fill in the gaps that exist around LGBTI rights and press standards, giving governments ground to establish upon as democracy in Europe faces exceptional challenges.
Rainbow Blueprint 2022Download
Rainbow Index 2022Download
This year we observe positive movement on the Rainbow Chart and Index, notably:
Denmark has jumped seven places to accomplish second spot in the 2022 ranking. The reason for Denmark’s jump is that it is taking the guide in filling in anti-discrimination gaps in current legislation, including the equal treatment law, which covers health, education, employment, goods and services, and the penal code to contain sexual orientation, gender identity, gender verbalization and sex characteristics as aggravating factors in hate crime.
More countries are pushing forward for equality by giving due recognition and protection for people’s lived realities. Iceland was awarded points because of its legislative recognition of transsexual parenthood, among other things, while Germany introduced a exclude on intersex genital mutilation and France banned so-called ‘conversi
Rainbow Map
2025 rainbow map
These are the main findings for the 2025 edition of the rainbow map
The Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBTI people, from 0-100%.
The UK has dropped six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how rollbacks on LGBTI human rights are part of a broader erosion of democratic protections across Europe. Read more in our press release.
“Moves in the UK, Hungary, Georgia and beyond signal not just isolated regressions, but a coordinated global backlash aimed at erasing LGBTI rights, cynically framed as the defence of tradition or public stability, but in reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent.”
Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director, ILGA-Europe
Malta has sat on top of the ranking for the last 10 years.
With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.
Iceland now comes third place on the ranking with a score of 84.
The three
These Are The 13 Least Gay-Friendly Countries In Europe
Flickr via Elsie esq.
Anyone paying attention to the goings-on in the European Parliament would think it was pledged to tackling the issues faced by lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Europe: After all, a group of MEPs just pledged help to their cause.
However, most support is only on paper. LGBT people still face discrimination and denial of basic rights.
"The EU directive on discrimination has been stuck for three years mostly because of Germany's refusal to write over concerns that it is too costly to implement," the International Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)'s Juris Lavrikovs told EUobserver.
Activists are trying to renew interest in the bill at the EU leader level, but Germany and a few other EU states say the anti-discrimination law is a national issue, not an EU one.
According to ILGA-Europe, none of the countries in Europe can claim to provide for full legal equality for LGBT people. Most have poor records when it comes to recognition of same-sex partnerships, and many have mandatory sterilization laws for trans people.&