What countries is gay marriage illegal 2018
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 As Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Sunday that the land will repeal a colonial-era law criminalizing sex between men, LGBTQ+ rights activists in the nation celebrated a long-sought victory. The law, which did not utilize to women, had not been enforced in over 15 years, but its long-standing presence contributed to stigmatizing and discriminating against lgbtq+ men in Singapore, activists said. "Sex between consenting men should not be criminalized. There is no justification to prosecute people for it, nor to create it a crime," the prime minister said. A similar commandment criminalizing same-sex consensual relations dating advocate to the British colonial time was struck down in India in 2018 when the Supreme Court ruled the ban to be "irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary." But in both India and Singapore, the abolition of these laws didn't translate into a complete backing of LGBTQ+ rights, as same-sex marriage remains illegal in both countries. "Let me reassure everyone that in handling the issue, the government will continue to uphold families as the basic building blocks of society," Singapore's prime minister said on Sunday. "We will preserve our Same-sex marriage represents a critical milestone in the Diverse rights movement, allowing couples of the same sex to legally marry and receive the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples. The journey towards legalization has been varied across the globe, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In some regions, the push for marriage equality has gained significant traction and achieved legal recognition, often after prolonged public and legal battles. While full marriage equality is celebrated in many places, an alternative approach through civil unions or household partnerships persists in others. These frameworks typically grant a subset of rights that marriage offers, focusing on aspects like property rights or hospital visitation. However, they often plummet short in areas such as inheritance, pension rights, and parental responsibilities, stressing a gap in the legal recognition of relationships. The acceptance and implementation of same-sex marriage have brought substantial legal benefits, including inheritance rights, tax reductions, and enhanced health insurance options, which are decisive for the security and well-being of families. This progr Around the world, queer people continue to deal with discrimination, violence, harassment and social stigma. While social movements have marked progress towards acceptance in many countries, in others homosexuality continues to be outlawed and penalised, sometimes with death. According to Statistica Research Department, as of 2024, homosexuality is criminalised in 64 countries globally, with most of these nations situated in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 12 of these countries, the death penalty is either enforced or remains a possibility for private, consensual queer sexual activity. In many cases, the laws only apply to sexual relations between two men, but 38 countries possess amendments that include those between women in their definitions. These penalisations represent abuses of human rights, especially the rights to freedom of verbalization, the right to develop one's possess personality and the right to life. The Wahabbi interpretation of Sharia law in Saudi Arabia maintains that acts of homosexuality should be disciplined in the sa 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 strengthen movements for 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. Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
Which countries impose the death penalty on gay people?
Which countries enforce the death penalty for homosexuality?
Saudi Arabia
Marriage Equality Around the World
Current State of Marriage Equality
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025