Country ranking

Every country and territory, tiered on gay rights and real-life acceptance. 250 places, four tiers, last reviewed September 2026.

Tier 1
39Free
Tier 2
50Cities
Tier 3
91Discreet
Tier 4
70Danger

Two directions at once.

Marriage reached Thailand, Liechtenstein, Greece, Estonia, Aruba, Curaçao and Nepal since 2024, while Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger newly criminalized and Trinidad and Tobago recriminalized.

68 states criminalize it or are dangerous. 12 allow the death penalty.

ILGA World counts 65 criminalizing UN member states in 2026; twelve jurisdictions impose or allow the death penalty. In Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen it is applied.

Safest: Iceland, Spain, Malta, the Nordics.

The United States has strong federal law but a fast-worsening climate, so it tops Tier 2 rather than Tier 1. Treat every Tier 3 and 4 state with real caution.

Tier 1 · Free and accepted

Same-sex activity legal, marriage or strong unions, anti-discrimination protections, and broad acceptance beyond the big cities.

IcelandMarriage since 2010; adoption; strong anti-discrimination law.SpainMarriage since 2005. ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map #1 in 2026 (89%), up 11 points and four places, ending Malta's ten-year run.NetherlandsFirst country in the world with same-sex marriage, 2001.NorwayMarriage since 2009.SwedenMarriage since 2009.DenmarkMarriage since 2012. ILGA-Europe 5th in 2026.MaltaMarriage since 2017. ILGA-Europe #1 from 2016 to 2025, 2nd in 2026 (88%).BelgiumMarriage since 2003. ILGA-Europe 2nd in 2025, 4th in 2026.CanadaMarriage since 2005.LuxembourgMarriage since 2015.PortugalMarriage since 2010.FinlandMarriage since 2017.IrelandMarriage by referendum, 2015.New ZealandMarriage since 2013.AustraliaMarriage since 2017.GermanyMarriage since 2017. ILGA-Europe 8th in 2025.SwitzerlandMarriage since 2022.UruguayMarriage since 2013.FranceMarriage since 2013.AustriaMarriage since 2019.United KingdomMarriage since 2014 (Northern Ireland 2020). Fell to 22nd on the 2025 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map after the Supreme Court's ruling defining "woman" by …AndorraMarriage since 2023.LiechtensteinMarriage effective 1 January 2025 (passed 24 to 1 in May 2024).SloveniaMarriage since 2022, the first post-communist country.

Territories in this tier · law inherited from the sovereign state

ArubaNetherlandsMarriage since 12 July 2024, after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled the ban unconstitutional.Caribbean NetherlandsNetherlandsBonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius: marriage since 2012.CuraçaoNetherlandsMarriage since 12 July 2024, after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled the ban unconstitutional.Faroe IslandsDenmarkMarriage under Danish law since 2017.French GuianaFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas department).GreenlandDenmarkMarriage since 2016 under Danish law.GuadeloupeFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas department).MartiniqueFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas department).Saint BarthélemyFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas collectivity).Saint MartinFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas collectivity).Saint Pierre and MiquelonFranceFrench marriage law applies (overseas collectivity).ÅlandFinlandFinnish marriage law applies.Christmas IslandAustraliaAustralian law applies, including marriage.Cocos (Keeling) IslandsAustraliaAustralian law applies, including marriage.Norfolk IslandAustraliaAustralian law applies, including marriage.

Tier 2 · Accepted in the cities

Legal, with some or partial protections. Openly accepted in the major cities and tourist areas; rural or conservative regions less so.

United StatesMarriage nationwide (Obergefell 2015, upheld; Respect for Marriage Act 2022). Bostock 2020 bars employment discrimination. On 10 November 2025 the …TaiwanMarriage since 2019; full adoption since 2023.GreeceMarriage since 16 February 2024, the first Orthodox-majority country; adoption.ChileMarriage since 2022.ArgentinaMarriage since 2010; gender identity law.BrazilMarriage since 2013.MexicoMarriage nationwide since 2022.Costa RicaMarriage since 2020.EcuadorMarriage since 2019; gender self-identification.ColombiaMarriage since 2016.CubaMarriage since 2022 (Families Code).South AfricaMarriage since 2006; constitutional protection.IsraelNo domestic marriage, but foreign marriages are recognized; unregistered cohabitation; anti-discrimination law.ThailandMarriage effective 23 January 2025, the first in Southeast Asia.CzechiaCivil unions with expanded, near-marriage rights since 1 January 2025; stepchild adoption.EstoniaMarriage since 1 January 2024, the first Central European country.CroatiaLife partnerships since 2014. ILGA-Europe 49%.CyprusCivil unions since 2015.ItalyCivil unions since 2016; no marriage. The lowest-ranked Western European country on ILGA-Europe.JapanNo national marriage, but five high courts ruled the ban unconstitutional in 2024 and 2025; the Supreme Court will hear six cases with a ruling exp…NepalSame-sex marriage recognized after the Supreme Court's final binding order of 18 June 2026 (interim registration since 2023).MonacoLegal; cohabitation contracts (contrat de vie commune) since 2020; no marriage.San MarinoLegal; civil unions since 2019.BoliviaCivil unions since 2020 (court-ordered).MontenegroCivil partnerships since 2021.VietnamNot criminalized; no unions; declassified as an illness in 2022.PhilippinesNot criminalized; no unions; socially fairly tolerant.

Territories in this tier · law inherited from the sovereign state

American SamoaUnited StatesFollows US law; legal. Local implementation of marriage equality is unclear.Low dataGuamUnited StatesUS marriage law applies.Northern Mariana IslandsUnited StatesUS marriage law applies.Puerto RicoUnited StatesUS marriage law applies.US Virgin IslandsUnited StatesUS marriage law applies.Hong KongChinaNo marriage; limited court-based recognition of foreign marriages. The Legislative Council rejected the partnership bill 71 to 14 on 10 September 2…Akrotiri and DhekeliaUnited KingdomLegal since 2000; military marriage since 2014.BermudaUnited KingdomContested; civil partnerships after litigation.Cayman IslandsUnited KingdomMarriage since 2022.Falkland IslandsUnited KingdomMarriage since 2017.GibraltarUnited KingdomUK-style law; marriage since 2016.Pitcairn IslandsUnited KingdomFollows UK-style law, with marriage.Saint HelenaUnited KingdomFollows UK-style law, with marriage.GuernseyUnited KingdomMarriage since 2017.Isle of ManUnited KingdomMarriage since 2016.JerseyUnited KingdomMarriage since 2018.French PolynesiaFranceFrench marriage law applies.MayotteFranceFrench marriage law applies; socially conservative.New CaledoniaFranceFrench marriage law applies.RéunionFranceFrench marriage law applies; more socially conservative than metropolitan France.Wallis and FutunaFranceFrench marriage law applies.Sint MaartenNetherlandsRecognizes foreign marriages; no local marriage.TokelauNew ZealandFollows New Zealand law; legal. Thin data on local recognition.Low data

Tier 3 · Legal but discreet

Not criminalized, but few or no protections, real stigma, "propaganda" laws, harassment or police abuse. Discretion advised.

PolandLegal; no unions; the "LGBT-free zones" have largely been rolled back. ILGA-Europe rose to 39th, its best in a decade.LatviaCivil unions since 1 July 2024; otherwise limited protections.HungaryRegistered partnerships since 2009, but the 2021 "child protection" law bans LGBT content for minors and Pride marches were banned in 2025.LithuaniaLegal; the 2009 minors "propaganda" law was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2024; a civil union bill is pending.AlbaniaLegal; anti-discrimination law; conservative society.North MacedoniaLegal; minimal protections.Bosnia and HerzegovinaLegal; some anti-discrimination law.SerbiaLegal; no unions despite promises; Pride is heavily policed.SlovakiaLegal; no unions; conservative politics, with a 2025 constitutional amendment recognizing only two sexes.BulgariaLegal; no unions; a 2024 school "propaganda" ban.RomaniaLegal; no unions; EU pressure to recognize foreign marriages.MoldovaLegal; anti-discrimination in employment.UkraineLegal; no unions; a wartime registered-partnership debate is ongoing.BelarusLegal since 1994; no protections; state hostility and "propaganda"-style restrictions since 2024.KosovoLegal; no unions (the 2022 civil code was rejected).MongoliaLegal; some anti-discrimination protection since 2017.ArmeniaLegal since 2003; no protections; strong stigma.South KoreaLegal; no unions; the military criminalizes acts between soldiers.ChinaLegal since 1997; no protections; no unions; rising censorship of LGBT content.IndiaDecriminalized in 2018 (Navtej Johar). The Supreme Court declined to legalize marriage in 2023 and dismissed the review in January 2025.SingaporeSection 377A repealed in 2022, in force 2023; the constitution was amended to shield the definition of marriage; no unions or protections.CambodiaLegal; no protections; relatively tolerant socially.LaosLegal; no protections; relatively tolerant socially.AngolaDecriminalized in 2021, with anti-discrimination provisions; conservative, with higher rural risk.BeninLegal; no protections; conservative.BotswanaDecriminalized in 2019 (High Court, upheld 2021); minimal protections; conservative.Cape VerdeLegal; minimal or no protections; conservative, with higher rural risk.Central African RepublicLegal; no protections; insecurity and higher rural risk.DR CongoLegal; no protections; conservative, with higher rural and conflict risk.DjiboutiLegal; no protections; deeply conservative.Equatorial GuineaLegal; no protections; conservative and authoritarian.GabonRe-decriminalized in 2020; no protections; conservative.Guinea-BissauLegal; no protections; conservative.Ivory CoastLegal; no protections; conservative, with higher rural risk.LesothoLegal since 2012; no protections; conservative.MadagascarLegal (higher age of consent for same-sex acts); no protections; conservative.MauritiusDecriminalized 4 October 2023 (Supreme Court); anti-discrimination law covers sexual orientation.MozambiqueDecriminalized in 2015; minimal protections; conservative, with higher rural risk.Republic of the CongoLegal; no protections; conservative.RwandaLegal; no protections; conservative.SeychellesDecriminalized in 2016; minimal protections; conservative.São Tomé and PríncipeLegal; minimal or no protections; conservative.NamibiaDecriminalized 21 June 2024 (High Court, Dausab v Minister of Justice); no protections. Anti-marriage and anti-"promotion" bills passed parliament …AzerbaijanLegal since 2000; no protections; bottom of the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map for years; police raids reported.GeorgiaLegal, but the September 2024 "family values" law bans "propaganda", Pride events and legal gender recognition. Dropped to 44th on the Rainbow Map …RussiaLegal since 1993, but the 2013 "propaganda" law was extended to all ages in 2022 and the Supreme Court designated the "international LGBT movement"…TurkeyLegal; no protections; rising official hostility and repeated Pride bans.KazakhstanLegal; an "LGBT propaganda" law was signed by President Tokayev in December 2025.KyrgyzstanLegal; a 2023 "propaganda" law.TajikistanLegal since 1998; no protections; police registries of gay men reported; deeply hostile.BahrainLegal de jure; deep social taboo; no protections.JordanLegal de jure; 2023 provisions target "promotion".SurinameLegal; recognizes foreign marriages since 2023.Antigua and BarbudaDecriminalized July 2022 (High Court); no protections; conservative.BahamasLegal since 1991; higher age of consent for same-sex acts; no protections; hostile climate.BarbadosDecriminalized December 2022 (High Court); no protections.BelizeDecriminalized in 2016 (Supreme Court, Orozco); some anti-discrimination on paper.Dominican RepublicLegal; no unions; conservative, tourist zones more open.El SalvadorLegal; no unions; state of exception context.GuatemalaLegal; no unions; varying stigma.HaitiLegal; no protections; strong stigma and severe insecurity.HondurasLegal; no unions; high violence against LGBT people.NicaraguaLegal; no unions; authoritarian context.PanamaLegal; no unions (the Supreme Court refused marriage in 2023).ParaguayLegal; no unions; conservative.PeruLegal; no unions; conservative politics.Saint Kitts and NevisDecriminalized August 2022 (High Court); no protections.VenezuelaLegal; no unions; the military code still penalizes same-sex acts.BhutanDecriminalized in 2021; little recognition; conservative Buddhist society.East TimorLegal; little recognition; conservative Catholic society.FijiDecriminalized in 2010; constitutional anti-discrimination; conservative Christian society.Marshall IslandsLegal; little recognition; conservative Christian society.MicronesiaLegal; little recognition; conservative Christian society.NauruDecriminalized in 2016; little recognition.PalauDecriminalized in 2014; the constitution bars same-sex marriage.VanuatuLegal; little recognition; conservative Christian society.Northern CyprusLegal since 2014; anti-discrimination provisions; no unions.DominicaDecriminalized 22 April 2024 (High Court); no protections; conservative.Saint LuciaDecriminalized July 2025 (High Court); no protections; conservative.Palestine (West Bank)Not criminalized de jure; strong stigma and family and social pressure.Vatican CityNo criminal penalty (its law derives from Italy, which decriminalized in 1890); no recognition; doctrinal opposition.AbkhaziaNot criminalized under the de jure sovereign's law, but deeply hostile; no protections; thin data.Low dataSouth OssetiaNot criminalized under the de jure sovereign's law, but deeply hostile; no protections; thin data.Low dataTransnistriaNot criminalized under the de jure sovereign's law, but deeply hostile; no protections; thin data.Low data

Territories in this tier · law inherited from the sovereign state

MacauChinaLegal; no unions.Cook IslandsNew ZealandDecriminalized in 2023; conservative Christian society.AnguillaUnited KingdomLegal (UK-linked); limited or no local relationship recognition.British Virgin IslandsUnited KingdomLegal (UK-linked); limited or no local relationship recognition.MontserratUnited KingdomLegal (UK-linked); limited or no local relationship recognition.Turks and Caicos IslandsUnited KingdomLegal (UK-linked); limited or no local relationship recognition.NiueNew ZealandDecriminalized in 2024; no protections; small conservative Christian society.

Tier 4 · Criminalized or dangerous

Same-sex activity illegal in law or in practice, or severe persecution. Death-penalty jurisdictions are flagged separately.

Death penalty in law or applied · most dangerous first

IranDeath penalty, applied. Executions documented by Amnesty International.Death penaltySaudi ArabiaDeath penalty under Sharia; full legal certainty per ILGA World.Death penaltyYemenDeath penalty. Houthi courts sentenced men to death by stoning in 2024.Death penaltySomaliaDeath penalty possible; extrajudicial killings and mob violence.Death penaltySomalilandDeath penalty possible under Somali and Sharia law; extrajudicial violence.Death penaltyNigeriaDeath penalty in the 12 northern Sharia states; 14 years' imprisonment elsewhere; the 2014 Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act.Death penaltyBruneiDeath penalty by stoning in law (2019 penal code); not known to have been carried out.Death penaltyMauritaniaDeath penalty in law.Death penaltyAfghanistanDeath penalty possible under the Taliban; documented abuses. Spartacus 2026 bottom five.Death penaltyUgandaAnti-Homosexuality Act 2023: death for "aggravated homosexuality", life imprisonment for other offences; the state actively fosters abuse.Death penaltyPakistanDeath penalty a legal possibility; prison in practice.Death penaltyQatarDeath penalty possible for Muslims; prison in practice.Death penaltyUnited Arab EmiratesDeath penalty a legal possibility; prison in practice.Death penalty

Imprisonment · from rarely enforced to actively enforced

GuyanaBuggery law with up to life imprisonment on the books; not enforced.GrenadaColonial buggery law; rarely enforced; hostile climate.Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesColonial buggery law upheld in 2024; rarely enforced; hostile climate.JamaicaBuggery law; rarely prosecuted, but severe social hostility and violence.Trinidad and TobagoRecriminalized by the Court of Appeal on 25 March 2025 (five years for buggery); no evidence of enforcement. The Privy Council heard the appeal on …KiribatiMale same-sex acts illegal, up to 14 years; rarely enforced.Papua New GuineaMale same-sex acts illegal, up to 14 years; rarely enforced but socially hostile.SamoaMale same-sex acts illegal; rarely enforced; fa'afafine tradition coexists with the law.Solomon IslandsMale same-sex acts illegal, up to 14 years; rarely enforced but socially hostile.TongaMale same-sex acts illegal, up to 10 years plus possible corporal punishment; rarely enforced.TuvaluMale same-sex acts illegal, up to 14 years; rarely enforced.Sri LankaSection 365; prison; a decriminalization bill is pending.BangladeshSection 377; life imprisonment possible.MyanmarSection 377; military junta context.MaldivesPrison plus Sharia penalties; resorts are a separate world, the law is not.KuwaitMale same-sex acts illegal.OmanPrison.LebanonArticle 534; prison de jure; enforcement uneven.SyriaPrison.IraqDe facto criminalization codified in 2024.EgyptDe facto via "debauchery" and public-morals laws; mass arrests and abuse, including app entrapment.TunisiaArticle 230, up to three years; repeated arrest waves through 2025.AlgeriaPrison.MoroccoArticle 489; prison. Also applies in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.Western SaharaMoroccan-controlled areas apply Moroccan criminal law (illegal); the Polisario-administered zones are unclear.Low dataLibyaPrison, plus militia danger.CameroonArticle 347-1; regular arrests.SenegalUp to five years; tightening in 2025.GhanaColonial-era law upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2024; a broader anti-LGBTQ bill was reintroduced in 2025 and is pending.MaliNewly criminalized under the 2024 penal code; same-sex marriage constitutionally banned since 2023.Burkina FasoCriminalized since 1 September 2025 (two to five years plus a fine; deportation of non-nationals). Reinstating the death penalty has been mooted.NigerNewly criminalized in June 2026.Kenya14 years; the penal code was upheld by the courts in 2023.TanzaniaUp to life imprisonment, including Zanzibar; enforced.ZambiaUp to life imprisonment.MalawiPrison; the enforcement moratorium is contested.EthiopiaPrison.SudanPrison (the death penalty was removed in 2020, but penalties remain severe); war context.BurundiCriminalized since 2009 (up to two years); arrests in 2023.ChadCriminalized since 2017; broadly hostile.ComorosPrison; broadly hostile.EritreaPrison; broadly hostile.EswatiniCommon-law sodomy offence; broadly hostile.GambiaPrison, including "aggravated homosexuality" provisions; broadly hostile.GuineaPrison; broadly hostile.LiberiaPrison; broadly hostile.Sierra LeonePrison (male acts); broadly hostile.South SudanPrison; broadly hostile.TogoPrison; broadly hostile.ZimbabwePrison (male acts); constitution bans same-sex marriage; broadly hostile.MalaysiaFederal Section 377 plus state Sharia; arrests and caning reported in 2025.IndonesiaNot criminalized nationally, but Aceh applies Sharia caning and the revised national criminal code raises concern.TurkmenistanPrison (male acts).UzbekistanPrison (Article 120, male acts).Palestine (Gaza)British Mandate-era law criminalizes male acts; war context.North KoreaNo explicit law, but no rights, no visibility and a totalitarian state; treated as dangerous. Data is thin.Low data

Territories in this tier · law inherited from the sovereign state

ChechnyaRussiaDe facto lethal persecution: the "gay purges" since 2017, extrajudicial detention, torture and killings. Spartacus 2026 bottom five.

How we tier

Every country and territory gets one of four tiers on the legal status and social acceptance of gay men and LGB people, with notes on trans legal status where it changes the picture. We draw on ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map (2025 and 2026), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute Global Acceptance Index, Pew Research, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index (2025 and 2026), Equaldex, and national court rulings and legislation. Where law and lived reality diverge, both are stated. Where two tiers are plausible, we choose the more cautious one.

  • Tier 1, free and accepted: Same-sex activity legal, marriage or strong unions, anti-discrimination protections, and broad acceptance beyond the big cities.
  • Tier 2, accepted in the cities: Legal, with some or partial protections. Openly accepted in the major cities and tourist areas; rural or conservative regions less so.
  • Tier 3, legal but discreet: Not criminalized, but few or no protections, real stigma, "propaganda" laws, harassment or police abuse. Discretion advised.
  • Tier 4, criminalized or dangerous: Same-sex activity illegal in law or in practice, or severe persecution. Death-penalty jurisdictions are flagged separately.

Global anchors: the Williams Institute found that in 2020 Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada were the most accepting countries. The ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map 2026 put Spain first for the first time (89 percent), then Malta, Iceland, Belgium and Denmark, ending Malta’s ten-year run. The Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2026 (217 countries and territories) ranked Iceland first, Malta and Spain joint second, and Belgium, Canada, Germany and Portugal joint fourth; its bottom five were Afghanistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yemen.

What changed in 2024 to 2026

  • Thailand: marriage effective 23 January 2025; jumped to the top of Tier 2.
  • Greece: marriage 16 February 2024, the first Orthodox-majority country.
  • Liechtenstein: marriage effective 1 January 2025.
  • Czechia: expanded civil unions effective 1 January 2025.
  • Estonia: marriage effective 1 January 2024.
  • Aruba and Curaçao: marriage from 12 July 2024 after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled the ban unconstitutional.
  • Nepal: Supreme Court's final binding order recognizing marriage, 18 June 2026.
  • Namibia: decriminalized 21 June 2024, but with no protections and anti-marriage bills pending, so Tier 3.
  • Dominica, Saint Lucia, Niue: decriminalized in 2024, 2025 and 2024; moved from Tier 4 to Tier 3.
  • Trinidad and Tobago: recriminalized 25 March 2025; back to Tier 4. Privy Council judgment pending.
  • Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger: newly criminalized in 2024, September 2025 and June 2026. None had a sodomy law before.
  • Georgia: the September 2024 "family values" law dropped it to 44th on the Rainbow Map and 162nd on Spartacus.
  • Kazakhstan: "propaganda" law signed December 2025.
  • Russia: the "international LGBT movement" designated extremist, effective January 2024; Chechnya remains lethal.
  • Hong Kong: partnership bill rejected 10 September 2025 despite the 2023 court order; Tier 2 in legal limbo.
  • United States: federal law intact, climate worse; Spartacus 50th in 2026; top of Tier 2.

Travel advice by tier

  • Tier 1: Go. Hold hands, book the double room, kiss at the airport. The whole country is on your side, not just the capital.
  • Tier 2: Go, and stay in the cities and beach towns on our list. Read the room once you leave them.
  • Tier 3: Go with your eyes open. Keep affection private, use apps carefully, and stick to venues locals recommend.
  • Tier 4: Avoid open conduct and any public affection. In death-penalty jurisdictions do not travel openly as a couple, and check FCDO or State Department advice before any trip.

Small-territory law is usually inherited from the sovereign state; where it differs locally (the Dutch and French Caribbean, Aceh in Indonesia, the northern states of Nigeria, Zanzibar) we say so. Polling data varies by year and method (Pew mostly 2019, Gallup May 2025, Williams Institute to 2020), so acceptance figures are directional rather than current to the month. Several countries are legal but dangerous (Russia, Georgia, Turkey); others are technically illegal but rarely enforced and quietly tolerated in tourist hubs (Guyana, several Caribbean and Pacific states, Lebanon). Enforcement claims for unrecognized states and thin-data territories are marked low confidence.

What we are watching

The Privy Council’s judgment on Trinidad and Tobago; Japan’s Supreme Court ruling expected around 2027; Ghana’s reintroduced bill; Burkina Faso’s mooted death penalty; enforcement of Kazakhstan’s and Georgia’s propaganda laws; and any renewed US Supreme Court challenge to Obergefell. Upward moves would follow marriage or civil-union laws in Japan, the Philippines, Ukraine, Lithuania or Latvia, repeal of propaganda laws, or decriminalization in the remaining Caribbean and Pacific holdouts.

Questions people ask

How many countries criminalize homosexuality in 2026?

ILGA World counted 64 criminalizing UN member states as of May 2025 and raised that to 65 in June 2026 after Burkina Faso criminalized and Trinidad and Tobago reversed its decriminalization. Erasing 76 Crimes counts 66 after Niger's June 2026 law. Twelve jurisdictions impose or allow the death penalty.

Which countries have the death penalty for gay sex?

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, the twelve northern Sharia states of Nigeria, Brunei, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Uganda (for "aggravated homosexuality"), Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen it is applied; in the others it is a legal possibility with prison in practice.

What is the most gay-friendly country in the world?

On the combined evidence, Iceland, then Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Spain topped the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map in 2026 and Iceland topped the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2026; the Williams Institute puts Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada in its most-accepting group.

Is the United States gay-friendly?

Legally yes: marriage is nationwide under Obergefell, reinforced by the Respect for Marriage Act, and the Supreme Court declined to revisit it in November 2025. We still place the US at the top of Tier 2, not Tier 1, because the climate is worsening: a record 47-point partisan gap on marriage, 2025 executive orders aimed at trans people, and a fall to 50th on the Spartacus index.

Is Thailand safe for gay travelers?

Yes. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 23 January 2025, the first in Southeast Asia, and public support is very high. Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are among the most relaxed destinations in Asia.

How is this ranking made and how often is it updated?

Each country is placed in one of four tiers using ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and national court rulings. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. The ranking was last reviewed in September 2026 and is updated whenever a law changes.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026 (2026-09-16). Spotted a change? Tell us. See also the city ranking.