Best countries to be gay in europe

Rainbow Map

rainbow map

These are the main findings for the edition of the rainbow map

The Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBTI people, from %.

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. 

The Mediterranean archipelago named Europe’s most LGBTQ+-friendly country

From safety and discrimination laws to policies around gender recognition, a lot more goes into making a country queer-friendly than an annual Pride festival. Back for its seventeenth year, ’s edition of the Rainbow Map looks into all these factors and more to name Europe’s most (and least) LGBTQ+-friendly countries.

The map, which is an annual project run by LGBTI organisation ILGA-Europe, ranks 49 European countries on their legal and policy practices for LGBTQ+ people on a scale from percent. 

The categories assessed include equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum.  

And, topping the list as the most LGBTQ+-friendly country in Europe for no less than the tenth consecutive year, is the sunny archipelago of Malta. It scored a solid percent in total, ranking perfectly in the ‘hate crime and speech’, ‘legal gender recogniti

From Switzerland to Spain, here are Europe’s most LGBTQ+ friendly countries.

Europe has long been seen as relatively progressive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, and thankfully it’s becoming even safer and more welcoming. But not all countries are equal  – especially when it comes to policies and general level of acceptance – and some countries perform a lot better than most. That’s why we’re unveiling the 20 most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in Europe in Each territory has been carefully selected for its vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, progressive laws, and inclusive atmosphere. We’ve created our own points system using respected benchmarking tools, including the IGLA Rainbow Europe and Equaldex, and combined this with other factors, such as the number of queer-friendly bars, festivals and events, and legislation. So, without further ado, here are 20 countries in Europe where love knows no bounds.

Estonia

Points: 26/50

Estonia is the most LGBT-friendly country in the Baltic and has risen in the ranks to become one of Europe’s top 20 LGBT-friendly countries in the past five years

Rainbow Europe Map and Index

The Rainbow Europe Map finds that over the past 12 months a new dynamic has appeared to fill in the gaps that exist around LGBTI rights and push standards, giving governments ground to build upon as democracy in Europe faces exceptional challenges.

Rainbow Map Download

Rainbow Index Download

This year we observe positive movement on the Rainbow Map and Index, notably:

  • Denmark has jumped seven places to achieve second detect in the ranking. The reason for Denmark’s jump is that it is taking the direct 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 include sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression 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 trans parenthood, among other things, while Germany introdu