Iran vs Saudi Arabia: LGBT+ Rights Index
Iran
-3.97
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
-4.27
in 2025
Iran rank
191st
Saudi Arabia rank
192nd
LGBT+ Rights Index over time
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Iran currently reports -3.97 against -4.27 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.3.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Iran ranks 191st and Saudi Arabia ranks 192nd of 194 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 1 and Saudi Arabia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.65 | -0.6042 | 2.05 | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | -2.67 | -1.65 | 1.02 | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | -3.38 | -2.85 | 0.5333 | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | -3.97 | -4.02 | 0.05 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher lgbt+ rights index, Iran or Saudi Arabia?
- Iran, at -3.97 against -4.27 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in lgbt+ rights index between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.3, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Saudi Arabia?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Saudi Arabia rank globally for lgbt+ rights index?
- Iran ranks 191st and Saudi Arabia ranks 192nd of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Summary measure of a country's LGBTI-related laws, calculated by subtracting the sum of its regressive policy scores from the sum of its progressive policy scores.