LGBT+ Rights Index in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.75 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Afghanistan, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in Afghanistan stood at -2.75. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Afghanistan peaked at -2.08 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -2.75, in 2021.
Afghanistan ranks 183rd of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -2.08 | — |
| 1992 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.23 | +7.2% |
| 1997 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.62 | +17.8% |
| 1999 | -2.62 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.62 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.62 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.08 | -20.8% |
| 2003 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -2.15 | +3.6% |
| 2019 | -2.15 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.15 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.75 | +27.7% |
| 2022 | -2.75 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.75 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.75 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.75 | -0.0% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's -2.75 is below the median for low income countries, which is -1.52, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's -2.75 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.6, 1.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.23 | -2.62 | -2.08 | 9 |
| 2000s | -2.19 | -2.62 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.09 | -2.15 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.65 | -2.75 | -2.15 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 181 Brunei -2.6 compare
- 182 Kuwait -2.73 compare
- 184 United Arab Emirates -2.88 compare
- 185 Mauritania -3.15 compare
- 186 Tanzania -3.17 compare
More social development data for Afghanistan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,869 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.67 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0609 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.67 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Afghanistan?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Afghanistan was -2.75 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was -2.08 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.75 in 2021.
- How does Afghanistan rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Afghanistan ranks 183rd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.