LGBT+ Rights Index in Belgium
Belgium: LGBT+ Rights Index was 15.91 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
LGBT+ Rights Index in Belgium, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 15.91 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Belgium peaked at 15.91 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.67, in 1991.
Belgium ranks 15th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.67 | — |
| 1992 | 2.67 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.75 | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 2.75 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2.75 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2.75 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 2.75 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 3.22 | +17.0% |
| 1999 | 3.22 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3.55 | +10.4% |
| 2001 | 3.55 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3.55 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 9.13 | +157.3% |
| 2004 | 9.13 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.22 | -10.0% |
| 2006 | 9.09 | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 12.59 | +38.5% |
| 2008 | 13.47 | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 13.47 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 13.47 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 13.59 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 13.59 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 14.51 | +6.7% |
| 2014 | 14.59 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 14.59 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 14.59 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 14.68 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 15.01 | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 15.01 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 15.01 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 15.01 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 15.01 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 15.91 | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 15.91 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 15.91 | +0.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 15.91 is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.11, 1.6× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 15.91 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.28, 1.5× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.84 | 2.67 | 3.22 | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.58 | 3.55 | 13.47 | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.36 | 13.47 | 15.01 | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.46 | 15.01 | 15.91 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More social development data for Belgium
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0156 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Belgium?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Belgium was 15.91 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 15.91 in 2023.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.67 in 1991.
- How does Belgium rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Belgium ranks 15th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium 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
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.