LGBT+ Rights Index in Benin
Benin: LGBT+ Rights Index was 2.25 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
LGBT+ Rights Index in Benin, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Benin recorded 2.25 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 339.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Benin peaked at 2.25 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.45, in 1991.
That places Benin 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.45 | — |
| 1992 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.45 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.45 | +222.2% |
| 2000 | 1.45 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.45 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.45 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.45 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.7 | -51.7% |
| 2005 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.5125 | -26.8% |
| 2010 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5125 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.7 | +36.6% |
| 2017 | 0.5125 | -26.8% |
| 2018 | 2.25 | +339.0% |
| 2019 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 2.25 | +0.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 2.25 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0521, 43.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 2.25 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.6687. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5611 | 0.45 | 1.45 | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.9812 | 0.5125 | 1.45 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8787 | 0.5125 | 2.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.25 | 2.25 | 2.25 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 79 Pakistan 2.7 compare
- 80 South Korea 2.62 compare
- 81 Mauritius 2.25 compare
- 83 Armenia 2.17 compare
- 83 East Timor 2.17 compare
- 85 Equatorial Guinea 2.07 compare
More social development data for Benin
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 16,974 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,279 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,279 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 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 Benin?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Benin was 2.25 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 2.25 in 2018.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.45 in 1991.
- How does Benin rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Benin ranks 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 339.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin 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.