LGBT+ Rights Index in Brunei
Brunei: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.6 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
LGBT+ Rights Index in Brunei, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Brunei recorded -2.6 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Brunei peaked at -0.6625 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -2.6, in 2020.
That places Brunei 181st out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Brunei, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -0.6625 | — |
| 1992 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -0.6625 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.66 | +150.9% |
| 2011 | -1.66 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -1.66 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.33 | +40.1% |
| 2014 | -2.33 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -2.33 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.33 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.38 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | -2.38 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.42 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | -2.6 | +7.8% |
| 2021 | -2.42 | -7.2% |
| 2022 | -2.6 | +7.8% |
| 2023 | -2.6 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.6 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.6 | -0.0% |
Brunei compared with similar countries
- Brunei's -2.6 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.11. (64 countries reporting)
- Brunei's -2.6 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.25. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -0.6625 | -0.6625 | -0.6625 | 9 |
| 2000s | -0.6625 | -0.6625 | -0.6625 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.15 | -2.42 | -1.66 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.57 | -2.6 | -2.42 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brunei
More social development data for Brunei
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (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 5 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, per square kilometre 0.0011 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Brunei?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Brunei was -2.6 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Brunei?
- The highest recorded value was -0.6625 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Brunei?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.6 in 2020.
- How does Brunei rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Brunei ranks 181st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Brunei?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Brunei 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.