LGBT+ Rights Index in Canada
Canada: LGBT+ Rights Index was 9.18 in 2019. ▲ Rising
LGBT+ Rights Index in Canada, 1991–2019
Source: Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lgbt+ rights index in Canada is 9.18, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
The figure is up 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Canada peaked at 9.18 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0719, in 1991.
That places Canada 18th out of 192 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.0719 | — |
| 1992 | 2.07 | +2782.5% |
| 1993 | 2.07 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2.07 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2.07 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5.08 | +145.4% |
| 1997 | 5.08 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5.08 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4.85 | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 5.23 | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 5.29 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 5.56 | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 6.09 | +9.6% |
| 2004 | 6.44 | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 7.58 | +17.7% |
| 2006 | 7.58 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7.69 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 7.71 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 7.71 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 7.71 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7.83 | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 8.76 | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 8.76 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8.76 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.18 | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 9.18 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.18 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.18 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.18 | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 9.18 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.96, 1.9× the median. (63 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LGBT+ Rights Index in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +2782.5% | 0.0719 | 2.07 |
| 1996 | +145.4% | 2.07 | 5.08 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.16 | 0.0719 | 5.08 | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.69 | 5.23 | 7.71 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.78 | 7.71 | 9.18 | 10 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More social development data for Canada
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 416,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (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 360 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.01 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 Canada?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Canada was 9.18 in 2019, according to Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.18 in 2015.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0719 in 1991.
- How does Canada rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Canada ranks 18th out of 192 countries with data for 2019.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – 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 — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The LGBT+ Policy Index measures a country’s LGBT+ policy landscape by capturing the implementation of 18 different LGBT+ policies. Policies included in the index are limited to those adopted across at least three countries or are explicitly advocated for by transnational activists.