LGBT+ Rights Index in Iran
Iran: LGBT+ Rights Index was -3.97 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Iran, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iran recorded -3.97 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Iran peaked at -2.51 in 2010 and was at its lowest, -3.97, in 2014.
That places Iran 191st out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -2.65 | — |
| 1992 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.65 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.72 | +2.4% |
| 2005 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.59 | -4.6% |
| 2009 | -2.59 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.51 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | -2.51 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.51 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.51 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -3.97 | +58.1% |
| 2015 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -3.97 | -0.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's -3.97 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's -3.97 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.6, 2.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.65 | -2.65 | -2.65 | 9 |
| 2000s | -2.67 | -2.72 | -2.59 | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.38 | -3.97 | -2.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.97 | -3.97 | -3.97 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (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 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 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 Iran?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Iran was -3.97 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was -2.51 in 2010.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.97 in 2014.
- How does Iran rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Iran ranks 191st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran 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.