LGBT+ Rights Index in Kenya
Kenya: LGBT+ Rights Index was -0.5542 in 2025. ▲ Rising
LGBT+ Rights Index in Kenya, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kenya recorded -0.5542 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 76.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Kenya peaked at -0.5542 in 2022 and was at its lowest, -2.39, in 2014.
Kenya ranks 131st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -2.01 | — |
| 1992 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.01 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.26 | +12.4% |
| 2011 | -2.26 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.33 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | -2.33 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -2.39 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | -2.39 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.39 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.39 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -2.39 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.26 | -5.2% |
| 2020 | -2.26 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.26 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -0.5542 | -75.5% |
| 2023 | -0.5542 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -0.5542 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -0.5542 | -0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's -0.5542 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0521. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's -0.5542 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.6687, 83% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.01 | -2.01 | -2.01 | 9 |
| 2000s | -2.01 | -2.01 | -2.01 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.34 | -2.39 | -2.26 | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.12 | -2.26 | -0.5542 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 128 Congo -0.3625 compare
- 128 North Korea -0.3625 compare
- 130 Comoros -0.55 compare
- 132 Madagascar -0.6 compare
- 133 Bahamas -0.6375 compare
- 134 Bangladesh -0.675 compare
- 134 Uzbekistan -0.675 compare
More social development data for Kenya
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 617,125 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,325 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (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 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,325 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0107 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 Kenya?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Kenya was -0.5542 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was -0.5542 in 2022.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.39 in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Kenya ranks 131st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.