LGBT+ Rights Index in Kuwait
Kuwait: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.73 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Kuwait, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in Kuwait stood at -2.73.
That represents a change of down 86.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Kuwait peaked at -1.4 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -2.8, in 2020.
That places Kuwait 182nd 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 Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -1.4 | — |
| 1992 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -1.4 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.46 | +4.5% |
| 2008 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -1.46 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.8 | +91.2% |
| 2021 | -2.8 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.73 | -2.2% |
| 2023 | -2.73 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.73 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.73 | -0.0% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's -2.73 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.11. (64 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's -2.73 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.6, 1.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -1.4 | -1.4 | -1.4 | 9 |
| 2000s | -1.42 | -1.46 | -1.4 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.46 | -1.46 | -1.46 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.75 | -2.8 | -2.73 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 179 Ethiopia -2.6 compare
- 179 Lebanon -2.6 compare
- 181 Brunei -2.6 compare
- 183 Afghanistan -2.75 compare
- 184 United Arab Emirates -2.88 compare
- 185 Mauritania -3.15 compare
More social development data for Kuwait
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 386 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (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 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Kuwait?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Kuwait was -2.73 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was -1.4 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.8 in 2020.
- How does Kuwait rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Kuwait ranks 182nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 86.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.