LGBT+ Rights Index in New Zealand
New Zealand: LGBT+ Rights Index was 10.61 in 2025. ▲ Rising
LGBT+ Rights Index in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in New Zealand stood at 10.61. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in New Zealand peaked at 10.61 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1991.
That places New Zealand 41st out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2 | — |
| 1992 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4 | +100.0% |
| 1994 | 4.83 | +20.8% |
| 1995 | 5.58 | +15.5% |
| 1996 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5.58 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6.42 | +14.9% |
| 2003 | 6.42 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.02 | +9.4% |
| 2005 | 7.97 | +13.7% |
| 2006 | 7.97 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8.1 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 8.1 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8.1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8.1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8.1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.97 | +10.8% |
| 2014 | 9.06 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 9.06 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.06 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.06 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.06 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.06 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9.22 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 9.22 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 10.03 | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 10.53 | +5.0% |
| 2024 | 10.53 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 10.61 | +0.8% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 10.61 is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.11, 1.0× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 10.61 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.25, 8.5× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.53 | 2 | 5.58 | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.13 | 5.58 | 8.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.76 | 8.1 | 9.06 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.02 | 9.22 | 10.61 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 38 Albania 11.33 compare
- 39 Montenegro 11.27 compare
- 40 United States 10.67 compare
- 42 San Marino 10.58 compare
- 43 Honduras 10.42 compare
- 44 Estonia 10.31 compare
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (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 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand?
- Lgbt+ rights index in New Zealand was 10.61 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 10.61 in 2025.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1991.
- How does New Zealand rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- New Zealand ranks 41st out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.