LGBT+ Rights Index in Syria
Syria: LGBT+ Rights Index was -1.31 in 2019. ▬ Flat
LGBT+ Rights Index in Syria, 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 Syria is -1.31, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Syria peaked at -1.31 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -1.35, in 1998.
That places Syria 169th out of 192 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Syria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -1.31 | — |
| 1992 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1.35 | +2.9% |
| 1999 | -1.31 | -2.8% |
| 2000 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.35 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | -1.31 | -2.8% |
| 2003 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -1.35 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | -1.35 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.31 | -2.8% |
| 2011 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -1.35 | +2.9% |
| 2014 | -1.35 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -1.35 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.35 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.35 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -1.31 | -2.8% |
| 2019 | -1.31 | -0.0% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's -1.31 is below the median for low income countries, which is -0.3901, 3.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's -1.31 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.31, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -1.31 | -1.35 | -1.31 | 9 |
| 2000s | -1.32 | -1.35 | -1.31 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.33 | -1.35 | -1.31 | 10 |
Countries ranked near Syria
More social development data for Syria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (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 0.1899 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (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 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Syria?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Syria was -1.31 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 Syria?
- The highest recorded value was -1.31 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.35 in 1998.
- How does Syria rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Syria ranks 169th out of 192 countries with data for 2019.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Syria 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.