LGBT+ Rights Index in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.88 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in United Arab Emirates, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded -2.88 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025.
The figure is down 87.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in United Arab Emirates peaked at -1.48 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -2.93, in 2017.
That places United Arab Emirates 184th 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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -1.48 | — |
| 1992 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -1.48 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.54 | +4.2% |
| 2006 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -1.54 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.87 | +86.7% |
| 2017 | -2.93 | +2.2% |
| 2018 | -2.93 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.93 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.93 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.93 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.93 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.88 | -1.7% |
| 2024 | -2.88 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.88 | -0.0% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's -2.88 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.11. (64 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's -2.88 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.6, 1.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -1.48 | -1.48 | -1.48 | 9 |
| 2000s | -1.51 | -1.54 | -1.48 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.09 | -2.93 | -1.54 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.91 | -2.93 | -2.88 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More social development data for United Arab Emirates
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,377 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 252 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 252 (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 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in United Arab Emirates?
- Lgbt+ rights index in United Arab Emirates was -2.88 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was -1.48 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.93 in 2017.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 184th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 87.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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
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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.