LGBT+ Rights Index in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.48 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Zimbabwe, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded -2.48 for lgbt+ rights index in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Zimbabwe peaked at -2.04 in 2000 and was at its lowest, -2.48, in 2017.
Zimbabwe ranks 175th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -2.1 | — |
| 1992 | -2.1 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.16 | +3.0% |
| 1994 | -2.16 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.16 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.16 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.16 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.23 | +2.9% |
| 1999 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.04 | -8.4% |
| 2001 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.04 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.29 | +12.3% |
| 2014 | -2.29 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -2.29 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.29 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.48 | +8.2% |
| 2018 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.48 | -0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's -2.48 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0521. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's -2.48 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.6687, 3.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.16 | -2.23 | -2.1 | 9 |
| 2000s | -2.04 | -2.04 | -2.04 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.27 | -2.48 | -2.04 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.48 | -2.48 | -2.48 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More social development data for Zimbabwe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,570 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (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 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Zimbabwe?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Zimbabwe was -2.48 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was -2.04 in 2000.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.48 in 2017.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Zimbabwe ranks 175th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.