23 Apr 2018

Study Charts LGBT Acceptance Around The World

Although global acceptance has increased, Asian countries do not rank well in the study, with only Japan and the Philippines in the top 40.

Average levels of acceptance for LGBT people and rights have increased globally since 1980, though acceptance has increase in the most accepting countries and decreasing in the least, research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law has found. 

The New Global Acceptance Index ranked 141 countries for LGBT acceptance and legal protections, with Iceland, The Netherlands, and Sweden coming out top and Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan at the bottom of the rankings of those listed. 

In Asia, Japan, Philippines, and Taiwan rank highest respectively, according to the study which analyzed results from a number of different surveys both between 2004 and 2008 and 2009 and 2013.

Accordingly, the report also charted change in acceptance since 2008.

Taiwan, Japan, and the Phillippines showed an increase in acceptance while South Korea, China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia showed a decrease, the report suggests.

India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore showed little change.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia and India respectvely ranked least inclusive among Asian countries.