Scoring 88%, Malta remains number one due to strong protections in family rights, hate crime legislation, and gender recognition. Belgium rises to second place, driven by improved hate crime laws and protections for intersex individuals. Iceland drops to third after last year’s steep rise.

The UK’s fall follows a Supreme Court ruling narrowly defining “woman” by biological sex, undermining legal recognition for trans people, even with a gender certificate. Hungary and Georgia also drop significantly, implementing laws that ban Pride events and restrict LGBT+ visibility. ILGA-Europe links these moves to a broader erosion of democratic rights.

The Netherlands lags behind peers like Germany (8), Belgium (2), and Spain (5). ILGA-Europe highlights continued concerns about LGBT+ asylum seekers in the Netherlands, with many feeling forced to hide their identity. The rise of far-right parties in Western Europe is also putting legislative progress at risk.

Still, there are positive signs. Germany rises three places thanks to a new self-determination law for trans people. Latvia, Czechia, and Poland also improve, through civil unions and scrapping “LGBT-free zones.”

ILGA-Europe warns that setbacks in countries like the UK and Hungary reflect broader attacks on human rights and democracy. The group urges vigilance to prevent these exceptions from becoming the norm.

The Rainbow Map is based on laws and developments over the past year, covering areas such as family rights, asylum, freedom of expression and assembly, intersex and trans rights, hate crime laws, and LGBT+ education.

Click here for the full map and ranking.