SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index 2024: Record number at the top
The updated SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX provides an overview of the situation of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBT+) people in a total of 213 countries
and regions. In addition to Malta, which already took first place in 2023, Canada, New
Zealand, Spain and Portugal have now also moved to the top. In a separate ranking of the
United States of America, New York State maintains first place.
For the first time in the history of the SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX, which has been
published since 2012, five countries are simultaneously at the top of the most LGBT+-friendly
travel destinations. Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal join Malta as the leading
destination from last year. Switzerland and Australia follow immediately behind. Germany follows in
8th place – together with countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Uruguay.
New category, more countries
The 2024 index has been expanded to include the new category “Censorship” and now also takes
into account laws that regulate the display of rainbow flags or the distribution of books with LGBT+
content, for example. The index has also been expanded to include eleven more countries:
Guinea, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Sudan,
Tuvalu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Estonia is the big winner
With the passing of a law in 2023 to legalize marriage equality, Estonia makes a big leap forward
and improves from 47th to 32nd place. The Baltic state is the first country in Eastern Europe to
grant same-sex spouses the same rights as the heterosexual population. Thanks to the ban on
conversion therapy, Norway is also one of this years winners, improving from 17th to 8th place.
Relegated and far end: Russia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iran and Saudi Arabia
The relegated country of the year is Russia, which has once again significantly tightened its
legislation against the LGBT+ population and compares the LGBT+ movement with extremist
organizations. While the country was still ranked 177th in the SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX
2023, it has now been downgraded to 205th place and is therefore only a few places away from
the far end Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which share 210th place.
Under observation: Thailand, Latin America and the U.S.
The countries under observation for 2024 are Thailand, the U.S. and some Latin American
countries. With a bill to introduce marriage equality, Thailand has the chance to catch up with
Taiwan (13th place) in the upcoming index in 2025. Following a ruling by the Inter-American Court
of Human Rights in Costa Rica in 2018 on the introduction of marriage equality, which is binding
for 20 countries in the region, countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras and Panama are
under pressure to implement the ruling. Thanks to the implementation of a law introducing
marriage equality by the Greek parliament in February 2024, Greece’s rise in the index for 2025 is
already considered certain.
Particular attention is also being paid to the United States, where presidential elections are due to
take place in November and further actions towards the LGBT+ population is to be feared by
Republican win. In a separate index of the U.S., New York State is at the top, followed by
California, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon. At the bottom are the states of Alabama, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Montana and Oklahoma. In the regular index, the U.S. ranks 41st.
The entire SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index can be downloaded athttps://spartacus.gayguide.travel/gaytravelindex.pdf.
An interactive view can be found at https://spartacus.travel/blog/spartacus-gay-travel-index.
Two maps offer an illustrative comparison with previous years’ scores.
Spartacus pride calendar – the world’s largest pride calendar for your homepage
Spartacus International Gay Guide App
Facebook
Twitter