Most LGBTQ+ friendly EU countries

Last updated: 9 November 2026

Short answer

The Netherlands is the most LGBTQ+ friendly EU country in the MoveMap EU 2026 ranking at 92/100, followed by Denmark and Sweden at 90 and Malta at 88, which topped ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map for ten years until Spain overtook it in 2026.

LGBTQ+ friendliness, out of 100

1Netherlands92/100
2Denmark90/100
2Sweden90/100

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For LGBTQ+ people, the right country is not just about cost or weather. It is about whether you can live openly, hold your partner’s hand in the street, have your relationship and family recognised, and feel genuinely welcome. The EU is among the most accepting regions in the world, but acceptance still varies a lot between members. This guide ranks all 27.

What makes a country welcoming

Legal recognition: marriage or partnership rights, and protections for families.
Anti-discrimination law: protection at work and in daily life.
Everyday acceptance: how comfortable and visible LGBTQ+ life feels day to day, especially outside the big cities.

All 27 EU countries, most welcoming first

Here is where MoveMap’s model rates each EU country for how welcoming it is to LGBTQ+ residents (illustrative scores only):

Country	LGBTQ+ friendly*
Netherlands	92
Denmark	90
Sweden	90
Malta	88
Belgium	85
Finland	85
Ireland	85
Spain	85
Germany	82
Luxembourg	82
France	78
Portugal	78
Austria	70
Czechia	62
Estonia	62
Italy	58
Slovenia	58
Cyprus	55
Greece	55
Croatia	48
Lithuania	48
Latvia	45
Poland	45
Slovakia	45
Hungary	42
Romania	42
Bulgaria	40

*MoveMap EU's rough relative score (0-100), illustrative only. Higher means more welcoming. Laws and attitudes change, and can differ sharply between big cities and rural areas, so check current rights and protections for any country.

This ranking is for an average person. Rank all 27 for your passport, budget and family.

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Cities and country are not the same

Even in less accepting countries, capital cities are often open and vibrant, while in very welcoming countries some rural areas can feel more conservative. Local community, your workplace and the specific city you choose can matter as much as the national average, so use the ranking to compare countries, then look closely at where you would actually live.

Match it to what you need

How much this weighs against cost, career or climate is yours to decide. The MoveMap check can factor an open and accepting environment into a ranking of all 27 EU countries built around your priorities.

Frequently asked questions

Which EU country is the most LGBTQ+ friendly?

The Netherlands leads our ranking at 92/100, with Denmark and Sweden at 90, Malta at 88 and Belgium at 85. Malta is worth singling out because it topped ILGA-Europe's annual Rainbow Map of legal protections every year from 2016 to 2025, a striking result for one of the EU's smallest and most traditionally Catholic member states. In the May 2026 edition Spain moved into first place, with Malta second.

Is same-sex marriage legal everywhere in the EU?

No. It is legal in most member states but not all. Several Central and Eastern European members offer only civil partnerships, and a few offer neither. The picture does move: Greece legalised same-sex marriage in 2024, Latvia's civil union law took effect the same year, and in November 2025 the EU Court of Justice ruled that member states must recognise a same-sex marriage that EU citizens lawfully concluded while living in another member state. Verify the current position for any country on your shortlist rather than relying on older summaries.

Are some parts of the EU less safe for LGBTQ+ people?

Yes, and the spread is wide. Our lowest scores are Bulgaria at 40/100, Hungary and Romania at 42, and Latvia, Poland and Slovakia at 45. The caveat that matters most is that national politics and daily life can diverge sharply: Budapest, Warsaw and Bucharest have visible communities and established scenes that look nothing like the national legal picture, while rural areas in high-scoring countries can be more conservative than the ranking suggests.

How these numbers are made

Updated November 2026

The 0-100 figures in this ranking are MoveMap EU's own comparative estimates, not official statistics or a third-party index. They are built to rank the 27 countries against each other from public cost, wage, language and institutional data, and they are calibrated to be directionally right rather than precise to the point. Where a figure comes from a dated external dataset, such as the tax pages, the source and check date are named on that page.

The full weighting is written up on our methodology page. Published by Dobreon sp. z o.o., Krakow, Poland (VAT PL6772528744). Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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