
Worldwide LGBTQIA+ Gender Identity Recognition

Intersex, transgender, agender, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and all the non-traditional gender identities are all groups within the LGBTQIA+ community that relate specifically to gender. Gender identity groups have historically been underrepresented; however, there have been positive developments over the past five years, and advocates have helped ensure that they gain greater exposure.
The LGBTQIA+ Gender Recognition index focuses on countries that legally recognise gender identities, the requirements required to obtain legal recognition such as sterilisation or reassignment surgery, and whether a government issues legal documentation


- 41.6% or 86 million LGBTQIA+ live within countries classified as high or very high regarding gender identity recognition
- Europe is the continent with the highest number of countries recognising gender identities at 77.1% or 37 countries, followed by Asia at 47.1% or 24 countries
- Only 1.7% of all countries (4) around the world recognise the third gender; those countries are Bangladesh, India, Germany and Samoa
- Asia has the highest concentration of countries requiring surgery at 31.4% or 16 countries
- Europe is the continent with the highest number of countries recognising gender identities at 77.1% or 37 countries, followed by Asia at 47.1% or 24 countries
- Africa is the continent with the lowest number of countries recognising gender identities at 8.8% or 5 countries
- 14.6% or 34 countries around the world require an individual to undergo sexual reassignment surgery, and 4.7% or 11 countries require an individual to be sterilised to change genders legally
- Europe has the highest concentration of countries requiring sterilisation at 16.7% or 8 countries, followed by Asia at 5.9% or 3 countries
- Asia has the highest concentration of countries requiring surgery at 31.4% or 16 countries, followed by Europe at 22.9% or 11 countries
- Only 1.7% of all countries (4) around the world recognise the third gender; those countries are Bangladesh, India, Germany and Samoa
- 27% or 63 countries around the world are classified as high or very high concerning gender identities
- The continents with the largest number of low or very low statuses are Africa at 22.3% or 52 countries, followed by the Americas at 13.3% or 31 countries
- The continents with the largest number of high or very high statuses are Europe at 11.2% or 26 countries, followed by the Americas at 8.2% or 19 countries
- 41.6% or 86 million LGBTQIA+ live within countries classified as high or very high, whereas 29.4% or 60.8 million live within countries classified as low or very low within the gender identity index
- United States (USA) – On January 25, 2021 – a Presidential executive order ended a ban on transgender people in the military. Cancelling a ruling by the previous president in 2019
- North Macedonia – May 25, 2021. a law was passed that legally recognises a change of gender
TAKING PRIDE IN YOU

DISCOVER HOW WELL THE COMMUNITY ARE TREATED..

Gender is made of two components, anatomy and definition. Anatomy is how someone is born, typically male, female or intersex. In contrast, a definition is what we learn about what it means to be male or female. Gender definitions are taught and will vary depending on the culture, society, traditions or history. As we grow up, we are being taught what it means to be a specific gender, resulting in some people not identifying with their gender or sex assigned at birth. Many instead identify as the opposite sex, shifting from masculine or feminine or not identifying as either gender. Once individuals become aware of their true identity, the challenge is to get society and governments to accept who they are through legal recognition.
Gender and how we identify are not only on official documentation or how people address us; but also in the words we use to describe people, objects, or possession. Most languages have masculine and feminine words, and possession is based on whether you identify as male or female. Even English gender titles feature a masculine influence, with male, men or man in female gender titles. The use of non-gendered pronouns helps people that cannot identify with a binary description of male or female, those that shift within the gender spectrum or those that feel gender pronouns do not represent them.
Over the past 50 years, and as the LGBTQIA+ community and gender identities have become better understood, more countries have created laws and protections designed to help people from non-traditional gender identities. Anti-discrimination legalisation ensures LGBTQIA+ individuals are not discriminated against and legal recognition for individuals who want to align their documentation to reflect their true identity. Gender recognition rules vary by country; however, countries typically recognise a change of gender when a person undergoes sterilisation or sex reassignment surgery.
LGBTQIA+ COUNTRY & REGION GUIDES

Why is legal gender recognition so important?

What does sterilisation and gender reassignment mean?

What is the difference between transgender and other non-binary identities?
Transgender relates to individuals who do not identify with their sex or gender at birth. Typically, transgender individuals will identify and feel that they belong to the opposite sex to their sex or gender at birth. So effectively, a man identifies as a female or a female that identifies as male. Non-binary or genderfluid identities are different because some groups cannot identify as male or female. In contrast, others will shift between feminine and masculine, and others will identify off or somewhere within the gender spectrum. Simply put, transgender individuals identify with the gender opposite to their own. In contrast, no single gender defines non-binary people
WHAT ARE YOUR PREFERRED PRONOUNS?
Please select a country from the drop-down list to discover common phrases relating to gender identity recognition
AFGHANISTAN
ALBANIA
ALGERIA
AMERICAN SAMOA
ANDORRA
ANGOLA
ANGUILLA
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
ARGENTINA
ARMENIA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
AZERBAIJAN
THE BAHAMAS
BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH
BARBADOS
BELARUS
BELGIUM
BELIZE
BENIN
BERMUDA
BHUTAN
BOLIVIA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
BOTSWANA
BRAZIL
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
BULGARIA
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CAMBODIA
CAMEROON
CANADA
CAPE VERDE (CABO VERDE)
CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS
CAYMAN ISLANDS
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
CHAD
CHANNEL ISLANDS
CHILE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
COLOMBIA
COMOROS
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
COOK ISLANDS
COSTA RICA
CROATIA
CUBA
REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC (CZECHIA)
DENMARK
DJIBOUTI
DOMINICA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
EAST TIMOR (TIMOR-LESTE)
ECUADOR
EGYPT
EL SALVADOR
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
ERITREA
ESTONIA
ETHIOPIA
FALKLAND ISLANDS (LAS MALVINAS)
FIJI
FINLAND
FRANCE
FRENCH GUIANA
FRENCH POLYNESIA
GABON
THE GAMBIA
GEORGIA
GERMANY
GHANA
GIBRALTAR
GREECE
GREENLAND
GRENADA
GUADELOUPE
GUAM
GUATEMALA
GUINEA
GUINEA-BISSAU
GUYANA
HAITI
HONDURAS
HONG KONG
HUNGARY
ICELAND
INDIA
INDONESIA
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
IRAQ
IRELAND
ISLE OF MAN
ISRAEL
ITALY
IVORY COAST (COTE D’IVOIRE)
JAMAICA
JAPAN
JORDAN
KAZAKHSTAN
KENYA
KIRIBATI
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (NORTH)
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (SOUTH)
REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
KUWAIT
KYRGYZSTAN
LAOS
LATVIA
LEBANON
LESOTHO
LIBERIA
LIBYA
LIECHTENSTEIN
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
MACAU
MADAGASCAR
MALAWI
MALAYSIA
MALDIVES
MALI
MALTA
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MARTINIQUE
MAURITANIA
MAURITIUS
MAYOTTE
MEXICO
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
MOLDOVA
MONACO
MONGOLIA
MONTENEGRO
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
MYANMAR
NAMIBIA
NAURU
NEPAL
NETHERLANDS
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
NEW CALEDONIA
NEW ZEALAND
NICARAGUA
NIGER
NIGERIA
NIUE
NORTH MACEDONIA
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
NORWAY
OMAN
PAKISTAN
PALAU
STATE OF PALESTINE
PANAMA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PARAGUAY
PERU
PHILIPPINES
PITCAIRN ISLANDS
POLAND
PORTUGAL
PUERTO RICO
QATAR
REUNION
ROMANIA
RUSSIA
RWANDA
SAINT BARTHELEMY (BARTS)
SAINT HELENA
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
SAINT LUCIA
SAINT MARTIN (DUTCH)
SAINT MARTIN (FRENCH)
SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
SAMOA
SAN MARINO
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
SAUDI ARABIA
SENEGAL
SERBIA
SEYCHELLES
SIERRA LEONE
SINGAPORE
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
SOMALIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH SUDAN
SPAIN
SRI LANKA
SUDAN
SURINAME
SWAZILAND (ESWATINI)
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
SYRIA
TAIWAN
TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA
THAILAND
TOGO
TOKELAU
TONGA
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
TUNISIA
TURKEY
TURKMENISTAN
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
TUVALU
UGANDA
UKRAINE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)
UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)
URUGUAY
US VIRGIN ISLANDS
UZBEKISTAN
VANUATU
VATICAN CITY (HOLY SEE)
VENEZUELA
VIETNAM
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
YEMEN
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
