Malta is no longer Europe’s top-ranked country for LGBTQ+ rights, with Spain taking the number one spot in ILGA-Europe’s 2026 Rainbow Map.
The 18th annual Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries based on laws and policies affecting LGBTI communities.
Spain’s rise to the top follows the introduction of new legal protections, a new independent equal treatment and non-discrimination authority, and the full depathologisation of trans identities in healthcare, among other reforms.
However, ILGA-Europe warned that positive legal progress does not always reflect the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people. In Spain, assaults against LGBTI people have reportedly risen from 7% to 22% in just two years, amid increasing hate speech targeting the community.
Spain recognised for political progress
ILGA-Europe Deputy Director Katrin Hugendubel said Spain’s ranking shows what can happen when governments actively choose to advance equality.
“Spain’s number one ranking is a strong example of what becomes possible when a government makes a deliberate choice to advance equality rather than retreat from it. We see this same spirit in leaders like Zohran Mamdani in New York, who are refusing to bow to the authoritarian pressure of this moment and choosing instead to stand with their communities. Of course more needs to be done in Spain, but this is a reminder that political courage is a choice, and that governments who make it can effectively push back.”
Spain is joined in the top five by Malta, Iceland, Belgium, and Denmark.
UK sits mid-table as Russia ranks last
The United Kingdom placed midway down the list, scoring just 44%, following years of heated anti-trans debate and concern from LGBTQ+ advocates about declining protections.
Russia ranked at the bottom of the 49 countries assessed, alongside Azerbaijan, with both receiving scores of just 2%.
Countries including Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Luxembourg recorded largely positive scores.
At the lower end of the ranking, Russia and Azerbaijan were joined by Turkey, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Monaco, Romania, and Ukraine. Italy ranked in 36th place.
“Two stories at once”
Hugendubel said this year’s Rainbow Map reflects both progress and danger for LGBTQ+ people across Europe.
“This year’s Rainbow Map tells two stories at once. One of genuine courage, in Spain, in courtrooms, and in leaders who are choosing to stand with their communities rather than scapegoat them. And one of real and growing danger that cannot be underestimated. The question every government in Europe must now answer is which story they want to be part of.”
While Spain’s rise marks an important milestone for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, the wider map shows that legal protections remain uneven, and that advances in law must be matched by real safety and dignity for LGBTQ+ people in everyday life.
