Most LGBTQI+ Inclusive Countries to Work In

Everyone should feel safe, included and valued in their place of work, and despite the progress made in recent years, this is still a struggle for many LGBTQI+ employees.

Research shows that LGBTQI+ workers experience higher job dissatisfaction, lower psychological safety and higher levels of workplace conflict than their heterosexual counterparts. With this in mind, let’s look at the countries that are making strides in the right direction.

We ranked 24 countries according to criteria like safety, social acceptance and employment discrimination protection, to find the world’s most LGBTQI+ inclusive countries to work and live in. The EU dominated the list, while the UK and Australia both made it into the top 10. 

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The Top 10 Most Inclusive Countries for LGBTQI+ People

Norway and the Netherlands share the top spot for inclusive treatment of LGBTQI+ employees.

*Includes sexual orientation and gender identity protection

Of all the countries surveyed, Canada had the highest safety score for LGBTQI+ people. Asher & Lyric’s LGBTQI+ Danger Index in 2023 ranked Canada in top place according to its legal recognition of LGBTQI+ relationships, constitutional protection of LGBTQI+ people, and criminalisation of violence against them. Norway and the Netherlands were also among the top five safest countries for LGBTQI+ people.

The highest social acceptance score went to the Netherlands. The country was famously the first in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, and the much-loved Amsterdam Pride celebration attracts several hundred thousand visitors from across the globe each year. However, statistics show that even high-scoring countries have a long way to go, especially when it comes to the recognition and acceptance of trans and non-binary people.

6 Ways to Create a Culture of LGBTQI+ Acceptance at Your Company

1. Communicate your diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) goals to all employees and provide DEI training for all employees. This includes explaining what it means to be an LGBTQI+ ally. Read more about DEI in the workplace.
2. Use inclusive language and encourage all employees to do the same.
3. Review your DEI practices regularly and identify the areas that need improvement.
4. Follow inclusive recruitment practices.
5. Create an employee resource group (ERG) for LGBTQI+ employees.
6. Encourage the celebration of Pride in the workplace.

An inclusive workplace is a productive workplace, with employees who feel safe and valued being highly engaged and less likely to leave their employer. Creating a culture of inclusivity benefits businesses as well as individuals.

Methodology

Using a seed list of countries with the highest GDPs, we gathered data on the equality index, employment discrimination protection, social acceptance, and safety of LGBTQI+ people. We then ranked each country from highest to lowest and scored the total for each country to make our final list.