Nota: La página que ha solicitado no está en su idioma predeterminado. Usted está usando nuestra plataforma en otro idioma ahora.

LGBTQ in Africa - statistics & facts

In many African countries, homosexuality is still a taboo, with society holding conservative views on gender identities and roles. This translates into a considerably high intolerance towards LGBTQ people. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Some other abbreviations have been introduced in recent years to include more ranges of sexuality and gender. Among them, LGBT+ and LGBTQ, where Q stands for queer. Queer describes sexual and gender identities other than heterosexual and cisgender. Heterosexual refers to people attracted to the opposite gender, while cisgender describes a person whose gender identity is the same as the sex at birth. LGBTQ people in Africa face systematic discrimination, legitimated violence, and societal exclusion.

Low acceptance of homosexuality

According to a survey conducted in African countries, most respondents showed high levels of intolerance towards LGBT+ in their vicinity, Senegal being the most intolerant. Nearly all respondents from Senegal stated they would dislike having homosexual people as neighbors. Over 90 percent of respondents declared the same in Liberia, Malawi, Ghana, Mali, Guinea, Uganda, and Burkina Faso. In a similar study, respondents from four African countries were asked whether they believed that homosexuality should be accepted by society. Between seven and 14 percent of interviewees from Kenya, Tunisia, and Nigeria answered positively. Nonetheless, these rates have significantly increased in recent years. In South Africa, more than half of people surveyed supported acceptance of homosexuality. South Africa, in fact, represents an exception in the African continent. It is the only country that has legalized same-sex marriage and the adoption of children for same-sex couples. It also the second most-friendly destination in Africa for LGBT+ travelers, after La Réunion.

Legislations and criminalization

The lives of LGBTQ people in the world vary consistently from country to country, and generally among world regions. Worldwide, 68 countries criminalize homosexuality as of 2022. Most of these countries are located in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 2020, homosexual relations were criminalized in 32 countries in Africa, and, in four countries, legislations even includes the death penalty. These countries were Nigeria, Mauritania, Sudan, and Somalia. On the other hand, some African countries introduced laws to protect victims of discrimination and violence motivated by their sexual orientation. Nine African countries introduced some forms of legal protection against discrimination in employment, while four countries have different legal vehicles to address the violence motivated by sexual orientation. Overall, 22 countries in Africa do not criminalize homosexual acts. These are Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, and South Africa.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Share of adults attracted only to the same sex worldwide: 5%

African country with most friendly LGBT+ legislations: South Africa

Best-rated travel destinations for LGBT tourism in Africa: La Réunion and South Africa

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Criminalization of same-sex relations in Africa as of 2020, by status

Justice System

Criminalization of homosexual relations in Africa 2020

Distribution of countries where there are legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual and gender diversity issues in Africa as of 2020

Love & Sex

Legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual and gender diversity in Africa 2020

Number of countries with protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment in Africa as of 2020

Love & Sex

Protection against sexual orientation discrimination in employment in Africa 2020

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic LGBT+ identification worldwide 2023
LGBT+ identification worldwide 2023
Distribution of LGBT+ identification worldwide in 2023
Premium Statistic Distribution of sexual attraction worldwide 2021
Distribution of sexual attraction worldwide 2021
Share of adults attracted to the same sex worldwide in 2021
Premium Statistic Global level of homosexuality acceptance 2013-2019, by country
Global level of homosexuality acceptance 2013-2019, by country
Highest percentage change in homosexuality acceptance worldwide between 2013 and 2019
Premium Statistic Least gender equal countries in Africa 2019
Least gender equal countries in Africa 2019
Least gender equal countries in Africa as of 2019
Basic Statistic Best-rated African countries in the Gay Travel Index 2023
Best-rated African countries in the Gay Travel Index 2023
Best-rated travel destinations for LGBT tourism in Africa in 2023

Acceptance

Basic Statistic African societies who would have others as neighbors 2016-2018, by type of neighbor
African societies who would have others as neighbors 2016-2018, by type of neighbor
Would you like too or not care to have the following types of people as neighbors?
Premium Statistic Intolerance toward homosexual people in Africa 2018, by region
Intolerance toward homosexual people in Africa 2018, by region
Intolerance toward LGBTQ people as neighbors in Africa as of 2018, by region
Premium Statistic Intolerance toward homosexual people in Africa 2020, by country
Intolerance toward homosexual people in Africa 2020, by country
Intolerance toward people of different sexual identity or orientation in own neighborhood in African countries as of 2020
Basic Statistic Acceptance of homosexuality in Africa 2019, by country
Acceptance of homosexuality in Africa 2019, by country
People stating that homosexuality should be accepted by society in selected African countries as of 2019
Premium Statistic Acceptance of homosexuality in Kenya 2002-2019
Acceptance of homosexuality in Kenya 2002-2019
People stating that homosexuality should be accepted by society in Kenya from 2002 to 2019
Premium Statistic Acceptance of homosexuality in Nigeria 2013-2019
Acceptance of homosexuality in Nigeria 2013-2019
People stating that homosexuality should be accepted by society in Nigeria in 2013 and 2019
Basic Statistic Acceptance of homosexuality in South Africa 2002-2019
Acceptance of homosexuality in South Africa 2002-2019
People stating that homosexuality should be accepted by society in South Africa in selected years between 2002 and 2019
Premium Statistic Acceptance of homosexuality in Tunisia 2013-2019
Acceptance of homosexuality in Tunisia 2013-2019
People stating that homosexuality should be accepted by society in Tunisia in 2013 and 2019

Legal status

Basic Statistic Number of countries that criminalize homosexuality 2022
Number of countries that criminalize homosexuality 2022
Number of countries that criminalize homosexuality as of 2022
Basic Statistic Criminalization of homosexual relations in Africa 2020
Criminalization of homosexual relations in Africa 2020
Criminalization of same-sex relations in Africa as of 2020, by status
Basic Statistic Share of countries where same-sex acts between adults are legal in Africa 2020
Share of countries where same-sex acts between adults are legal in Africa 2020
Distribution of countries where consensual same-sex acts between adults in private are legal in Africa as of 2020
Basic Statistic Legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual and gender diversity in Africa 2020
Legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual and gender diversity in Africa 2020
Distribution of countries where there are legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual and gender diversity issues in Africa as of 2020

Rights recognition

Basic Statistic Number of countries that permit same-sex marriage 2022, by continent
Number of countries that permit same-sex marriage 2022, by continent
Number of countries that have legalized same-sex marriage as of 2022, by continent
Basic Statistic Protection against sexual orientation discrimination in employment in Africa 2020
Protection against sexual orientation discrimination in employment in Africa 2020
Number of countries with protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment in Africa as of 2020
Basic Statistic Criminalization of offences committed on sexual orientation basis in Africa 2020
Criminalization of offences committed on sexual orientation basis in Africa 2020
Number of countries that have introduced different legal vehicles to address the violence motivated by sexual orientation in Africa and worldwide as of 2020