The LGBTQ Risk Map 2026, issued by Safeture in collaboration with Riskline, evaluates conditions for LGBTQ travelers across 233 countries and territories, underscoring heightened legal and societal threats in numerous destinations.

Worldwide, the review places 91 countries in the high-risk group for LGBTQ travelers, with 62 rated medium risk and 80 deemed low risk. Conditions have deteriorated compared to the prior year in nations including Belarus, Burkina Faso, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Slovakia, and the United States, owing to curbs on established rights, stricter penalties, and fresh barriers to gender identity recognition along with travel documentation.

Regional variations are widening. Western Europe stands as the most secure area, with every country there rated low risk. The Middle East and North Africa feature many of the highest-risk spots, most falling into the high-risk tier, though Israel is low risk and Lebanon medium risk.

Sub-Saharan Africa presents ongoing difficulties, with roughly 80 percent of countries in the highest-risk category. Declines appear especially sharp in Burkina Faso and Senegal, where Burkina Faso introduced its initial law banning same-sex relations after the 2022 coup, and Senegal doubled prison terms for such relations.

Europe and Eurasia saw ratings drop in select countries due to new legal limits. Kazakhstan restricted content on so-called non-traditional sexual orientations, Slovakia narrowed rights for same-sex couples, and Belarus passed a measure against so-called LGBT propaganda that may lead to fines or arrests.

Asia recorded setbacks as well. India advanced rules limiting transgender self-identification, while Japan saw a court uphold the ban on same-sex marriage. In North America, the United States revised passport rules to reflect only sex assigned at birth and eliminated the X gender marker.

Progress emerged elsewhere, as Botswana and St. Lucia removed laws criminalizing same-sex relations between men, improving their ratings on the map.

LGBTQ travelers encounter distinct realities by destination, where risks may center on social attitudes in some places or carry severe legal penalties in others, noted Magnus Hultman, CEO of Safeture. Organizations must grasp location-specific threats ahead of travel and equip travelers with timely information, communication tools, and support systems.

The LGBTQ Risk Map 2026 is offered as a free resource to aid companies, travel managers, security teams, and individuals in planning safer international trips.

For more details, visit safeture.com or reach Safeture CEO Magnus Hultman at +46 706 00 81 66 or via email.

About Safeture AB: Safeture is a Sweden-based SaaS firm delivering a leading People Risk Management platform that safeguards personnel globally through real-time intelligence, location tracking, and rapid mass communication for improved response and decision-making.

The company serves medical providers, security firms, insurers, and multinational groups with a scalable platform focused on travel, facility, and workforce safety. Safeture AB trades on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm under ticker SFTR, with Redeye Nordic Growth AB as Certified Adviser.

About Riskline: Riskline is a Danish firm and global leader in travel risk analysis. Its analysts, aided by AI, review over 100,000 data sources for precise, real-time assessments. Riskline has partnered with Safeture since October 2022.