Ireland has ranked 10th in a new list of the most inclusive European countries for LGBTQ+ professionals with an overall score of 6.55/10.

The research was conducted by digital PR agency Reboot Online, using data from the European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)’s latest LGBTIQ Survey. The survey collected data from 30 nations, including the 27 EU member states as well as Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Originating in 2012, the research aims to support the work of the EU and Member States by strengthing legal and policy frameworks that protect the queer community.

To conduct the survey, the FRA cooperated with LGBTQ+ civil society organisations, communities, and social media networks to reach out to individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ from all backgrounds. 

 

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Reboot used several categories to rank the European countries, including ‘openness at work,’ ‘workplace equality,’ ‘workplace discrimination,’ ‘harassment,’ and ‘safety.’ Countries were scored on a scale ranging from one to 10 in which a score closer to 10 represented a greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. 

Ireland received its highest score in ‘openness at work’ with a score of 7.93. Sweden, which ranked first on the list overall with a score of 8.97/10, only received a 7.59 in this metric.

However, Ireland fell short in the categories of ‘workplace discrimination’ (6.55) as 17% of respondents reported being discriminated against in the workplace when applying for a job, and ‘harassment’ (5.17) with 13% having experienced a hate-motivated attack within the last five years.

 

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The top 10 countries for LGBTQ+-friendly workplaces according to the list are Sweden, Malta, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Slovenia, Estonia, Portugal, Czechia, and Ireland.

This is a drastic shift from the 2019 list. Since then, many countries have fallen off 2024’s top 10 list of the most inclusive European countries for LGBTQ+ professionals.

In 2019, the list’s ranking was as follows: Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Malta, Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, and Austria. Ireland’s score has decreased from 6.60 to 6.55 since 2019 and slid down from position nine to 10 on the ranking. 

While the aim of this list is to celebrate European countries that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ professionals, workplaces around the world still have a long way to go before there is true equality and for queer individuals to feel free from discrimination, harassment, and to be comfortable in their identity while at work. Just five years after the referendum on marriage equality was passed in 2015, a survey found that only 27% of LGBTQ+ employees in Ireland were fully open at work while 32% were still in the closet.