As revealed in the Transgender Europe’s (TGEU) Trans Rights Index and Map 2025, trans rights are facing an unprecedented reversal in Europe and Central Asia, regressing for the first time in the 13 years since the report was first launched. According to experts, such setbacks signal a broader crisis in democracy across the region.

Each year, TGEU releases its report and map illustrating the legal situation for trans rights of 49 countries in Europe and five in Central Asia. Covering 32 indicators in six legal categories, the report provides a snapshot of the protections offered to trans individuals in each country.

According to this year’s map, Ireland currently meets only 17 of the 32 indicators. In a report published in 2022 by TGEU, Ireland ranked lowest in the EU for its availability and accessibility to trans healthcare. Little has changed within the system since then, with activists repeatedly speaking out about the decade-long waiting list that patients face when attempting to access vital healthcare in Ireland.

In an article announcing this year’s data, TGEU highlighted how recent attacks on trans rights represent “a strategic assault on fundamental freedoms, equality, democracy, and on Europe itself”. Specifically, the organisation mentioned anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced in countries such as Georgia and Hungary, as well as the UK Supreme Court’s ruling which rolled back protections for trans women.

 

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Un post condiviso da TGEU — Trans Europe and Central Asia (@tgeuorg)

Commenting on the report, TGEU Senior Research Officer Freya Watkins said: “The data confirms what trans people have been saying and feeling. It shows a historically low amount of progress and historically high levels of stagnation.

“In 2025, we saw more than twice as much regression as progress on our Map. This marks the first time in the 13-year history of the project when clearly more rights have been taken away than have been gained.”

TGEU Expert Advisor, Richard Köhler, also commented, saying: “This isn’t merely about trans rights—it’s a fundamental test of self-determination for democratic societies. How we respond now to the attacks against civil society defines not just the future of vulnerable communities, but Europe’s very soul and global standing.”

TGEU Executive Director, Ymania Brown, echoed these words, saying: “This is a critical moment. Europe can defend or it can lead. But it cannot look the other way. Dignity is not optional. Equality is not negotiable. And most important of all, freedom, is not for the few.”