The latest Ipsos Pride Report 2026 reveals that, after several years of change, public opinion across 26 countries is beginning to stabilize. While support for anti-discrimination protections, marriage equality and LGBT+ visibility remains strong in many places, opinions continue to differ on transgender-related policies.
About the study: The results come from the Ipsos LGBT+ Pride Report 2026, a survey conducted between April 24 and May 8, 2026, among 19,019 people between 18 and 74 years old in 26 countries. Unless otherwise noted, the percentages mentioned here are the average of the countries that took part in the study.
In South Africa, support for many aspects of LGBT+ rights remains above the global average. While South Africans continue to back equal rights and visibility for LGBT+ people, opinions are more divided on some transgender-related policies.
1. Most people continue to support laws protecting LGBT+ people from discrimination
Globally (average of participating countries), 52% of the people surveyed support laws banning discrimination against LGBT+ people in areas like work, education, housing, and social services.
Even though this number is down from 2021 (57%), it's holding pretty steady compared to 2025 (51%). It looks like people's views are finally settling down after a few years of shifting around.
In South Africa, 57% support laws banning discrimination against LGBT+ people in employment, education, housing and social services, compared with the global average of 52%.
2. Support for same-sex marriage remains strong worldwide
If one topic keeps standing out, it's marriage between same-sex couples.
Globally, 53% of people think same-sex couples should be able to legally marry. Support is highest in the Netherlands (80%), Spain (74%) and Sweden (73%). At the other end of the scale, support is lowest in Türkiye (16%) and Poland (33%), highlighting significant differences in attitudes toward marriage equality across countries.
In South Africa, 49% believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. While this is slightly below the global average of 53%, an additional 17% support legal recognition for same-sex couples even if not marriage, meaning two-thirds (66%) support some form of legal recognition.
This proves that marriage equality is still a massive pillar of acceptance for the LGBT+ community.
3. Nearly half of people support LGBT+ people living openly
Around the world, 49% of people surveyed support LGBT+ folks being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity with those around them.
Plus, 46% support LGBT+ people showing affection in public, like holding hands or kissing.
Support for LGBT+ visibility is particularly strong in South Africa. Overall, 62% support LGBT+ people being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity, while 41% support public displays of affection, such as holding hands or kissing.
These results show that for many people, visibility is still an important part of inclusion.
4. More people support than oppose companies promoting LGBT+ equality
Globally, 42% of people support brands and companies actively promoting equality for LGBT+ folks, while 22% oppose it.
That's a little higher than in 2025 (41%), but still lower than what we saw back in 2021 (49%).
South Africans are also more supportive than average of corporate action. Overall, 59% support companies actively promoting LGBT+ equality, while 53% support employers having programmes and policies that explicitly support LGBT+ employees.
Basically, there's still way more support than pushback. But what people expect from brands seems to have shifted over the last few years.
5. There is widespread recognition that trans folks face discrimination
One thing almost everyone agrees on is the reality of discrimination.
Globally, 65% of people think transgender folks deal with a lot of discrimination in today's society.
Plus, 75% agree that lesbian, gay and bisexual people should be protected from discrimination in employment, housing and access to businesses, while 73% say the same for transgender people.
Support for legal protections is particularly high in South Africa. Overall, 79% agree that lesbian, gay and bisexual people should be protected from discrimination, while 79% also believe transgender people should receive the same protections.
6. Transgender rights continue to generate the most divided public opinion
While there's broad agreement that we need to protect trans people from discrimination, opinions are a lot more mixed when it comes to specific public policies.
For example, globally, support for trans athletes competing according to the gender they identify with sits at 22%, compared to the 32% we saw back in 2021.
Support for transgender athletes competing according to their gender identity stands at 22% globally, down from 32% in 2021. Views are similarly divided on gender-affirming healthcare for teenagers (50% agree with access with parental consent) and access to facilities based on gender identity (47% agree), highlighting the complexity of public opinion on transgender issues.
As elsewhere, South Africans express more mixed views on transgender-related policies. Overall, 38% support transgender athletes competing according to the gender they identify with, 59% support transgender people using facilities that correspond with their gender identity, 57% support gender-affirming care for transgender teenagers with parental consent, 53% support government-issued documents including a gender option beyond "male" and "female," and 54% support health insurance covering gender transition costs.
What do these results tell us?
The Pride Report 2026 shows a reality that's more complex than just a simple step forward or backward.
On one hand, support for anti-discrimination measures, acceptance of marriage equality, and LGBT+ visibility continues to be significant in a lot of countries. On the other hand, some debates, especially those related to trans issues, keep generating divided opinions.
For South African readers, the findings highlight relatively strong support for LGBT+ rights compared with many other countries in the survey. Support for anti-discrimination protections, workplace inclusion and LGBT+ visibility remains high, although, as elsewhere, opinions become more divided on some transgender-related policy issues.
The main takeaway is that attitudes seem to have stabilized. And while support levels vary by topic and country, inclusion and equality are still very much a part of the global public conversation.
As with most international research, these averages help us spot general trends, even though opinions can vary a lot between countries and regions.
Your turn
Do you see yourself in these results? Did any of the stats surprise you? Do you think opinions on LGBT+ rights are changing around you?
Tell us what you think and join the conversation.
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Source: Ipsos Pride Report 2026. Base: 19,019 online adults aged 18–74 across 26 countries, interviewed April–May 2026.
