Overwhelming majorities in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed also say homosexuality should be rejected, including 97% in Jordan, 95% in Egypt, 94% in Tunisia, 93% in the Palestinian territories, 93% in Indonesia, 87% in Pakistan, 86% in Malaysia, 80% in Lebanon and 78% in Turkey.Įlsewhere, majorities in South Korea (59%) and China (57%) also say homosexuality should not be accepted by society 39% and 21%, respectively, say it should be accepted. Even in South Africa where, unlike in many other African countries, homosexual acts are legal and discrimination based on sexual orientation is unconstitutional, 61% say homosexuality should not be accepted by society, while just 32% say it should be accepted. In sub-Saharan Africa, at least nine-in-ten in Nigeria (98%), Senegal (96%), Ghana (96%), Uganda (96%) and Kenya (90%) believe homosexuality should not be accepted by society. Publics in Africa and in predominantly Muslim countries remain among the least accepting of homosexuality. In the Asia/Pacific region, where views of homosexuality are mostly negative, more than seven-in-ten in Australia (79%) and the Philippines (73%) say homosexuality should be accepted by society 54% in Japan agree. In contrast, 62% of Salvadorans say homosexuality should be rejected by society, as do nearly half in Bolivia (49%). In Argentina, the first country in the region to legalize gay marriage in 2010, about three-quarters (74%) say homosexuality should be accepted, as do clear majorities in Chile (68%), Mexico (61%) and Brazil (60%) about half of Venezuelans (51%) also express acceptance. Opinions about homosexuality are also positive in parts of Latin America. But Americans are far more tolerant today than they were in 2007, when 49% said homosexuality should be accepted by society and 41% said it should be rejected.
Views are not as positive in the U.S., where a smaller majority (60%) believes homosexuality should be accepted. Poland is the only EU country surveyed where views are mixed 42% say homosexuality should be accepted by society and 46% believe it should be rejected.Ĭanadians, who already expressed tolerant views in 2007, are now even more likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society 80% say this, compared with 70% six years ago. About three-quarters or more in Spain (88%), Germany (87%), the Czech Republic (80%), France (77%), Britain (76%), and Italy (74%) share this view, as do more than half in Greece (53%).
The view that homosexuality should be accepted by society is prevalent in most of the European Union countries surveyed.
And while gender differences are not prevalent, in those countries where they are, women are consistently more accepting of homosexuality than men. In contrast, in poorer countries with high levels of religiosity, few believe homosexuality should be accepted by society.Īge is also a factor in several countries, with younger respondents offering far more tolerant views than older ones. These are also among the richest countries in the world. The survey also finds that acceptance of homosexuality is particularly widespread in countries where religion is less central in people’s lives. These are among the key findings of a new survey by the Pew Research Center conducted in 39 countries among 37,653 respondents from March 2 to May 1, 2013. Opinion about the acceptability of homosexuality is divided in Israel, Poland and Bolivia.Īttitudes about homosexuality have been fairly stable in recent years, except in South Korea, the United States and Canada, where the percentage saying homosexuality should be accepted by society has grown by at least ten percentage points since 2007. The survey of publics in 39 countries finds broad acceptance of homosexuality in North America, the European Union, and much of Latin America, but equally widespread rejection in predominantly Muslim nations and in Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and in Russia. For updated views on this question from 2019, see here.Īs the United States and other countries grapple with the issue of same-sex marriage, a new Pew Research Center survey finds huge variance by region on the broader question of whether homosexuality should be accepted or rejected by society.