Britain paves the way as the most progressive country in Europe for LGBTI equality

The UK has been named the most progressive country in Europe in terms of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.

The international human rights organisation ILGA-Europe analysed countries based on criteria including legal protections from discrimination, measures to tackle hate crime and rights for transgender and intersex people.

Here are the countries paving the way for LGBTI equality – and those lagging behind.

Best (% of criteria met)

1. UK (86%)

2. Belgium (83%)

3. Malta (79%)

4. Sweden (72%)

5. Croatia (71%)

Worst

1. Azerbaijan (5%)

2. Russia (8%)

3. Armenia (9%)

4. Ukraine (10%)

5. Monaco (11%)

(Source: ILGA-Europe 2015 Rainbow Europe Index)

More: This is how the UK ranks on gender equality