Public attitudes and laws surrounding same-sex marriage have shifted significantly worldwide over the past 25 years, according to new data from the Pew Research Center.
The findings come as April 1 marks the 25th anniversary of the first legal same-sex marriages in the Netherlands.
Global legalization trends
Same-sex marriage is now legal in nearly 40 places around the world, with most located in Europe and the Americas.
After the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, several countries followed in the early 2000s, including Belgium, Canada and Spain.
More recent countries to legalize same-sex marriage include Estonia, Greece and Nepal in 2024, along with Liechtenstein and Thailand in 2025.
Marriage rates and demographics
Same-sex marriages account for a small share of total unions in places where they are legal.
Data from 2020 to 2022 shows these marriages typically make up less than 4% of all marriages annually.
Spain recorded one of the highest shares, with 3.4% of marriages involving same-sex couples, while Ecuador reported about 0.4%.
In the United States, same-sex couples made up 1.3% of all married households as of 2023.
Public opinion across countries
Support for same-sex marriage varies widely by country.
Surveys show the highest support in Sweden, where 92% of adults favor legal same-sex marriage, and the lowest in Nigeria, where 2% support it.
In the United States, 63% of adults supported same-sex marriage as of 2023, while 34% opposed it.
That marks a reversal from 2001, when 35% supported and 57% opposed legalization.
Researchers found support tends to be higher in countries where same-sex marriage is already legal.
Views on morality
Opinions on homosexuality also differ globally.
Across 25 countries surveyed, a median of 38% of adults said homosexuality is morally acceptable, while 30% said it is not a moral issue.
Another 28% described it as morally unacceptable.
In some European countries, including Sweden, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, more than 90% of adults said homosexuality is acceptable or not a moral issue.
In contrast, large majorities in countries such as Nigeria and Indonesia said it is morally unacceptable.
Perspectives in the United States
In the U.S., six in 10 adults said homosexuality is morally acceptable or not a moral issue, while about four in 10 said it is morally unacceptable.
Among LGBTQ adults, many expressed interest in marriage.
A 2025 survey found 59% of LGBTQ adults under age 50 who have never married said they want to marry someday, while 46% of those who are divorced, widowed or separated said the same.
Among those already married, 64% said legal rights and benefits were a major reason for marrying.
Most respondents also said the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage helped increase acceptance of same-sex couples.
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