Greece

2025

2022

2018

The highest possible score for a country is 100, and the lowest is -15. You can expand the different sections below to understand how the score was calculated for each indicator.

Indicator scores

Anti-Discrimination Legislation Applicable to Education

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

In 2023, the parliament adopted legislation to combat bullying and violence in education, which covers SOGIGESC grounds.

‍Law 5029/2023 on preventing and handling violence and bullying in primary and secondary education, based on strengthening relationships of trust between members of the educational community, states that guidelines shall be sent to all primary and secondary schools on how to deal with discrimination and bullying against students belonging to vulnerable groups including on grounds of SOGIGESC and defines school violence and bullying among others as insult, discrimination or harassment on the basis of the students’, teachers’ and other members’ of the educational community’s SOGIGESC. Article 9 of Law 5089/2024 amended Law 4443/2016, which now covers SOGIES, ensuring equal treatment in social protection, including in education, among others.

Policies and Action Plans

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No anti-bullying policy or national action plan: 0/10 | Anti-bullying policy or national action plan covering one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

On 17 March 2021, the Greek government formed a commission to prepare a ‘National Strategy for Equality of LGBTQI+ people’ (2021-2023), including MPs, academics, and civil society representatives. On 29 June 2021, the commission published the strategy which includes a chapter on addressing exclusion from education. The commission expressly identified a number of issues hindering the access of LGBTQI people to education and recommended several measures including inclusive curricula, strong support systems, and specific guidelines for LGBTQI learners and teachers. However, there has not been any significant progress in implementing these recommendations in the context of education.

Previous efforts to tackle bullying, including training, awareness raising, and prevention, were not inclusive of SOGIGESC grounds. IGLYO reported in 2018 that the government planned for a permanent anti-bullying structure, but this has not been established to date. Civil society has no information on whether this will ever happen.

A 2021 ministerial decision sets out that starting in the 2021/2022 academic year, all primary and secondary schools will have to adopt a policy to prevent violence and bullying in school. The decision does not mention any specific protected grounds.

A national strategy for LGBTI equality for 2021-2025 was prepared and adopted.

Inclusive Compulsory Education Curricula

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No evidence of compulsory national curricula inclusive of LGBTQI people: 0/10 | The compulsory national curricula includes representation of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The national curriculum does not include references to SOGIGESC issues. It is up to the willingness of each school to remedy this. Some have included LGBTQI topics in their classes, but others have only made hostile references to them. In 2020, local NGOs Colour Youth published the results of GLSEN’s School Climate Survey, which found that 65% of LGBTQ students had not heard anything positive about LGBTQ people in class, and 54% heard negative things. 60% shared that none of their school books contained information about LGBTQ people.

In 2020, the Ministry of Education cancelled the thematic week on “Gender, bodies, and sexual orientation”, following the suggestion of the Institute of Educational Policy, but failing to provide justification. Civil society reports that the thematic weeks, run since 2017, may be replaced by a series of “Skills Laboratories”. One of these “Skills Laboratories” titled “Live better”, will include sex education as a topic, but it is one of the many that schools may or may not choose to host.

Greece continues to have no mandatory sex education or human rights curricula that are inclusive of SOGIGESC.

The Institute of Educational Policy has created a platform for promoting and supporting sexual dignity and sex education, which includes educational materials.

Mandatory Teacher Training on LGBTQI Inclusion

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No mention of SOGIGESC in the mandatory teacher training programme: 0/10 Mandatory teacher training program with mention of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

There is currently no mandatory teacher training on LGBTQI awareness. Some universities, for instance the University of Athens, have provided some thematic elective courses. Local NGOs, such as Colour Youth, have held sessions as part of those courses.

NGOs also organise seminars and other activities to raise awareness. As part of the FAROS project for instance, NGOs have helped build the capacity of those working in the public sector, including in education.

ECRI has recommended that the Greek authorities put in place training for teachers on how to address LGBTQI-phobic intolerance and discrimination in schools while promoting understanding of and respect for LGBTQI pupils. ECRI has highlighted that these efforts should include the preparation and production of further appropriate teaching materials and the establishing of school policies to prevent, monitor and respond to LGBTQIphobic incidents, including bullying, with guidelines for pupils and students, teachers and parents.

School Environment and Partnerships

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Hostile environment

Hostile school environment and no government partnership with civil society: -5/10 | There is no evidence of the government providing funding or working in partnership with civil society: 0/10 | The government provides funding and works in partnership with civil society to promote inclusive education for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

LGBTQI pupils continue to face intolerant and discriminatory attitudes and behaviours in school, including from teachers.

Hate speech by political figures and also by religious leaders is common however. Hate crimes also commonly target LGBTQI people and the response of the police or courts is often inadequate.

In 2020, homophobic pamphlets were distributed in the Holargos high school in Athens, which stated that being “homosexual” was hateful and that LGBTQI people were “murderers”.

The School Climate Survey findings (2020) showed that one-in-three LGBTQ students had been verbally harassed in school, one-in-seven physically harassed or assaulted, and one-in-three sexually harassed.

In 2018, a 14-year-old committed suicide after being targeted by bullying because of their gender expression.

In 2021, students and civil society reported a microbiology textbook taught in Hygiene class in vocational schools, which equates homosexuality with the spread of STIs. The homophobic content was part of a national exam. Deputy Minister of Education Zetta Makris failed to condemn the textbook and blamed the Central Examination Committee. In July, MP Kritonas Arsenis (MEPA25) demanded the Ministry immediately withdraw the book.

In 2022, a gender non-conforming high school student was harassed by their teacher in February for wearing a skirt, and was called “a shame on society”. The school has not taken action to date. A trans woman also faced harassment at a college where staff refused to address her by her female name and verbally assaulted her.

There is no information available about LGBTQI-specific extracurricular activities taking place in schools.

Based on the above information, it would appear that the government does not provide funding, nor does it actively works in partnership with NGOs to promote LGBTQI inclusive education.

Legal Gender Recognition

/10

Legal gender recognition without self-determination

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (over 16)

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (under 16)

No gender recognition provisions: 0/10 | There are laws and provisions, but with legal/medical/psychological approval: 5/10 | There are laws for self-determination, but only for those over 16 years of age: 7,5/10 | There are laws on gender self-determination, including those under 16 years of age: 10/10

Legal gender recognition procedures are in place, but not on the basis of self-determination. No psychiatric diagnosis and medical interventions are required (2017), but the process involves a court procedure. Divorce is effectively also mandatory.

LGR is only available to minors over 15, but with the consent of their parents or legal guardians. Those between 15-17 also need the approval of an interdisciplinary committee, which includes psychiatrists and a psychologist. The procedure through which a person can apply to have their request examined by this committee is not clear and there are no known cases of trans youth that have accessed LGR, making it almost impossible in practice for those under 17 to change their legal documents.

The law states that a person’s gender identity is an element of their personality and that each person has a right to the respect of their personality. However, there are no policies or consistent practices in place allowing trans students to use their correct name and gender in schools. Civil society is aware of one school, where some teachers use a trans student’s chosen name.

‍ECRI has encouraged the Greek authorities to review the legislation to ensure that it guarantees the full legal recognition of a person’s gender reassignment and allows gender changes to be made in a quick, transparent and accessible way.

Data Collection on Bullying and Harassment

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of national or regional data collection on bullying and harassment in education environments, or SO, GIGE and SC are not specifically mentioned: 0/10 | National or regional data on bullying and harassment in education environments is collected and disaggregated for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Data on LGBTQI students’ experiences is only collected by civil society organisations. See under School environment.

Support Systems for LGBTQI Young People

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of support systems specifically designed for LGBTQI learners: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities, but the providers lack training in LGBTQI-related issues: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Schools do not provide direct support to LGBTQI learners through school psychologists or counselors.

There has been some progress regarding training available to mental health professionals. In particular. In 2020, the University of Aegean launched a course on LGBTI Affirmative Counseling and Gestalt therapy in 2020. In 2019, the organisation Orlando LGBT+ launched an annual course for mental health professionals on LGBTQI+ identities. Elective courses focusing on LGBTQI+ issues are now available at the department of Psychology at the Panteion University and Social work at the University of West Attica.

In 2009, the Rainbow School was established in Athens to support LGBTQI school educators. Over time, it evolved into a structure that included members from the educational sector and sought to bring about institutional changes for more inclusive schools. In 2019, the Rainbow School obtained legal recognition and support in order to expand its project.

KMOP, a human rights NGO operates an online platform that offers support to victims of bullying. Colour Youth has run an online course on anti-LGBTQI bullying for the volunteers working on the platform.

In early 2020, 11528, which was the only helpline providing mental health support specifically for LGBTQI people, their parents and educators, was shut down due to a lack of funding. The helpline also made interventions and held workshops in schools.

Information and Guidelines

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

Policies prohibiting the presence of LGBTQI-related information are in place: -5/10 | Schools are not required to adopt inclusive education guidelines: 0/10 | Information or guidelines for LGBTQI inclusion adopted by schools that mention one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

In late 2020, LGBTQI organisation Rainbow school, in collaboration with other Greek LGBTQI organisations, published guidelines on LGBTQI issues for school teachers.

As part of the CHOICE project, NGOs have made available information and guidelines for teachers and awareness raising materials for parents and students. The guidelines will be used in a pilot project in selected schools in the 2021/2022 academic year.

International Commitments

/10

Member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network

Ratified the UNESCO Ministerial Call to Action

Neither Member in the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 0/10 | Member of the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 5/10 | Member of the EFPN and ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 10/10

Greece is a States Party to eight of the nine core UN treaties, including the ICESCR and the CRC, which enshrines the right to education. Greece is a member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network (as of November 2020) and has signed the 2016 UNESCO Call for Action.

View the map scored by indicator

Grounds of discrimination

Here is the country's score for each ground of discrimination on which we based our observations for 8 of the 10 indicators presented above.

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

See the map scored by ground of discrimination

Country score evolution

2025

/100

2022

/100

2018

/100

To enable a meaningful comparison of country progress over time, we have retroactively aligned the scoring systems used in the 2018 and 2022 Editions of IGLYO’s LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index with the updated 2025 scoring criteria. While each edition of the research has built on the previous one, reflecting evolving standards and priorities in inclusive education, minor changes to indicators and scoring weights were introduced in 2022 and 2025 to improve clarity, consistency, and comprehensiveness.
‍
By recalculating the earlier scores according to the 2025 framework, we have tried to ensure comparability across all three editions and provide a more accurate picture of progress, stagnation, or regression in each country’s approach to LGBTQI-inclusive education. For this reason, you might find some scores in the PDF Report & Index 2018 and 2022 differing from those on the Education website for these two years.

Good practices

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