An international survey of 25 countries has shed light on what South Africans view as morally unacceptable, revealing that the country remains among those with relatively judgemental attitudes towards gay people.
The Pew Research Center released the results of its survey exploring what people around the world consider morally wrong across several behaviours, including drinking alcohol, gambling and having affairs.
Homosexuality was one of nine topics on which the 28,333 respondents were asked to express a moral judgement.
South Africa Among More Conservative Countries
The survey found that South Africa ranked seventh out of the 25 countries with the most conservative views on same-sex intimacy, with 49% of South Africans saying that homosexuality is morally wrong.
This marks an improvement compared with 2013, when the Pew Research Center last asked South Africans the same question. At that time, a significant 62% said homosexuality was morally unacceptable.
Other countries with the most negative views of homosexuality in 2026 included Nigeria (96% finding it unacceptable), Indonesia (93%), Türkiye (80%), Kenya (80%), India (59%) and South Korea (56%).
Northern Europe Most Accepting
The least judgemental countries when it comes to homosexuality were Sweden and Germany, where just 5% of citizens said they consider same-sex relationships morally unacceptable. They were followed by Spain (7%) and The Netherlands (8%).
In most countries surveyed, men were more likely than women to object to same-sex intimacy. South Africa followed the same pattern, with 53% of men saying homosexuality is morally wrong, compared with 46% of women.
Attitudes Towards Other Issues
South Africans also expressed conservative views on several other issues. Half of respondents (50%) said gambling is morally unacceptable, while 69% disapproved of extramarital affairs.
In addition, 65% said abortion is morally wrong and 64% viewed pornography negatively. A further 38% regarded divorce as a moral failing.
The findings suggest that, despite progressive laws and ongoing efforts to combat discrimination and violence, public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people remain shaped by judgement and conservative notions of morality. Many South Africans continue to see same-sex relationships as immoral and socially unacceptable, views that undoubtedly underpin the ongoing marginalisation of queer people in daily life.
