London, May 11 (IANS): Scotland has been rated as the best country in Europe in terms of legal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, media reported on Monday.

Scotland ranked top of the Rainbow Index after meeting 92 percent of International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)-Europe's criteria for equality and human rights, BBC reported.

ILGA-Europe, which campaigns on behalf of sexual minorities, uses the Rainbow Index to review the performance of countries based on legal protection offered in areas such as employment and services, measures to tackle hate crime, rights and recognition for transgender and intersex people, and equality in same-sex marriage and parenting rights.

Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Scotland in 2014, the country achieved a 92 percent rating, ahead of Britain which ranked second with 86 percent.

Belgium came third in the index, Malta fourth and Sweden came fifth.

At the other end of the scale, Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Ukraine and Monaco were considered as the worst countries in terms of legal protection.