The United States showed a continued decline in performance in the annual Inclusion Index produced by the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. This index assesses the inclusion and protection of marginalized groups in various social aspects, such as race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. The United States continues to rank middling, with the current position of 77th place, down from 2022 and 2021, when it ranked 72nd.

While the United States excels in overall acceptance of the LGBTQ community (16th) and religion (27th), it faces difficulties in critical areas such as race (118th), gender (108th) and disability (70th). The high rate of incarceration in the U.S., especially among people of color, is singled out as a significant factor that undermines the overall ranking of inclusion. In addition, the lack of female representation in elected positions also contributes to the drop in ranking. It is noteworthy that only 25 out of every 100 U.S. senators today are women.

The researchers also take into account violence targeting specific groups, income inequality, immigrant receptivity, and responses to climate change when assessing a country's inclusivity. Economic inequality and lack of social equality in the U.S. are mentioned as additional factors that negatively affect the ranking.

The NBC News publication underscores the concern that since the index’s inception in 2016, the U.S. position on issues of race, gender and disability has declined, which may reflect a stagnation in the U.S. compared to improvement in other countries or indicate a continued downward trend.

The most inclusive states in the U.S. include Hawaii, Maryland, and Vermont, while Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama rank lowest in terms of inclusion. The report also notes Florida's position, which, despite recent controversies over LGBTQ and gender issues, is ranked 16th in inclusion, just above states such as New York and Oregon.

“At the bottom of the global inclusiveness rankings is Iran, followed by Yemen and the Comoros Islands”.

The research emphasizes the importance of the index as an instrument to highlight the changes needed in less inclusive communities and to promote inclusion and equity across the country, providing valuable information for human rights and equality advocates.