• Homosexuality
  • Marriage
  • Changing Gender
  • Adoption
  • Discrimination
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Housing Discrimination
  • Military
  • Donating
    Blood
  • Age of
    Consent
  • Conversion Therapy
Loading map of LGBT rights...

Homosexual Activity

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

  • Legal
  • Male illegal, female legal
  • Male illegal, female uncertain
  • Illegal (other penalty)
  • Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
  • Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
  • Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
  • Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous

Recent Changes

  • Aug 8 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Kiribati
  • Aug 10 2016Became Legal in Belize
  • Jun 3 2016Became Legal in Nauru
  • May 19 2016Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Ethiopia
  • May 18 2016Became Legal in Seychelles
  • May 1 2016Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Guyana
  • Dec 22 2015Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Tunisia
  • Jun 30 2015Became Legal in Mozambique
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Status of LGBT Laws by Country

Homosexual activity

148
Legal
73
Illegal
Legal
148 countries (65%)
Illegal
73 countries (32%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (3%)
Legal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Legal
17 countries (71%)
Illegal
7 countries (29%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
27 countries (75%)
Illegal
9 countries (25%)
North America
Legal
22 countries (37%)
Illegal
35 countries (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Legal
19 countries (41%)
Illegal
21 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Same-sex marriage

41
Legal
107
Somewhere in between
88
Illegal
Legal
41 countries (18%)
Somewhere in between
107 countries (47%)
Illegal
88 countries (38%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
35 countries (70%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
5 countries (21%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (25%)
Illegal
12 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
5 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
7 countries (50%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
10 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
19 countries (53%)
Illegal
7 countries (19%)
North America
Legal
8 countries (14%)
Somewhere in between
21 countries (36%)
Illegal
33 countries (56%)
Africa
Somewhere in between
19 countries (41%)
Illegal
25 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Right to change legal gender

64
Legal
81
Somewhere in between
74
Illegal
Legal
64 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
81 countries (35%)
Illegal
74 countries (32%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (4%)
Legal
19 countries (38%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
5 countries (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
8 countries (33%)
Somewhere in between
4 countries (17%)
Illegal
10 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Legal
6 countries (43%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (43%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
6 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (14%)
Illegal
21 countries (58%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (11%)
North America
Legal
16 countries (27%)
Somewhere in between
26 countries (44%)
Illegal
18 countries (31%)
Africa
Legal
9 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
17 countries (37%)
Illegal
18 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

70
Legal
51
Somewhere in between
100
Illegal
Legal
70 countries (31%)
Somewhere in between
51 countries (22%)
Illegal
100 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (3%)
Legal
18 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
19 countries (38%)
Illegal
13 countries (26%)
Europe
Legal
10 countries (42%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (8%)
Illegal
11 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
7 countries (50%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
16 countries (44%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (14%)
Illegal
14 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
12 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
12 countries (20%)
Illegal
35 countries (59%)
Africa
Legal
7 countries (15%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (17%)
Illegal
26 countries (57%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

66
Protected
42
Some protections
119
No protections
Protected
66 countries (29%)
Some protections
42 countries (18%)
No protections
119 countries (52%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (1%)
Protected
29 countries (58%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
8 countries (16%)
Europe
Protected
9 countries (38%)
Some protections
5 countries (21%)
No protections
10 countries (42%)
Oceania
Protected
7 countries (50%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
4 countries (29%)
South America
Protected
11 countries (31%)
Some protections
8 countries (22%)
No protections
16 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Protected
8 countries (14%)
Some protections
6 countries (10%)
No protections
45 countries (76%)
Africa
Protected
2 countries (4%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

82
Protected
10
Some protections
125
No protections
Protected
82 countries (36%)
Some protections
10 countries (4%)
No protections
125 countries (55%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (5%)
Protected
38 countries (76%)
Some protections
3 countries (6%)
No protections
10 countries (20%)
Europe
Protected
8 countries (33%)
No protections
13 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (13%)
Oceania
Protected
8 countries (57%)
Some protections
1 countries (7%)
No protections
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (21%)
South America
Protected
13 countries (36%)
Some protections
3 countries (8%)
No protections
17 countries (47%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Protected
10 countries (17%)
Some protections
1 countries (2%)
No protections
50 countries (85%)
Africa
Protected
5 countries (11%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
33 countries (72%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

68
Protected
37
Some protections
124
No protections
Protected
68 countries (30%)
Some protections
37 countries (16%)
No protections
124 countries (54%)
Protected
28 countries (56%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
7 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Protected
8 countries (33%)
Some protections
5 countries (21%)
No protections
18 countries (75%)
Oceania
Protected
8 countries (57%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Protected
13 countries (36%)
Some protections
6 countries (17%)
No protections
18 countries (50%)
North America
Protected
6 countries (10%)
Some protections
7 countries (12%)
No protections
48 countries (81%)
Africa
Protected
5 countries (11%)
Some protections
4 countries (9%)
No protections
31 countries (67%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

111
Legal
13
Somewhere in between
55
Illegal
Legal
111 countries (48%)
Somewhere in between
13 countries (6%)
Illegal
55 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
50 countries (22%)
Legal
42 countries (84%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
3 countries (6%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
Europe
Legal
8 countries (33%)
Illegal
2 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 countries (58%)
Oceania
Legal
12 countries (86%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
19 countries (53%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (6%)
Illegal
3 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (33%)
North America
Legal
17 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (14%)
Illegal
23 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 countries (19%)
Africa
Legal
13 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (4%)
Illegal
23 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (17%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

119
Legal
104
Illegal
Legal
119 countries (52%)
Illegal
104 countries (45%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
21 countries (42%)
Illegal
26 countries (52%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
5 countries (21%)
Illegal
18 countries (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
16 countries (44%)
Illegal
19 countries (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
45 countries (76%)
Illegal
14 countries (24%)
Africa
Legal
19 countries (41%)
Illegal
25 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

148
Equal
76
Unequal
Equal
148 countries (65%)
Unequal
76 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (2%)
Equal
49 countries (98%)
Unequal
1 countries (2%)
Europe
Equal
15 countries (63%)
Unequal
11 countries (46%)
Oceania
Equal
11 countries (79%)
Unequal
3 countries (21%)
South America
Equal
19 countries (53%)
Unequal
13 countries (36%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (11%)
North America
Equal
33 countries (56%)
Unequal
29 countries (49%)
Africa
Equal
21 countries (46%)
Unequal
19 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

36
Banned
181
Not banned
Banned
36 countries (16%)
Not banned
181 countries (79%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (5%)
Banned
13 countries (26%)
Not banned
34 countries (68%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Banned
4 countries (17%)
Not banned
19 countries (79%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Banned
6 countries (43%)
Not banned
8 countries (57%)
South America
Banned
2 countries (6%)
Not banned
28 countries (78%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (17%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
55 countries (93%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Banned
9 countries (20%)
Not banned
37 countries (80%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 5034 LGBT-related laws.

19
LAWS CHANGED
this year
86
LAWS CHANGED
last year
0
LAWS ADDED
THIS WEEK
100.4% COUNTRIES WITH 1+ LAWS
100.4% COUNTRIES WITH 2+ LAWS
100.4% COUNTRIES WITH 3+ LAWS

Top Contributors (Month)

Ausyk Ausyk
3 contributions
View More

Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Homosexual activity in Kiribati
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Same-sex marriage in Kyrgyzstan
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Blood donations by MSMs in Guam
View More

LGBT Rights by Country

Explore the status and timelines of LGBT rights in each country, state, province, and region; same-sex marriage, adoption, serving openly in the military, discrimination protections, age of consent differences, blood donation restrictions, gender changing restrictions, and gay conversion therapy bans.

Asia

46 Regions

Europe

50 Regions

North America

36 Regions

Africa

59 Regions

Oceania

24 Regions

South America

14 Regions

Antarctica

1 Region