• 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

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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

40
Legal
109
Somewhere in between
87
Illegal
Legal
40 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
109 countries (48%)
Illegal
87 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
9 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
20 countries (56%)
Illegal
7 countries (19%)
North America
Legal
8 countries (14%)
Somewhere in between
22 countries (37%)
Illegal
32 countries (54%)
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

68
Legal
87
Somewhere in between
64
Illegal
Legal
68 countries (30%)
Somewhere in between
87 countries (38%)
Illegal
64 countries (28%)
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
7 countries (50%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
7 countries (19%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (17%)
Illegal
19 countries (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (11%)
North America
Legal
19 countries (32%)
Somewhere in between
27 countries (46%)
Illegal
14 countries (24%)
Africa
Legal
9 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
20 countries (43%)
Illegal
15 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

74
Legal
49
Somewhere in between
97
Illegal
Legal
74 countries (32%)
Somewhere in between
49 countries (21%)
Illegal
97 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (4%)
Legal
21 countries (42%)
Somewhere in between
15 countries (30%)
Illegal
13 countries (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
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
8 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (22%)
Illegal
23 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

67
Protected
41
Some protections
119
No protections
Protected
67 countries (29%)
Some protections
41 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
4 countries (17%)
No protections
11 countries (46%)
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
9 countries (15%)
Some protections
6 countries (10%)
No protections
44 countries (75%)
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

83
Protected
10
Some protections
124
No protections
Protected
83 countries (36%)
Some protections
10 countries (4%)
No protections
124 countries (54%)
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
11 countries (19%)
Some protections
1 countries (2%)
No protections
49 countries (83%)
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

69
Protected
37
Some protections
124
No protections
Protected
69 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
19 countries (79%)
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
7 countries (12%)
Some protections
7 countries (12%)
No protections
47 countries (80%)
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

117
Legal
13
Somewhere in between
49
Illegal
Legal
117 countries (51%)
Somewhere in between
13 countries (6%)
Illegal
49 countries (21%)
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
9 countries (38%)
Illegal
1 countries (4%)
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
18 countries (31%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (14%)
Illegal
22 countries (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 countries (19%)
Africa
Legal
17 countries (37%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (4%)
Illegal
19 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (17%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

163
Equal
61
Unequal
Equal
163 countries (71%)
Unequal
61 countries (27%)
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
12 countries (86%)
Unequal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Equal
19 countries (53%)
Unequal
13 countries (36%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (11%)
North America
Equal
42 countries (71%)
Unequal
20 countries (34%)
Africa
Equal
26 countries (57%)
Unequal
14 countries (30%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

125
Legal
98
Illegal
Legal
125 countries (55%)
Illegal
98 countries (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
22 countries (44%)
Illegal
25 countries (50%)
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
46 countries (78%)
Illegal
13 countries (22%)
Africa
Legal
23 countries (50%)
Illegal
21 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

31
Banned
184
Not banned
Banned
31 countries (14%)
Not banned
184 countries (80%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 countries (6%)
Banned
10 countries (20%)
Not banned
37 countries (74%)
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
1 countries (3%)
Not banned
29 countries (81%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (17%)
North America
Banned
1 countries (2%)
Not banned
54 countries (92%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Banned
9 countries (20%)
Not banned
37 countries (80%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 5031 LGBT-related laws.

14
LAWS CHANGED
this year
82
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)

Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Blood donations by MSMs in Romania
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT housing discrimination in Slovenia
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in Slovenia
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