Equal age of consent

In 9 countries, the age of consent is not equalized for same-sex relationships.

DATE

Equal age of consent

The difference between legal age of consent for homosexual sex and heterosexual sex.

Summary

136
Equal
136 regions (69%)
Equal
9
Unequal
9 regions (5%)
Unequal
53
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
53 regions (27%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
98%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
49 regions (98%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
79%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
11 regions (79%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (21%)
South America
75%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
9 regions (75%)
Unequal
2 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (8%)
North America
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
19 regions (83%)
Unequal
1 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (13%)
Africa
39%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
21 regions (39%)
Unequal
6 regions (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
27 regions (50%)
Asia
59%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
26 regions (59%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
18 regions (41%)

Timeline of equal age of consent

Number of countries to equalize age of consent over the past 61 years.

Recent Changes

2024

2022

2020

2019

Equal age of consent by Country

Equal

Equal age of consent is equal in 131 regions.

  1. Asia (23)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Cambodia
  4. China 1949
  5. India 2018
  6. Indonesia 2019
  7. Iraq 2003
  8. Israel 1948
  9. Japan 1947
  10. Jordan
  11. Kazakhstan 1997
  12. Kyrgyzstan 1998
  13. Laos
  14. Mongolia 1992
  15. Nepal
  16. North Korea 2009
  17. Philippines
  18. Singapore
  19. South Korea
  20. Taiwan 1947
  21. Tajikistan 1998
  22. Thailand 1997
  23. Timor-Leste 1975
  24. Vietnam 1999
  25. Europe (49)
  26. Albania 2001
  27. Andorra 2006
  28. Armenia
  29. Austria 2002
  30. Azerbaijan
  31. Belarus 1994
  32. Belgium 1985
  33. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  34. Bulgaria 2002
  35. Croatia 1998
  36. Cyprus 2002
  37. Czech Republic 1990
  38. Denmark
  39. Estonia 2022
  40. Finland 1999
  41. France 1982
  42. Georgia 2000
  43. Germany 1988
  44. Greece 2015
  45. Hungary 2002
  46. Iceland
  47. Ireland 1993
  48. Italy
  49. Kosovo 2004
  50. Latvia
  51. Liechtenstein 2001
  52. Lithuania 2004
  53. Luxembourg 1992
  54. Malta 1998
  55. Moldova 2002
  56. Monaco
  57. Montenegro 1977
  58. Netherlands 1978
  59. North Macedonia 1996
  60. Norway 1972
  61. Poland 1932
  62. Portugal 2007
  63. Romania
  64. San Marino 1865
  65. Serbia 2006
  66. Slovakia
  67. Slovenia 1977
  68. Spain 1995
  69. Sweden 1978
  70. Switzerland 1992
  71. Turkey 1858
  72. Ukraine 2001
  73. United Kingdom 2001
  74. Vatican City 1890
  75. North America (19)
  76. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  77. Barbados 2022
  78. Belize 2016
  79. Canada 2019
  80. Costa Rica
  81. Cuba 1979
  82. Dominica 2024
  83. Dominican Republic
  84. El Salvador 1974
  85. Grenada
  86. Guatemala 1871
  87. Haiti
  88. Honduras
  89. Mexico 1871
  90. Nicaragua 2007
  91. Panama 2008
  92. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  93. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  94. United States
  95. Africa (20)
  96. Angola
  97. Botswana
  98. Burkina Faso 1996
  99. Cape Verde 2004
  100. Central African Republic
  101. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  102. Djibouti
  103. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  104. Eswatini 2015
  105. Guinea-Bissau
  106. Lesotho 2012
  107. Mali 1961
  108. Mauritius
  109. Mozambique
  110. Namibia
  111. Rwanda
  112. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  113. Seychelles
  114. Sierra Leone
  115. South Africa 2007
  116. Oceania (10)
  117. Australia 2016
  118. Federated States of Micronesia
  119. Fiji 2010
  120. Marshall Islands 2005
  121. Nauru
  122. New Zealand 1986
  123. Palau 2014
  124. Samoa
  125. Tonga
  126. Vanuatu 2007
  127. South America (9)
  128. Argentina 2001
  129. Bolivia 1999
  130. Brazil 1940
  131. Chile 2022
  132. Colombia
  133. Ecuador 1997
  134. Peru 1836
  135. Uruguay 1933
  136. Venezuela 1998
  137. Antarctica (1)
  138. Antarctica

Female equal, male N/A

Equal age of consent is female equal, male n/a in 5 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Kuwait
  3. Turkmenistan 2014
  4. Uzbekistan
  5. Africa (1)
  6. Zimbabwe
  7. Oceania (1)
  8. Papua New Guinea

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 9 regions.

  1. North America (1)
  2. Bahamas
  3. Africa (6)
  4. Benin
  5. Côte d’Ivoire
  6. Gabon 2020
  7. Madagascar
  8. Niger 2016
  9. Republic of the Congo 1947
  10. South America (2)
  11. Paraguay
  12. Suriname 1869

No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous

Data on equal age of consent is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 53 regions.

  1. Asia (18)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bahrain
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Brunei
  6. Iran
  7. Lebanon
  8. Malaysia
  9. Maldives
  10. Myanmar
  11. Oman
  12. Pakistan
  13. Palestine
  14. Qatar
  15. Saudi Arabia
  16. Sri Lanka
  17. Syria
  18. United Arab Emirates
  19. Yemen
  20. Europe (1)
  21. Russia
  22. North America (3)
  23. Jamaica
  24. Saint Lucia
  25. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  26. Africa (27)
  27. Algeria
  28. Burundi
  29. Cameroon
  30. Chad
  31. Comoros
  32. Egypt
  33. Eritrea
  34. Ethiopia
  35. Gambia
  36. Ghana
  37. Guinea
  38. Kenya
  39. Liberia
  40. Libya
  41. Malawi
  42. Mauritania
  43. Morocco
  44. Nigeria
  45. Senegal
  46. Somalia
  47. South Sudan
  48. Sudan
  49. Tanzania
  50. Togo
  51. Tunisia
  52. Uganda
  53. Zambia
  54. Oceania (3)
  55. Kiribati
  56. Solomon Islands
  57. Tuvalu
  58. South America (1)
  59. Guyana

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