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Equal age of consent

In 40 countries, the age of consent is not equalized for same-sex relationships.

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  • Equal
  • Unequal
  • Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous

Recent Changes

Equal age of consent

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

Summary

175
Equal
175 regions (75%)
Equal
40
Unequal
40 regions (17%)
Unequal
17
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
17 regions (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
100%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
52 regions (100%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
Oceania
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
20 regions (83%)
Unequal
3 regions (13%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
South America
79%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
11 regions (79%)
Unequal
3 regions (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
North America
69%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
25 regions (69%)
Unequal
9 regions (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (6%)
Africa
66%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
39 regions (66%)
Unequal
15 regions (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (9%)
Asia
61%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
28 regions (61%)
Unequal
10 regions (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (17%)

Progress over time

Number of countries with equality for equal age of consent over the past 60 years.

Recent changes

Equal age of consent by country

(and dependent territories)

Equal

Equal age of consent is equal in 175 regions.

  1. Asia (28)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bhutan
  4. Cambodia
  5. China 1949
  6. Hong Kong 2006
  7. India 2013
  8. Israel 1948
  9. Japan 1947
  10. Jordan
  11. Kazakhstan 1997
  12. Kuwait
  13. Kyrgyzstan 1998
  14. Laos
  15. Macau 1996
  16. Maldives
  17. Mongolia 1992
  18. Myanmar
  19. Nepal
  20. Philippines
  21. Qatar
  22. South Korea
  23. Sri Lanka
  24. Taiwan 1947
  25. Tajikistan 1998
  26. Thailand 1997
  27. Timor-Leste 1975
  28. Uzbekistan
  29. Vietnam 1999
  30. Europe (52)
  31. Albania 2010
  32. Andorra 2006
  33. Armenia
  34. Austria 2002
  35. Azerbaijan
  36. Belarus
  37. Belgium 1985
  38. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  39. Bulgaria 2002
  40. Croatia
  41. Cyprus 2002
  42. Czech Republic 1990
  43. Denmark
  44. Estonia 2002
  45. Faroe Islands
  46. Finland 1999
  47. France 1982
  48. Georgia 2000
  49. Germany 1988
  50. Greece 2015
  51. Hungary 2002
  52. Iceland
  53. Ireland 1993
  54. Isle of Man 2006
  55. Italy
  56. Kosovo 2004
  57. Latvia
  58. Liechtenstein 2001
  59. Lithuania 2004
  60. Luxembourg 1992
  61. Malta 1998
  62. Moldova 2002
  63. Monaco
  64. Montenegro 1977
  65. Netherlands 1978
  66. North Macedonia 1996
  67. Norway
  68. Poland 1932
  69. Portugal 2007
  70. Romania 2000
  71. Russia 1997
  72. San Marino 1865
  73. Serbia 2006
  74. Slovakia
  75. Slovenia 1977
  76. Spain 1995
  77. Sweden 1978
  78. Switzerland 1992
  79. Turkey 1858
  80. Ukraine 2001
  81. United Kingdom 2001
  82. Vatican City 1890
  83. North America (25)
  84. Anguilla 2001
  85. Aruba
  86. Belize 2016
  87. British Virgin Islands 2001
  88. Canada 2019
  89. Costa Rica
  90. Cuba 1979
  91. Curaçao 1979
  92. Dominica
  93. Dominican Republic 2007
  94. El Salvador 1974
  95. Greenland 1976
  96. Grenada
  97. Guadeloupe
  98. Guatemala 1871
  99. Haiti
  100. Honduras
  101. Jamaica
  102. Martinique
  103. Mexico 1871
  104. Nicaragua 2007
  105. Panama 2008
  106. Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1990
  107. Sint Maarten
  108. Turks and Caicos Islands 2000
  109. Africa (39)
  110. Angola
  111. Botswana
  112. British Indian Ocean Territory
  113. Burkina Faso 1996
  114. Burundi
  115. Cameroon
  116. Cape Verde 2004
  117. Central African Republic
  118. Comoros
  119. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  120. Djibouti
  121. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  122. Eswatini 2015
  123. Gabon
  124. Ghana
  125. Guinea
  126. Guinea-Bissau
  127. Lesotho 2012
  128. Liberia 2009
  129. Malawi
  130. Mali 1961
  131. Mauritius
  132. Mayotte 1982
  133. Mozambique
  134. Namibia
  135. Niger 2016
  136. Réunion 1982
  137. Rwanda
  138. Saint Helena
  139. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  140. Senegal
  141. Seychelles
  142. Sierra Leone
  143. South Africa 2007
  144. South Sudan
  145. Sudan
  146. Togo
  147. Western Sahara
  148. Zimbabwe 2015
  149. Oceania (20)
  150. Australia 2016
  151. Christmas Island
  152. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  153. Cook Islands
  154. Federated States of Micronesia
  155. Fiji 2010
  156. French Polynesia
  157. Marshall Islands 2005
  158. Nauru
  159. New Caledonia 1984
  160. New Zealand
  161. Niue 2007
  162. Norfolk Island 1993
  163. Palau 2014
  164. Pitcairn Islands 2001
  165. Samoa
  166. Tokelau 2007
  167. Tonga
  168. Vanuatu 2007
  169. Wallis and Futuna 1984
  170. South America (11)
  171. Argentina 2001
  172. Bolivia 1999
  173. Brazil 1940
  174. Colombia
  175. Ecuador 1997
  176. Falkland Islands 2005
  177. French Guiana
  178. Guyana
  179. Peru 1836
  180. Uruguay 1933
  181. Venezuela 1998

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 40 regions.

  1. Asia (10)
  2. Bangladesh
  3. Brunei 1951
  4. Iran 1979
  5. Malaysia
  6. Pakistan 1973
  7. Saudi Arabia 1932
  8. Singapore
  9. Syria
  10. Turkmenistan 2014
  11. Yemen
  12. North America (9)
  13. Antigua and Barbuda 1995
  14. Bahamas
  15. Barbados 1992
  16. Bermuda
  17. Cayman Islands
  18. Montserrat
  19. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  20. Saint Lucia
  21. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  22. Africa (15)
  23. Benin
  24. Chad 2017
  25. Côte d’Ivoire
  26. Egypt
  27. Eritrea 1957
  28. Ethiopia
  29. Libya
  30. Madagascar
  31. Mauritania 1983
  32. Morocco
  33. Nigeria
  34. Republic of the Congo 1947
  35. Somalia
  36. Tunisia 2010
  37. Zambia 2005
  38. Oceania (3)
  39. Kiribati
  40. Papua New Guinea
  41. Tuvalu
  42. South America (3)
  43. Chile 2014
  44. Paraguay
  45. Suriname 1869

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

Data on equal age of consent is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 17 regions.

  1. Asia (8)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Indonesia
  4. Iraq
  5. Lebanon
  6. North Korea
  7. Oman
  8. Palestine
  9. United Arab Emirates
  10. North America (2)
  11. Trinidad and Tobago
  12. United States
  13. Africa (5)
  14. Algeria
  15. Gambia
  16. Kenya
  17. Tanzania
  18. Uganda
  19. Oceania (1)
  20. Solomon Islands
  21. Antarctica (1)
  22. Antarctica

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