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Equal age of consent

In 39 countries and territories, 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

171
Equal
171 regions (74%)
Equal
39
Unequal
39 regions (17%)
Unequal
22
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
22 regions (9%)
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
58%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
34 regions (58%)
Unequal
14 regions (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 regions (19%)
Asia
63%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
29 regions (63%)
Unequal
10 regions (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 regions (15%)

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 171 regions.

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

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 39 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 (14)
  23. Benin
  24. Chad 2017
  25. Comoros
  26. Côte d’Ivoire
  27. Egypt
  28. Eritrea 1957
  29. Ethiopia
  30. Libya
  31. Madagascar
  32. Mauritania 1983
  33. Morocco
  34. Nigeria
  35. Republic of the Congo 1947
  36. Somalia
  37. Oceania (3)
  38. Kiribati
  39. Papua New Guinea
  40. Tuvalu
  41. South America (3)
  42. Chile 2014
  43. Paraguay
  44. Suriname 1869

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

Data on equal age of consent is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 22 regions.

  1. Asia (7)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Iraq
  4. Myanmar
  5. North Korea
  6. Oman
  7. Palestine
  8. United Arab Emirates
  9. North America (2)
  10. Trinidad and Tobago
  11. United States
  12. Africa (11)
  13. Algeria
  14. Cameroon
  15. Gambia
  16. Ghana
  17. Kenya
  18. Senegal
  19. Sudan
  20. Tanzania
  21. Tunisia
  22. Uganda
  23. Zambia
  24. Oceania (1)
  25. Solomon Islands
  26. Antarctica (1)
  27. Antarctica

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