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Equal age of consent

In 34 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

182
Equal
182 regions (78%)
Equal
34
Unequal
34 regions (15%)
Unequal
16
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 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
73%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
43 regions (73%)
Unequal
12 regions (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (7%)
Asia
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
31 regions (67%)
Unequal
7 regions (15%)
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 182 regions.

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

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 34 regions.

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

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

Data on equal age of consent is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 16 regions.

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

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