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Equal age of consent

In 16 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

163
Equal
163 regions (70%)
Equal
16
Unequal
16 regions (7%)
Unequal
53
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
53 regions (23%)
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
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
North America
75%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
27 regions (75%)
Unequal
5 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (11%)
Africa
46%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
27 regions (46%)
Unequal
5 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
27 regions (46%)
Asia
57%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
26 regions (57%)
Unequal
1 regions (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
19 regions (41%)

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 163 regions.

  1. Asia (26)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bhutan
  4. Cambodia
  5. China 1949
  6. Hong Kong 2006
  7. India 2013
  8. Indonesia 2019
  9. Israel 1948
  10. Japan 1947
  11. Jordan
  12. Kazakhstan 1997
  13. Kyrgyzstan 1998
  14. Laos
  15. Lebanon 2013
  16. Macau 1996
  17. Mongolia 1992
  18. Nepal
  19. Philippines
  20. Singapore
  21. South Korea
  22. Taiwan 1947
  23. Tajikistan 1998
  24. Thailand 1997
  25. Timor-Leste 1975
  26. Uzbekistan
  27. Vietnam 1999
  28. Europe (52)
  29. Albania 2010
  30. Andorra 2006
  31. Armenia
  32. Austria 2002
  33. Azerbaijan
  34. Belarus 1994
  35. Belgium 1985
  36. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  37. Bulgaria 2002
  38. Croatia
  39. Cyprus 2002
  40. Czech Republic 1990
  41. Denmark
  42. Estonia 2022
  43. Faroe Islands
  44. Finland 1999
  45. France 1982
  46. Georgia 2000
  47. Germany 1988
  48. Greece 2015
  49. Hungary 2002
  50. Iceland
  51. Ireland 1993
  52. Isle of Man 2006
  53. Italy
  54. Kosovo 2004
  55. Latvia
  56. Liechtenstein 2001
  57. Lithuania 2004
  58. Luxembourg 1992
  59. Malta 1998
  60. Moldova 2002
  61. Monaco
  62. Montenegro 1977
  63. Netherlands 1978
  64. North Macedonia 1996
  65. Norway 1972
  66. Poland 1932
  67. Portugal 2007
  68. Romania
  69. Russia 1997
  70. San Marino 1865
  71. Serbia 2006
  72. Slovakia
  73. Slovenia 1977
  74. Spain 1995
  75. Sweden 1978
  76. Switzerland 1992
  77. Turkey 1858
  78. Ukraine 2001
  79. United Kingdom 2001
  80. Vatican City 1890
  81. North America (27)
  82. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  83. Aruba
  84. Barbados 2022
  85. Belize 2016
  86. British Virgin Islands 2001
  87. Canada 2019
  88. Costa Rica
  89. Cuba 1979
  90. Curaçao 1979
  91. Dominican Republic
  92. El Salvador 1974
  93. Greenland 1976
  94. Grenada
  95. Guadeloupe
  96. Guatemala 1871
  97. Haiti
  98. Honduras
  99. Martinique
  100. Mexico 1871
  101. Nicaragua 2007
  102. Panama 2008
  103. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  104. Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1990
  105. Sint Maarten
  106. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  107. Turks and Caicos Islands 2000
  108. United States
  109. Africa (27)
  110. Angola
  111. Botswana
  112. British Indian Ocean Territory
  113. Burkina Faso 1996
  114. Cape Verde 2004
  115. Central African Republic
  116. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  117. Djibouti
  118. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  119. Eswatini 2015
  120. Gabon 2020
  121. Guinea-Bissau
  122. Lesotho 2012
  123. Mali 1961
  124. Mauritius
  125. Mayotte 1982
  126. Mozambique
  127. Namibia
  128. Réunion 1982
  129. Rwanda
  130. Saint Helena
  131. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  132. Seychelles
  133. Sierra Leone
  134. South Africa 2007
  135. Western Sahara
  136. Zimbabwe 2015
  137. Oceania (20)
  138. Australia 2016
  139. Christmas Island
  140. Cocos
  141. Cook Islands
  142. Federated States of Micronesia
  143. Fiji 2010
  144. French Polynesia
  145. Marshall Islands 2005
  146. Nauru
  147. New Caledonia 1984
  148. New Zealand 1986
  149. Niue 2007
  150. Norfolk Island 1993
  151. Palau 2014
  152. Pitcairn Islands 2001
  153. Samoa
  154. Tokelau 2007
  155. Tonga
  156. Vanuatu 2007
  157. Wallis and Futuna 1984
  158. South America (11)
  159. Argentina 2001
  160. Bolivia 1999
  161. Brazil 1940
  162. Chile 2022
  163. Colombia
  164. Ecuador 1997
  165. Falkland Islands 2005
  166. French Guiana
  167. Peru 1836
  168. Uruguay 1933
  169. Venezuela 1998

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 16 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Turkmenistan 2014
  3. North America (5)
  4. Anguilla 2001
  5. Bahamas
  6. Bermuda
  7. Cayman Islands
  8. Montserrat
  9. Africa (5)
  10. Benin
  11. Côte d’Ivoire
  12. Madagascar
  13. Niger 2016
  14. Republic of the Congo 1947
  15. Oceania (3)
  16. Kiribati
  17. Papua New Guinea
  18. Tuvalu
  19. South America (2)
  20. Paraguay
  21. 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 (19)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Brunei
  5. Iran
  6. Iraq
  7. Kuwait
  8. Malaysia
  9. Maldives
  10. Myanmar
  11. North Korea
  12. Oman
  13. Pakistan
  14. Palestine
  15. Qatar
  16. Saudi Arabia
  17. Sri Lanka
  18. Syria
  19. United Arab Emirates
  20. Yemen
  21. North America (4)
  22. Dominica
  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 (1)
  55. Solomon Islands
  56. South America (1)
  57. Guyana
  58. Antarctica (1)
  59. Antarctica

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