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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 age of consent

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

Summary

180
Equal
180 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
50 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
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
24 regions (67%)
Unequal
9 regions (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (8%)
Africa
75%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
44 regions (75%)
Unequal
11 regions (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (7%)
Asia
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
31 regions (67%)
Unequal
8 regions (17%)
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 180 regions.

  1. Asia (31)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Bhutan
  5. Cambodia
  6. China 1949
  7. East Timor 1975
  8. Hong Kong 2006
  9. India 2013
  10. Israel 1948
  11. Japan 1947
  12. Kazakhstan 1997
  13. Kuwait
  14. Kyrgyzstan 1998
  15. Laos
  16. Macau 1996
  17. Malaysia
  18. Maldives
  19. Mongolia 1992
  20. Myanmar
  21. Nepal
  22. Philippines
  23. Qatar
  24. South Korea
  25. Sri Lanka
  26. Syria
  27. Taiwan 1947
  28. Tajikistan 1998
  29. Thailand 1997
  30. Turkmenistan 2014
  31. Uzbekistan
  32. Vietnam 1999
  33. Europe (50)
  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. Italy
  58. Latvia
  59. Liechtenstein 2001
  60. Lithuania 2004
  61. Luxembourg 1992
  62. Macedonia 1996
  63. Malta 1998
  64. Moldova 2002
  65. Monaco
  66. Montenegro 1977
  67. Netherlands 1978
  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 (24)
  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 2007
  95. El Salvador 1974
  96. Greenland 1976
  97. Grenada
  98. Guadeloupe
  99. Guatemala 1871
  100. Haiti
  101. Honduras
  102. Jamaica
  103. Martinique
  104. Nicaragua 2007
  105. Panama 2008
  106. Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1990
  107. Sint Maarten
  108. Turks and Caicos Islands 2000
  109. Africa (44)
  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. Chad
  119. Comoros
  120. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  121. Djibouti
  122. Egypt
  123. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  124. Gabon
  125. Gambia
  126. Ghana
  127. Guinea
  128. Guinea-Bissau
  129. Lesotho 2012
  130. Liberia 2009
  131. Libya
  132. Malawi
  133. Mali 1961
  134. Mauritius
  135. Mayotte 1982
  136. Mozambique
  137. Namibia
  138. Niger 2016
  139. Réunion 1982
  140. Rwanda
  141. Saint Helena
  142. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  143. Senegal
  144. Seychelles
  145. Sierra Leone
  146. Somalia
  147. South Africa 2007
  148. South Sudan
  149. Sudan
  150. Swaziland 2015
  151. Togo
  152. Western Sahara
  153. Zimbabwe 2015
  154. Oceania (20)
  155. Australia 2016
  156. Christmas Island
  157. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  158. Cook Islands
  159. Federated States of Micronesia
  160. Fiji 2010
  161. French Polynesia
  162. Marshall Islands 2005
  163. Nauru
  164. New Caledonia 1984
  165. New Zealand
  166. Niue 2007
  167. Norfolk Island 1993
  168. Palau 2014
  169. Pitcairn Islands 2001
  170. Samoa
  171. Tokelau 2007
  172. Tonga
  173. Vanuatu 2007
  174. Wallis and Futuna 1984
  175. South America (11)
  176. Argentina 2001
  177. Bolivia 1999
  178. Brazil 1940
  179. Colombia
  180. Ecuador 1997
  181. Falkland Islands 2005
  182. French Guiana
  183. Guyana
  184. Peru 1836
  185. Uruguay 1933
  186. Venezuela 1998

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 34 regions.

  1. Asia (8)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Brunei 1951
  4. Indonesia
  5. Iran 1979
  6. Jordan
  7. Pakistan 1973
  8. Palestine
  9. Singapore
  10. North America (9)
  11. Antigua and Barbuda 1995
  12. Bahamas
  13. Barbados 1992
  14. Bermuda
  15. Cayman Islands
  16. Montserrat
  17. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  18. Saint Lucia
  19. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  20. Africa (11)
  21. Benin
  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 (7)
  2. Iraq
  3. Lebanon
  4. North Korea
  5. Oman
  6. Saudi Arabia
  7. United Arab Emirates
  8. Yemen
  9. North America (3)
  10. Mexico
  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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