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Equal age of consent

In 15 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

165
Equal
165 regions (71%)
Equal
15
Unequal
15 regions (6%)
Unequal
52
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
52 regions (22%)
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
4 regions (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (14%)
Africa
44%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
26 regions (44%)
Unequal
5 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
28 regions (48%)
Asia
63%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
29 regions (63%)
Unequal
1 regions (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 regions (35%)

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 165 regions.

  1. Asia (29)
  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. Maldives
  18. Mongolia 1992
  19. Nepal
  20. North Korea
  21. Philippines
  22. Singapore
  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 (27)
  85. Anguilla 2001
  86. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  87. Aruba
  88. Belize 2016
  89. British Virgin Islands 2001
  90. Canada 2019
  91. Costa Rica
  92. Cuba 1979
  93. Curaçao 1979
  94. Dominican Republic
  95. El Salvador 1974
  96. Greenland 1976
  97. Grenada
  98. Guadeloupe
  99. Guatemala 1871
  100. Haiti
  101. Honduras
  102. Martinique
  103. Mexico 1871
  104. Nicaragua 2007
  105. Panama 2008
  106. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  107. Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1990
  108. Sint Maarten
  109. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  110. Turks and Caicos Islands 2000
  111. United States
  112. Africa (26)
  113. Angola
  114. Botswana
  115. British Indian Ocean Territory
  116. Burkina Faso 1996
  117. Cape Verde 2004
  118. Central African Republic
  119. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  120. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  121. Eswatini 2015
  122. Gabon 2020
  123. Guinea-Bissau
  124. Lesotho 2012
  125. Malawi
  126. Mali 1961
  127. Mauritius
  128. Mayotte 1982
  129. Mozambique
  130. Namibia
  131. Réunion 1982
  132. Rwanda
  133. Saint Helena
  134. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  135. Seychelles
  136. Sierra Leone
  137. South Africa 2007
  138. Zimbabwe 2015
  139. Oceania (20)
  140. Australia 2016
  141. Christmas Island
  142. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  143. Cook Islands
  144. Federated States of Micronesia
  145. Fiji 2010
  146. French Polynesia
  147. Marshall Islands 2005
  148. Nauru
  149. New Caledonia 1984
  150. New Zealand 1986
  151. Niue 2007
  152. Norfolk Island 1993
  153. Palau 2014
  154. Pitcairn Islands 2001
  155. Samoa
  156. Tokelau 2007
  157. Tonga
  158. Vanuatu 2007
  159. Wallis and Futuna 1984
  160. South America (11)
  161. Argentina 2001
  162. Bolivia 1999
  163. Brazil 1940
  164. Chile 2022
  165. Colombia
  166. Ecuador 1997
  167. Falkland Islands 2005
  168. French Guiana
  169. Peru 1836
  170. Uruguay 1933
  171. Venezuela 1998

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 15 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Turkmenistan 2014
  3. North America (4)
  4. Bahamas
  5. Bermuda
  6. Cayman Islands
  7. Montserrat
  8. Africa (5)
  9. Benin
  10. Côte d’Ivoire
  11. Madagascar
  12. Niger 2016
  13. Republic of the Congo 1947
  14. Oceania (3)
  15. Kiribati
  16. Papua New Guinea
  17. Tuvalu
  18. South America (2)
  19. Paraguay
  20. Suriname 1869

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

Data on equal age of consent is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 52 regions.

  1. Asia (16)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Brunei
  5. Iran
  6. Iraq
  7. Kuwait
  8. Malaysia
  9. Myanmar
  10. Oman
  11. Pakistan
  12. Palestine
  13. Qatar
  14. Saudi Arabia
  15. Syria
  16. United Arab Emirates
  17. Yemen
  18. North America (5)
  19. Barbados
  20. Dominica
  21. Jamaica
  22. Saint Lucia
  23. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  24. Africa (28)
  25. Algeria
  26. Burundi
  27. Cameroon
  28. Chad
  29. Comoros
  30. Djibouti
  31. Egypt
  32. Eritrea
  33. Ethiopia
  34. Gambia
  35. Ghana
  36. Guinea
  37. Kenya
  38. Liberia
  39. Libya
  40. Mauritania
  41. Morocco
  42. Nigeria
  43. Senegal
  44. Somalia
  45. South Sudan
  46. Sudan
  47. Tanzania
  48. Togo
  49. Tunisia
  50. Uganda
  51. Western Sahara
  52. Zambia
  53. Oceania (1)
  54. Solomon Islands
  55. South America (1)
  56. Guyana
  57. Antarctica (1)
  58. Antarctica

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