Homosexual activity

Being gay is illegal in 59 countries and punishable by death in 9.

DATE

Homosexual activity

Homosexual activity refers to consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex. While homosexual activity is legal in most countries around the world, there are several countries — mostly in Africa and the Middle East — where it is criminalized to a varying degree. Penalties can range from imprisonment all the way up to death penalty.

Homosexuality is commonly criminalized through sodomy laws (sometimes called a "buggery law" in British territories), which are laws that define sexual acts of crimes. Sodomy laws can sometimes prevent sexual activity between two individuals of the same sex. While some of these laws are not specific to homosexual sex (such as when referring to anal sex), they are usually used to target or criminalize gay people. In practice, these laws are difficult to actually enforce.

In some countries, the language of the criminal codes specifically refers to two men, meaning that lesbian sex is technically legal.

Some sodomy laws and penal codes date back to the 1700s and 1800s. Throughout the 1900s, many countries, US states, and other regions began decriminalizing homosexuality and removing references to homosexuality or sodomy from their criminal codes. This has continued over the past few decades.

Summary

132
Legal
132 regions (67%)
Legal
59
Illegal
59 regions (30%)
Illegal
7
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
98%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
49 regions (98%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
57%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
8 regions (57%)
Illegal
6 regions (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
South America
92%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
11 regions (92%)
Illegal
1 regions (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
North America
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
19 regions (83%)
Illegal
4 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
Africa
43%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (43%)
Illegal
30 regions (56%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Asia
48%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
21 regions (48%)
Illegal
18 regions (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (11%)

Timeline of homosexual activity

Number of countries to legalize homosexuality over the past 61 years.

Recent & Upcoming Changes

Upcoming Changes

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Homosexual activity by Country

Legal

Homosexual activity is legal in 132 regions.

  1. Asia (21)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bhutan 2021
  4. Cambodia
  5. China 1997
  6. India 2018
  7. Israel 1963
  8. Japan 1881
  9. Jordan 1951
  10. Kazakhstan 1998
  11. Kyrgyzstan 1997
  12. Laos 1990
  13. Mongolia 2002
  14. Nepal 2007
  15. Philippines
  16. Singapore 2022
  17. South Korea
  18. Taiwan 1947
  19. Tajikistan 1998
  20. Thailand 1956
  21. Timor-Leste 1975
  22. Vietnam
  23. Europe (49)
  24. Albania 1995
  25. Andorra 1791
  26. Armenia 2003
  27. Austria 1971
  28. Azerbaijan 2000
  29. Belarus 1994
  30. Belgium 1944
  31. Bosnia and Herzegovina 1991
  32. Bulgaria 1968
  33. Croatia 1977
  34. Cyprus 1998
  35. Czech Republic 1962
  36. Denmark 1933
  37. Estonia 1992
  38. Finland 1971
  39. France 1791
  40. Georgia 2000
  41. Germany 1994
  42. Greece 2015
  43. Hungary 1961
  44. Iceland 1940
  45. Ireland 1993
  46. Italy 1890
  47. Kosovo 1994
  48. Latvia 1992
  49. Liechtenstein 1989
  50. Lithuania 1993
  51. Luxembourg
  52. Malta 1973
  53. Moldova 1995
  54. Monaco 1793
  55. Montenegro 1977
  56. Netherlands 1945
  57. North Macedonia 1996
  58. Norway 1972
  59. Poland 1970
  60. Portugal 1982
  61. Romania 2001
  62. San Marino 1865
  63. Serbia 1994
  64. Slovakia 1961
  65. Slovenia 1977
  66. Spain 1979
  67. Sweden 1944
  68. Switzerland 1991
  69. Turkey 1858
  70. Ukraine 1991
  71. United Kingdom 2000
  72. Vatican City 1929
  73. North America (19)
  74. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  75. Bahamas 1991
  76. Barbados 2022
  77. Belize 2016
  78. Canada 1969
  79. Costa Rica 2002
  80. Cuba 1979
  81. Dominica 2024
  82. Dominican Republic 1822
  83. El Salvador 1974
  84. Guatemala 1871
  85. Haiti 1791
  86. Honduras 1985
  87. Mexico 2001
  88. Nicaragua 2007
  89. Panama 2007
  90. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  91. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  92. United States 2003
  93. Africa (23)
  94. Angola 2019
  95. Benin
  96. Botswana 2019
  97. Burkina Faso
  98. Cape Verde 2004
  99. Central African Republic
  100. Côte d’Ivoire
  101. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1940
  102. Djibouti
  103. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  104. Gabon 2020
  105. Guinea-Bissau
  106. Lesotho 2012
  107. Madagascar 1972
  108. Mali 1961
  109. Mauritius 2023
  110. Mozambique 2015
  111. Niger 2006
  112. Republic of the Congo
  113. Rwanda
  114. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  115. Seychelles 2016
  116. South Africa 1998
  117. Oceania (8)
  118. Australia 1997
  119. Federated States of Micronesia
  120. Fiji 2010
  121. Marshall Islands 2005
  122. Nauru 2016
  123. New Zealand 1986
  124. Palau 2014
  125. Vanuatu
  126. South America (11)
  127. Argentina 1987
  128. Bolivia 1832
  129. Brazil 1830
  130. Chile 1998
  131. Colombia 2000
  132. Ecuador 1997
  133. Paraguay 1997
  134. Peru 1991
  135. Suriname 1910
  136. Uruguay 1933
  137. Venezuela 1997
  138. Antarctica (1)
  139. Antarctica

Male illegal, female legal

Homosexual activity is male illegal, female legal in 15 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Kuwait 1960
  3. Turkmenistan 1999
  4. Uzbekistan 1994
  5. North America (3)
  6. Grenada 1987
  7. Jamaica 1864
  8. Saint Lucia 2005
  9. Africa (4)
  10. Eswatini 2018
  11. Namibia 1920
  12. Sierra Leone 1861
  13. Zimbabwe 2006
  14. Oceania (5)
  15. Kiribati
  16. Papua New Guinea 2002
  17. Samoa 1961
  18. Tonga 1988
  19. Tuvalu 2017

Male illegal, female uncertain

Homosexual activity is male illegal, female uncertain in 2 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Myanmar 2016
  3. South America (1)
  4. Guyana 2016

Illegal (other penalty)

Homosexual activity is illegal (other penalty) in 1 regions.

  1. Africa (1)
  2. Somalia 1991

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in 28 regions.

  1. Asia (7)
  2. Malaysia 1826
  3. Maldives
  4. Oman 1974
  5. Pakistan 2018
  6. Qatar
  7. Sri Lanka 1885
  8. Syria 1949
  9. North America (1)
  10. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1990
  11. Africa (19)
  12. Algeria 1966
  13. Burundi 2009
  14. Cameroon 1967
  15. Chad 2017
  16. Comoros 1982
  17. Eritrea 1957
  18. Ethiopia
  19. Ghana 2024
  20. Guinea 2016
  21. Kenya 1930
  22. Liberia 1976
  23. Libya 1953
  24. Malawi 1930
  25. Morocco 1962
  26. Senegal 1966
  27. South Sudan 2011
  28. Togo 1980
  29. Tunisia 1913
  30. Zambia 2018
  31. Oceania (1)
  32. Solomon Islands 1978

Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (up to life in prison as punishment) in 4 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Bangladesh 1860
  3. Africa (3)
  4. Gambia 2014
  5. Sudan 2020
  6. Tanzania 1998

Illegal (death penalty as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (death penalty as punishment) in 9 regions.

  1. Asia (6)
  2. Afghanistan 1976
  3. Brunei 2019
  4. Iran 1979
  5. Saudi Arabia
  6. United Arab Emirates
  7. Yemen 2014
  8. Africa (3)
  9. Mauritania 1983
  10. Nigeria 1916
  11. Uganda 2023

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

Data on homosexual activity is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 7 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Indonesia
  3. Iraq
  4. Lebanon
  5. North Korea
  6. Palestine
  7. Europe (1)
  8. Russia
  9. Africa (1)
  10. Egypt

Spot an error? Visit the region and select "Accurate?: No" so Equaldex's editors can review it.