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Homosexual activity

Homosexuality is illegal in 60 countries and punishable by death in 7.

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  • Legal
  • Male illegal, female uncertain
  • Male illegal, female legal
  • Illegal (other penalty)
  • Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
  • Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
  • Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
  • Varies by region or ambiguous
  • Unknown or N/A

Recent Changes

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

134
Legal
134 regions (68%)
Legal
60
Illegal
60 regions (30%)
Illegal
4
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
100%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
50 regions (100%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
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
78%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
18 regions (78%)
Illegal
5 regions (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
Africa
43%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (43%)
Illegal
31 regions (57%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
Asia
52%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (52%)
Illegal
17 regions (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (9%)

Progress Over Time

Number of countries with equality for homosexual activity over the past 60 years.
There are no recent changes about Homosexual activity.

Homosexual activity by Country

Legal

Homosexual activity is legal in 134 regions.

  1. Asia (23)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bhutan 2021
  4. Cambodia
  5. China 1997
  6. India 2018
  7. Israel 1988
  8. Japan 1881
  9. Jordan 1951
  10. Kazakhstan 1998
  11. Kyrgyzstan 1997
  12. Laos 1990
  13. Lebanon
  14. Mongolia 2002
  15. Nepal 2007
  16. North Korea 1948
  17. Philippines
  18. Singapore 2022
  19. South Korea
  20. Taiwan 1947
  21. Tajikistan 1998
  22. Thailand 1956
  23. Timor-Leste 1975
  24. Vietnam
  25. Europe (50)
  26. Albania 1995
  27. Andorra 1791
  28. Armenia 2003
  29. Austria 1971
  30. Azerbaijan 2000
  31. Belarus 1994
  32. Belgium 1944
  33. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003
  34. Bulgaria 1968
  35. Croatia 1977
  36. Cyprus 1998
  37. Czech Republic 1962
  38. Denmark 1933
  39. Estonia 1992
  40. Finland 1971
  41. France 1791
  42. Georgia 2000
  43. Germany 1994
  44. Greece 2015
  45. Hungary 1961
  46. Iceland 1940
  47. Ireland 1993
  48. Italy 1890
  49. Kosovo 2008
  50. Latvia 1992
  51. Liechtenstein 1989
  52. Lithuania 1993
  53. Luxembourg
  54. Malta 1973
  55. Moldova 1995
  56. Monaco 1793
  57. Montenegro 1977
  58. Netherlands 1945
  59. North Macedonia 1996
  60. Norway 1972
  61. Poland 1970
  62. Portugal 1982
  63. Romania 2001
  64. Russia 1993
  65. San Marino 1865
  66. Serbia 1994
  67. Slovakia 1961
  68. Slovenia 1976
  69. Spain 1979
  70. Sweden 1944
  71. Switzerland 1991
  72. Turkey 1858
  73. Ukraine 1991
  74. United Kingdom 2000
  75. Vatican City 1929
  76. North America (18)
  77. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  78. Bahamas 1991
  79. Barbados 2022
  80. Belize 2016
  81. Canada 1969
  82. Costa Rica 2002
  83. Cuba 1979
  84. Dominican Republic 1822
  85. El Salvador 1974
  86. Guatemala 1871
  87. Haiti 1791
  88. Honduras 1985
  89. Mexico 2001
  90. Nicaragua 2007
  91. Panama 2007
  92. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  93. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  94. United States 2003
  95. Africa (23)
  96. Angola 2019
  97. Benin
  98. Botswana 2019
  99. Burkina Faso
  100. Cape Verde 2004
  101. Central African Republic
  102. Côte d’Ivoire
  103. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1940
  104. Djibouti
  105. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  106. Gabon 2020
  107. Guinea-Bissau
  108. Lesotho 2012
  109. Madagascar 1972
  110. Mali 1961
  111. Mauritius 2023
  112. Mozambique 2015
  113. Niger 2006
  114. Republic of the Congo
  115. Rwanda
  116. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  117. Seychelles 2016
  118. South Africa 1998
  119. Oceania (8)
  120. Australia 1997
  121. Federated States of Micronesia
  122. Fiji 2010
  123. Marshall Islands 2005
  124. Nauru 2016
  125. New Zealand 1986
  126. Palau 2014
  127. Vanuatu
  128. South America (11)
  129. Argentina 1987
  130. Bolivia 1832
  131. Brazil 1830
  132. Chile 1998
  133. Colombia 2000
  134. Ecuador 1997
  135. Paraguay 1997
  136. Peru 1991
  137. Suriname 1910
  138. Uruguay 1933
  139. Venezuela 1997
  140. Antarctica (1)
  141. Antarctica

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

Male illegal, female legal

Homosexual activity is male illegal, female legal in 14 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Turkmenistan 1999
  3. North America (3)
  4. Grenada 1987
  5. Jamaica 1864
  6. Saint Lucia 2005
  7. Africa (5)
  8. Eswatini 2004
  9. Ghana 1960
  10. Namibia
  11. Sierra Leone 1861
  12. Zimbabwe 2006
  13. Oceania (5)
  14. Kiribati
  15. Papua New Guinea 2002
  16. Samoa 1961
  17. Tonga 1988
  18. Tuvalu 2017

Illegal (other penalty)

Homosexual activity is illegal (other penalty) in 4 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Kuwait 1960
  3. Africa (3)
  4. Egypt 2000
  5. Nigeria 1916
  6. Uganda 2023

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

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

  1. Asia (8)
  2. Malaysia 1826
  3. Maldives
  4. Oman 1974
  5. Pakistan 1860
  6. Qatar
  7. Sri Lanka 1885
  8. Uzbekistan 1994
  9. Yemen 2014
  10. North America (2)
  11. Dominica 1998
  12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1990
  13. Africa (17)
  14. Algeria 1966
  15. Burundi 2009
  16. Cameroon 1967
  17. Chad 2017
  18. Comoros 1982
  19. Eritrea 1957
  20. Ethiopia
  21. Guinea 2016
  22. Kenya 1930
  23. Liberia 1976
  24. Libya 1953
  25. Malawi 1930
  26. Morocco 1962
  27. Senegal 1966
  28. South Sudan 2011
  29. Togo 1980
  30. Tunisia 1913
  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 5 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Bangladesh 1860
  3. Africa (4)
  4. Gambia 2014
  5. Sudan 2020
  6. Tanzania 1998
  7. Zambia 1931

Illegal (death penalty as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (death penalty as punishment) in 7 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Afghanistan 1976
  3. Brunei 2019
  4. Iran 1979
  5. Saudi Arabia
  6. United Arab Emirates
  7. Africa (2)
  8. Mauritania 1983
  9. Somalia 1991

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

Data on homosexual activity is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 4 regions.

  1. Asia (4)
  2. Indonesia
  3. Iraq
  4. Palestine
  5. Syria

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