Equal age of consent

In 9 countries, the age of consent is not equalized for same-sex relationships.

DATE

Equal age of consent

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

Summary

135
Equal
135 regions (69%)
Equal
9
Unequal
9 regions (5%)
Unequal
53
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
53 regions (27%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
98%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
49 regions (98%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
79%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
11 regions (79%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (21%)
South America
75%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
9 regions (75%)
Unequal
2 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (8%)
North America
87%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
20 regions (87%)
Unequal
1 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (9%)
Africa
38%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
20 regions (38%)
Unequal
6 regions (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
27 regions (51%)
Asia
57%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Equal
25 regions (57%)
Unequal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
19 regions (43%)

Timeline of equal age of consent

Number of countries to equalize age of consent over the past 61 years.

Recent Changes

2024

2022

2020

2019

Equal age of consent by Country

Equal

Equal age of consent is equal in 129 regions.

  1. Asia (22)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Cambodia
  4. China 1949
  5. India 2018
  6. Indonesia 2019
  7. Israel 1948
  8. Japan 1947
  9. Jordan
  10. Kazakhstan 1997
  11. Kyrgyzstan 1998
  12. Laos
  13. Mongolia 1992
  14. Nepal
  15. North Korea 2009
  16. Philippines
  17. Singapore
  18. South Korea
  19. Taiwan 1947
  20. Tajikistan 1998
  21. Thailand 1997
  22. Timor-Leste 1975
  23. Vietnam 1999
  24. Europe (49)
  25. Albania 2001
  26. Andorra 2006
  27. Armenia
  28. Austria 2002
  29. Azerbaijan
  30. Belarus 1994
  31. Belgium 1985
  32. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  33. Bulgaria 2002
  34. Croatia 1998
  35. Cyprus 2002
  36. Czech Republic 1990
  37. Denmark
  38. Estonia 2022
  39. Finland 1999
  40. France 1982
  41. Georgia 2000
  42. Germany 1988
  43. Greece 2015
  44. Hungary 2002
  45. Iceland
  46. Ireland 1993
  47. Italy
  48. Kosovo 2004
  49. Latvia
  50. Liechtenstein 2001
  51. Lithuania 2004
  52. Luxembourg 1992
  53. Malta 1998
  54. Moldova 2002
  55. Monaco
  56. Montenegro 1977
  57. Netherlands 1978
  58. North Macedonia 1996
  59. Norway 1972
  60. Poland 1932
  61. Portugal 2007
  62. Romania
  63. San Marino 1865
  64. Serbia 2006
  65. Slovakia
  66. Slovenia 1977
  67. Spain 1995
  68. Sweden 1978
  69. Switzerland 1992
  70. Turkey 1858
  71. Ukraine 2001
  72. United Kingdom 2001
  73. Vatican City 1890
  74. North America (19)
  75. Antigua and Barbuda 2022
  76. Barbados 2022
  77. Belize 2016
  78. Canada 2019
  79. Costa Rica
  80. Cuba 1979
  81. Dominica 2024
  82. Dominican Republic
  83. El Salvador 1974
  84. Grenada
  85. Guatemala 1871
  86. Haiti
  87. Honduras
  88. Mexico 1871
  89. Nicaragua 2007
  90. Panama 2008
  91. Saint Kitts and Nevis 2022
  92. Trinidad and Tobago 2018
  93. United States
  94. Africa (19)
  95. Angola
  96. Botswana
  97. Burkina Faso 1996
  98. Cape Verde 2004
  99. Central African Republic
  100. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006
  101. Djibouti
  102. Equatorial Guinea 1931
  103. Eswatini 2015
  104. Guinea-Bissau
  105. Lesotho 2012
  106. Mauritius
  107. Mozambique
  108. Namibia
  109. Rwanda
  110. Sao Tome and Principe 2012
  111. Seychelles
  112. Sierra Leone
  113. South Africa 2007
  114. Oceania (10)
  115. Australia 2016
  116. Federated States of Micronesia
  117. Fiji 2010
  118. Marshall Islands 2005
  119. Nauru
  120. New Zealand 1986
  121. Palau 2014
  122. Samoa
  123. Tonga
  124. Vanuatu 2007
  125. South America (9)
  126. Argentina 2001
  127. Bolivia 1999
  128. Brazil 1940
  129. Chile 2022
  130. Colombia
  131. Ecuador 1997
  132. Peru 1836
  133. Uruguay 1933
  134. Venezuela 1998
  135. Antarctica (1)
  136. Antarctica

Female equal, male N/A

Equal age of consent is female equal, male n/a in 6 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Kuwait
  3. Turkmenistan 2014
  4. Uzbekistan
  5. North America (1)
  6. Saint Lucia
  7. Africa (1)
  8. Zimbabwe
  9. Oceania (1)
  10. Papua New Guinea

Unequal

Equal age of consent is unequal in 9 regions.

  1. North America (1)
  2. Bahamas
  3. Africa (6)
  4. Benin
  5. Côte d’Ivoire
  6. Gabon 2020
  7. Madagascar
  8. Niger 2016
  9. Republic of the Congo 1947
  10. South America (2)
  11. Paraguay
  12. 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. Bahrain
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Brunei
  6. Iran
  7. Iraq
  8. Lebanon
  9. Malaysia
  10. Maldives
  11. Myanmar
  12. Oman
  13. Pakistan
  14. Palestine
  15. Qatar
  16. Saudi Arabia
  17. Sri Lanka
  18. Syria
  19. United Arab Emirates
  20. Yemen
  21. Europe (1)
  22. Russia
  23. North America (2)
  24. Jamaica
  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 (3)
  55. Kiribati
  56. Solomon Islands
  57. Tuvalu
  58. South America (1)
  59. Guyana

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