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Worldwide
Ages of Consent
Introduction
This page provides a brief overview of legal ages of consent worldwide,
allowing for an insight into the variations that exist between
countries and within countries. However, age of consent laws are
usually complex and the legal age of consent listed here may be higher
or lower depending on certain conditions. These include but are not
limited to: Male or female; anal sex; vaginal sex; partner age
difference; a partner that represents a position of authority;
variations between state, territory and federal laws; whether partners
are married or unmarried. See individual country references for
specific conditions that modify the age of consent. Being aware of
global variations in the age of consent is important to avoid breaking
the law in countries that have laws different to your country of
residence.
As this table shows, the age of consent varies significantly between
countries, and in a number of cases may be considered to be too low.
Sex before the age of 15 years and among partners where there is a
large age difference may increase the risk of HIV
transmission. (UNAIDS (2010) 'UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic';
UNICEF (2011) 'Opportunity in Crisis: Preventing HIV from early adolescence to young adulthood') Governments can, to some extent,
reduce the risk of HIV infection among young people by ensuring the age
of consent for sex, and also marriage, is not too low.
A Table showing Worldwide Ages of Consent
This table should only be used as general guide - please read the
notes and references at the
bottom of this page for more detailed information.
|
Country
|
Age of consent
|
|
Afghanistan
|
-
|
|
Albania
|
14
|
|
Algeria
|
-
|
|
American Samoa
|
-
|
|
Andorra
|
16
|
|
Angola
|
-
|
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
-
|
|
Argentina
|
15
|
|
Armenia
|
16
|
|
Aruba
|
-
|
|
Australia
|
16
|
|
Austria
|
-
|
|
Azerbaijan
|
-
|
|
Bahamas
|
16
|
|
Bahrain
|
15/ Must be married
|
|
Bangladesh
|
-
|
|
Barbados
|
-
|
|
Belarus
|
18
|
|
Belgium
|
16
|
|
Belize
|
-
|
|
Bermuda
|
-
|
|
Benin
|
-
|
|
Bhutan
|
18
|
|
Bolivia
|
14 (F)/ 16 (M) Must be married
|
|
Bosnia
|
14
|
|
Botswana
|
-
|
|
Brazil
|
16
|
|
Brunei
|
16
|
|
Bulgaria
|
-
|
|
Burkina Faso
|
-
|
|
Burma/Myanmar
|
-
|
|
Burundi
|
18
|
|
Cambodia
|
16
|
|
Cameroon
|
21
|
|
Canada3
|
16
|
|
Cape Verde
|
-
|
|
Cayman Islands
|
-
|
|
Central African Republic
|
-
|
|
Chad
|
-
|
|
Chile
|
16
|
|
China - Hong Kong
|
16
|
|
Colombia
|
12 (F)/ 14 (M)
|
|
Cook Islands
|
-
|
|
Costa Rica
|
15
|
|
Cote d'Ivoire
|
15
|
|
Croatia
|
14
|
|
Cuba
|
-
|
|
Cyprus
|
17
|
|
Czech Republic
|
15
|
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
-
|
|
Denmark
|
15
|
|
Dijibouti
|
18
|
|
Dominica
|
16
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
18
|
|
Dutch Antilles
|
-
|
|
Ecuador
|
-
|
|
Egypt
|
18
|
|
El Salvador
|
18
|
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
-
|
|
Eritrea
|
-
|
|
Estonia
|
14
|
|
Ethiopia
|
-
|
|
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
|
-
|
|
Faroe Islands
|
-
|
|
Fiji
|
-
|
|
Finland
|
16
|
|
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
|
-
|
|
France
|
-
|
|
French Guiana
|
-
|
|
French Polynesia (Tahiti)
|
-
|
|
Gabon
|
18
|
|
Gambia
|
-
|
|
Georgia
|
14
|
|
Germany4
|
14
|
|
Ghana
|
-
|
|
Gibraltar
|
16
|
|
Greece
|
15
|
|
Greenland
|
-
|
|
Grenada
|
-
|
|
Guam
|
-
|
|
Guadelope
|
-
|
|
Guatemala
|
14 (F)/ 16 (M)
|
|
Guernsey
|
-
|
|
Guinea
|
15
|
|
Guyana
|
16
|
|
Haiti
|
-
|
|
Honduras
|
15-18
|
|
Hungary
|
14
|
|
Iceland
|
14
|
India
|
18
|
|
Indonesia
|
16 (F)/ 19 (M)
|
|
Iran
|
-
|
|
Iraq
|
-
|
|
Ireland
|
17
|
|
Isle of Man
|
-
|
|
Israel
|
16
|
|
Italy
|
14
|
|
Jamaica
|
-
|
|
Japan
|
13
|
|
Jersey
|
-
|
|
Jordan
|
-
|
|
Kazakhstan
|
18
|
|
Kenya
|
16
|
|
Kuwait
|
-
|
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
16
|
|
Laos
|
-
|
|
Latvia
|
16
|
|
Lebanon
|
15
|
|
Lesotho
|
16 (F)/ 14 (M)
|
|
Liberia
|
-
|
|
Liechtenstein
|
14
|
|
Lithuania
|
-
|
|
Luxembourg
|
-
|
|
Madagascar
|
-
|
|
Mali
|
-
|
|
Malta
|
18
|
|
Malaysia
|
16
|
|
Marshall Islands
|
-
|
|
Martinique
|
-
|
|
Mauritania
|
16
|
|
Mauritius
|
-
|
|
Mexico
|
12-18
|
|
Moldova
|
14-16
|
|
Monaco
|
15
|
|
Mongolia
|
16
|
|
Montenegro
|
-
|
|
Morocco
|
-
|
|
Mozambique
|
-
|
|
Namibia
|
-
|
|
Nepal
|
16
|
|
Netherlands
|
-
|
|
Netherlands Antilles
|
-
|
|
New Caledonia
|
-
|
|
New Zealand
|
-
|
|
Nicaragua
|
-
|
|
Niger
|
-
|
|
Nigeria
|
-
|
|
North Korea
|
-
|
|
Norway
|
16
|
|
Oman
|
Must be married
|
|
Pakistan
|
16 (F)/ 18 (M)
|
|
Panama
|
12 (F)/ 14 (M)
|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
-
|
|
Paraquay
|
-
|
|
Peru
|
16-18
|
|
Philippines
|
18
|
|
Poland
|
-
|
|
Portugal
|
16
|
Puerto Rico
|
14
|
|
Qatar
|
Must be married
|
|
Reunion
|
-
|
|
Romania
|
15
|
|
Russia
|
-
|
|
Rwanda
|
18
|
|
San Marino
|
-
|
|
Saudi Arabia
|
Must be married
|
|
Senegal
|
16
|
|
Serbia
|
18
|
|
Seychelles
|
18
|
|
Singapore
|
16
|
|
Slovakia
|
15
|
|
Slovenia
|
15
|
|
Somalia
|
-
|
|
South Africa5
|
16
|
|
South Korea
|
-
|
|
Spain
|
13
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
16
|
|
St. Kitts and Nevis
|
16
|
|
St. Lucia
|
-
|
|
St. Martin
|
-
|
|
Sudan
|
18
|
|
Suriname
|
-
|
|
Sweden
|
15
|
|
Swaziland
|
16 (F)/ 14 (M)
|
|
Switzerland
|
16
|
|
Syria
|
13
|
|
Taiwan
|
-
|
|
Tajikistan
|
17
|
|
Tanzania
|
18
|
|
Thailand
|
-
|
|
Togo
|
-
|
|
Tonga
|
-
|
|
Trinidad & Tobago
|
16
|
|
Tunisia
|
20
|
|
Turkey
|
-
|
|
Turkmenistan
|
16
|
|
Tuvalu
|
-
|
|
Uganda
|
18
|
|
Ukraine
|
-
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
-
|
|
United Kingdom6
|
16
|
|
United States of America
|
16
|
|
Uzbekistan
|
16
|
|
Uruguay
|
-
|
|
Vanuatu
|
-
|
Vatican State
|
-
|
|
Venezuela
|
-
|
|
Vietnam
|
-
|
|
Western Samoa
|
-
|
|
Yemen
|
-
|
|
Zambia
|
-
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
16
|
References
- UNAIDS (2010) 'UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic'
- UNICEF (2011) 'Opportunity in Crisis: Preventing HIV from early adolescence to young adulthood'
- Department of justice Canada (2008) ‘Canadian communities now safer: tougher laws come into force for serious gun crimes and sexual predators’
- Juris (2010) 'German Criminal Code'
- Republic of South Africa (2007) 'Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act (PDF)' Government Gazette
- The National Archives (2012) 'Sexual Offences Act 2003'
Notes
Unless specifically referenced, individual country age of consent
laws can be accessed through the Interpol reference listed under
sources. A [-] symbol indicates a credible reference documenting the
age of consent for a particular country is either unavailable or not
yet found.
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