Age of consent around the world

This table lists different countries around the world, and shows the ages in at which people of different sexualities can legally have sex.

If you're an adult, and you're reading this page for personal information, then you might need a more detailed explanation of these laws as they relate to adults - you can find this on our age of consent FAQ page.

If you're a young person, and you want to find out more, read our page on teens, sex and the law. You might also like to have a look at our "Am I ready for sex?" page.

This table should only be used as general guide - please also read the notes at the bottom of this page.

Country Male-Female Sex Male-Male Sex Female-Female Sex
Afghanistan ? Illegal Illegal
Albania 14 14 14
Algeria 16 Illegal Illegal
Andorra 16 16 16
Angola ? Illegal Illegal
Antigua and Barbuda 16 16 16
Argentina 13/16 13/16 13/16
Armenia 16 16 16
Aruba 16 16 16
Australia ACT 16 16 16
Australia NSW 16 16 16
Australia NT 16 16 16
Australia Queensland1 16/18 18 16
Australia SA 17 17 17
Australia Tasmania 17 17 17
Australia Victoria 16 16 16
Australia WA 16 16 16
Austria 14 14 14
Azerbaijan 16 16 16
Bahamas 16 18 18
Bahrain ? Illegal Illegal
Bangladesh ? Illegal Illegal
Barbados 16 Illegal Illegal
Belarus 16/18 16 16
Belgium 16 16 16
Belize 16 ? ?
Bermuda 16 18 16
Benin ? Illegal Illegal
Bhutan ? Illegal ?
Bolivia 14f/16m ? ?
Bosnia 16 16 16
Botswana 16f/14m Illegal ?
Brazil2 14/18 14/18 14/18
Brunei 14/16 Illegal Illegal
Bulgaria 14 14 14
Burkina Faso 13 13 13
Burma/Myanmar ? Illegal Illegal
Burundi ? Illegal ?
Cambodia (Kampuchea) 16 ? ?
Cambodia 16 ? ?
Cameroon ? Illegal ?
Canada3 12/14/18 18 12/14
Cape Verde ? ? ?
Cayman Islands ? ? ?
Central African Republic ? ? ?
Chad ? ? ?
Chechen Republic ? Illegal ?
Chile 14 18 18
China 14 14/18? 14
China - Hong Kong 16 16 16
China - Macao 16/17 ? ?
Chinese Taipei 16 16 16
Colombia 14 14 14
Cook Islands ? Illegal ?
Costa Rica 15/16 15/Illegal 15?
Cote D'Ivorie 15 15? 15?
Croatia 14 14 14
Cuba 16 16 16
Cyprus 17 17 (Illegal in north)
17
Czech Republic 15 15 15
Denmark 15 15 15
Dominica 16 ? ?
Dominican Republic 18 18 18
Dutch Antilles 16 16 16
Equador 14 14 14
Egypt 18 18/Illegal 18?
El Salvador 16 ? ?
Equatorial Guinea ? ? ?
Eritrea 18 Illegal Illegal
Estonia 14 14 14
Ethiopia 15 Illegal Illegal
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 16 16? 16
Faroe Island 15 15? 15?
Fiji 16 16 (unofficial)
16
Finland4 16 16 16
France 15 15 15
French Guiana 15 15 15
French Polynesia Tahiti 15 15 15
Gabon 18 21 21
Gambia ? Illegal ?
Georgia (country) 16 16 16
Germany5 14/16 14/16 14/16
Ghana ? ? ?
Greece 15 15/17 15
Greenland ? ? ?
Grenada 17 Illegal 17
Guam 16 ? ?
Guadelope 15 15 15
Guatemala 18 18 18
Guinea 15 Illegal Illegal
Guyana 16 Illegal 16
Haiti 18 18 18
Honduras 14/17 14 14
Hungary 14 14 14
Iceland 14 14 14
India 16 Illegal 16
Indonesia 17 Illegal (Sharia) Illegal (Sharia)
Iran Must be married
Illegal Illegal
Iraq 18 ? ?
Ireland 17 17 17
Israel 14-16 14-16 14-16
Italy 14 14 14
Jamaica 16 Illegal 16
Japan6 13-18 13-18 13-18
Jordan 16 16 16
Kazakhstan ? ? ?
Kenya 16 Illegal 16
Kuwait ? Illegal Illegal
Kyrgyzstan ? ? ?
Laos ? ? ?
Latvia 14/16 14/16 14/16
Lebanon 15/18 Illegal Illegal
Lesotho ? ? ?
Liberia 16 Illegal Illegal
Liechtenstein 14 14 14
Lithuania 14 14 14
Luxembourg 16 16 16
Macedonia 16 16 16
Madagascar 21 21 21
Mali 16 ? ?
Malta 18 18 18
Malaysia 18/Married Illegal 18
Martinique 15 15 15
Mauritius 15 Illegal Illegal
Mexico7 12-18 12-18 12-18
Moldova 14 14 14
Monaco 15 15 15
Mongolia ? ? ?
Morocco 15 Illegal Illegal
Mozambique ? Illegal ?
Namibia 16 Illegal 16
Nepal 16 ? ?
Netherlands 16 16 16
Netherlands Antilles 16 16 16
New Calendonia 16 16 16
New Zealand 16 16 16
Nicaragua ? ? ?
Niger ? 21 21
Nigeria 13 Illegal Illegal
North Korea Undefined Undefined Undefined
Norway4 16 16 16
Oman Must be married Illegal Illegal
Pakistan Must be married Illegal Illegal
Panama 12/18? ? ?
Papua - New Guinea8 14/16/Illegal Illegal 16
Paraquay9 14/16 16 16
Peru 14 14 14
Philippines10 12/18 12/18 12/18
Poland 15 15 15
Portugal11 14/16 16 16
Puerto Rico 16 16
16
Qatar ? Illegal Illegal
Reunion 15 15 15
Romania 15 15 15
Russia 16 16 16
Rwanda 16 18 18
San Marino 14/16 14/16 14/16
Saudi Arabia Must be married Illegal Illegal
Senegal ? Illegal Illegal
Serbia-Montenegro 14 14 14
Singapore 16 Illegal 16
Slovakia 15 15 15
Slovenia 15 15 15
Somalia ? Illegal Illegal
South Africa 16 19 19
South Korea 13 13 13
Spain 13 13 13
Sri Lanka 16 Illegal 16
St. Kitts and Nervis 14/16 ? ?
St. Martin ? ? ?
Sudan Must be married
Illegal Illegal
Suriname 16 18 18
Sweden 15 15 15
Swaziland 18 Illegal Illegal
Switzerland 16 16 16
Syria 13/15 Illegal Illegal
Tajikistan ? Illegal ?
Tanzania 15 Illegal Illegal
Thailand 15 15 15
Togo 14 Illegal Illegal
Tonga 16 Illegal 16
Trinidad & Tobago 16 Illegal Illegal
Tunisia 20 Illegal Illegal
Turkey 18 18 18
Turkmenistan 16 Illegal 16
Tuvalu ? Illegal ?
Uganda 18 Illegal 18
Ukraine 16 16 16
United Arab Emirates 18/Married
Illegal Illegal
Uzbekistan 16 Illegal 16
Uruguay 15 15 15
Vanuatu 18 18 18
Venezuela 16 16 16
Vietnam 18 18 18
Western Samoa ? Illegal ?
Yemen ? Illegal ?
Zaire ? Illegal ?
Zambia ? Illegal ?
Zimbabwe 12/16 Illegal 12/16
United Kingdom England, Scotland & Wales 16 16 16
United Kingdom Northern Ireland 17 17 17
United Kingdom Channel Islands and Gibraltar
16 18 16
USA Alabama 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Alaska 16 16 16
USA Arizona 18 law repealed law repealed
USA Arkansas 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA California 18 18 18
USA Colorado12 15/17 17 17
USA Connecticut 16 16 16
USA D.C. 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Delaware12 16/18 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Florida12 16/18 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Georgia 16 16 16
USA Hawaii 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Idaho12 16/18 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Illinois 17 17 17
USA Indiana 16 16 16
USA Iowa12 14/16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Kansas 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Kentucky 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Louisiana 17 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Maine 16 16 16
USA Maryland 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Massachusetts 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Michigan 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Minnesota 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Mississippi 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Missouri12 14/17 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Montana 16/18 18 18
USA Nebraska 17 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Nevada 16 18 18
USA New Hampshire 16 18 18
USA New Jersey 16 16 16
USA New Mexico 17 17 17
USA New York 17 17 17
USA North Carolina 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA North Dakota 18 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Ohio 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Oklahoma 16 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Oregon 18 18 18
USA Pennsylvania 16 16 16
USA Rhode Island 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA South Carolina 14 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA South Dakota 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Tennessee 18 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Texas12 17 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Utah12 16/18 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Vermont 16 Law repealed Law repealed
USA Virginia 18 Law invalidated Law invalidated
USA Washington12 16/18 16/18 16/18
USA West Virginia 16 18 18
USA Wisconsin 18 18 18
USA Wyoming 16/18? Law repealed Law repealed
USA Traveling Citizens 18 ? ?
Average age* 16 16 16

General notes

If more than one age is given then the law within that country or state varies according to region or circumstances. In particular, some countries have regional laws that may overrule the federal law. Also in some cases the age of consent is lower when partners are of a similar age. Where the symbol ? is used, information is either incomplete or unavailable.

In some countries the age of consent is higher for those taking part in commercial sex. In many countries the age of consent is higher when one partner is in a position of trust with regard to the other, or when one partner takes advantage of the other's immaturity. Age of consent laws often do not apply when the partners are married.

The US military prohibits sex between men and sex with a female aged under 16.

In this table, male-female sex is defined as vaginal or anal sex, and male-male sex is defined as anal sex. Other sexual activities may be legal at a lower age.

* The average age of consent does not include countries where it is illegal.

Footnotes

  1. Queensland has a 'sodomy law' meaning the legal age of consent for anal intercourse is 18 and vaginal intercourse is 16.
  2. In Brazil, authorities may not choose to prosecute if the younger partner is aged 14 to 17 and does not lodge a complaint.
  3. In Canada, consensual activity with those over 12 may not be an offence if the accused is under 16 and less than two years older than the complainant. The exception is anal intercourse, to which unmarried persons under 18 cannot legally consent according to national law, although provincial laws may vary.
  4. In Finland, sex with someone under 16 is not deemed sexual abuse of a child if "there is no great difference in the ages or the mental and physical maturity of the persons involved." Similarly in Norway, a prison sentence may not be imposed "if those who have committed the act of indecency are about equal in age and development." In both countries, lesser punishments may nevertheless be imposed.
  5. In Germany, sexual intercourse is legal from the age of 14 provided the older partner is aged under 18 and provided they are not "exploiting a coercive situation" or offering compensation. In addition, sex between one partner aged 14-15 and another aged under 21 is legal unless the older partner "exploits the victim's lack of capacity for sexual self-determination".
  6. The age of sexual consent in Japan is 13 years of age, although prefecture law usually overrides federal law raising the age up to 18.
  7. In Mexico the federal law varies according to the age gap between partners and is often overruled by regional laws.
  8. In Papua New Guinea, anal sex is illegal in all cases. The age of consent for vaginal sex is 16 for females and 14 for males.
  9. Paraguay sets the age of consent at 14 within marriage and 16 outside of marriage.
  10. The age of sexual consent in the Philippines is 12 for all, but contacts with minors (under 18) are an offence if the minor consents to the act for money, gain or any other remuneration or as the result of an influence of any adult person.
  11. In Portugal it is illegal to perform vaginal intercourse with a minor between 14 and 16 years old "by taking advantage of their inexperience".
  12. In some U.S. states a lower age applies when the age gap between partners is small, or when the older partner is below a certain age (usually 18 or 21).

Notes on U.S. laws

The Supreme Court in the USA has recently struck down sodomy laws which outlawed consensual, same-sex adult sexual activity. In some states, it is unclear how the decision will be applied to their laws. If you are unsure about the age of consent in your state then it is a good idea to seek clarification from your state government.

"Law invalidated" means that the legislation was struck down in court and that the law is 'null and void'. It does not mean that the law has been removed.

"Law repealed" means that the law was removed and changed.

Disclaimer

We rely on the help of our readers to keep this table as accurate and up-to-date as possible. If you know that the age of consent in your country differs from that given above, and if you can supply good references to prove it, then please contact us. Please note that AVERT will not answer personal enquiries about age of consent.

This page is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used to inform personal decisions. If you are in any doubt about the age of consent law in your region then please seek expert legal advice.

Sources:

Last updated November 28, 2006