International Age of Consent Law - By Country

Virtually every country in the world has an age of consent, with varying degrees of enforcement and severity of punishment depending mainly on the local culture. This color-coded map details age of consent across the world. For a more detailed list, see ages of consent around the world .

What are the oldest and youngest Ages of Consent in the world?

Both the lowest and highest ages of consent globally are found in Africa or the Middle East. The youngest ages of consent globally are are 12 - 13 years old, in countries including Niger and Sudan. The oldest age of consent worldwide is 21 years old, found in countries including Bahrain, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin, and Madagascar. Age of Consent in the rest of the world varies from 14 - 20 years old, averaging from 16 - 18 in most countries.

In some countries, like the United States, Mexico, and Australia, the Age of Consent varies by state or province. In some countries, ages of consent also differ for males or females, or for heterosexual vs. homosexual activities. Many countries also have exceptions for age difference, or stricter rules for individuals in positions of trust or authority, such as teachers.

Age of Consent Around the World:

Puberty

12 Years Old

13 Years Old

14 Years Old

15 Years Old

16 Years Old

17 Years Old

18 Years Old

Marriage Required

Unknown / Other

Age of sexual consent by country around the world

The table below lists the relevant Age of Consent for sexual contact in each country, including special ages of consent for youths who are close in age, a general age of consent for any situation where one partner is not in a position of authority or trust (like a teacher or supervisor), and the "unrestricted" age of consent at which close in age or position of authority restrictions no longer apply. Note that in some countries, the Age of Consent for homosexual interactions may be different from this table, which shows heterosexual ages of consent around the world.

Country	Region	Marriage Required	Close-in-age difference		Not in position of trust/authority		Unrestricted
			Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
Australia	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	16-17	16-17
Mexico	South America	No	12-15	12-15	—	—	16-18	16-18
United States	North America	No	13-16	13-16	16-17	16-17	16-21	16-21
China	Asia	No	—	—	—	14	14	18
Japan	Asia	No	—	—	13	13	18	18
Germany	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
United Kingdom	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
France	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
India	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Italy	Europe	No	13	13	14	14	18	18
Brazil	South America	No	12	12	—	—	14	14
Canada	North America	No	12	12	16	16	18	18
South Korea	Asia	No	13	13	16	16	18	18
Russia	Europe	No	16	16	16	16	18	18
Spain	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Indonesia	Asia	No	12	12	19	19	18	18
Netherlands	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Turkey	Europe	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Switzerland	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Saudi Arabia	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Sweden	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Nigeria	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Poland	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Argentina	South America	No	—	—	13	13	18	18
Belgium	Europe	No	14	14	16	16	18	18
Venezuela	South America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Norway	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Austria	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Iran	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	15
Thailand	Asia	No	15	15	—	—	18	18
United Arab Emirates	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Colombia	South America	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
South Africa	Africa	No	12	12	—	—	16	16
Denmark	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Malaysia	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Singapore	Asia	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Israel	Asia	No	14	14	—	—	16	16
Philippines	Asia	No	16	16	—	—	18	18
Egypt	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Hong Kong	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Finland	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Chile	South America	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Pakistan	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Ireland	Europe	No	—	—	—	—	17	17
Greece	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Portugal	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Iraq	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Kazakhstan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Algeria	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Qatar	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	16
Czech Republic	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Peru	South America	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Romania	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
New Zealand	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Vietnam	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Bangladesh	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Kuwait	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	17	15
Angola	Africa	No	14	14	—	—	16	16
Hungary	Europe	No	12	12	14	14	18	18
Ukraine	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Morocco	Africa	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Puerto Rico	North America	No	—	—	14	14	16	16
Ecuador	South America	No	—	—	14	14	18	14
Slovakia	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Cuba	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Sudan	Africa	Yes	—	—	—	—	13	12
Oman	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Belarus	Europe	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Azerbaijan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Sri Lanka	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Myanmar	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Luxembourg	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Dominican Republic	North America	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Uzbekistan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Kenya	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Guatemala	North America	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Uruguay	South America	No	12	12	15	15	18	18
Croatia	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Bulgaria	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Macau	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Ethiopia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Lebanon	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Costa Rica	North America	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Slovenia	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Panama	North America	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Lithuania	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Tanzania	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Turkmenistan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Tunisia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Serbia	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Libya	Africa	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	16
Ghana	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Yemen	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	—	—
DR Congo	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Jordan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Ivory Coast	Africa	No	15	15	—	—	18	18
Bahrain	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	21	21
Bolivia	South America	No	14	14	—	—	18	18
Cameroon	Africa	No	16	16	—	—	21	21
Latvia	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Paraguay	South America	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Trinidad and Tobago	North America	No	—	—	12	12	18	18
Uganda	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Zambia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Estonia	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
El Salvador	North America	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Cyprus	Europe	No	—	—	17	17	18	18
Afghanistan	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	16
Honduras	North America	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Nepal	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Gabon	Africa	No	15	15	—	—	18	18
North Korea	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Brunei	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	16	16
Mozambique	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Iceland	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Cambodia	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Equatorial Guinea	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Papua New Guinea	Oceania	No	12	14	—	—	16	17
Georgia	Asia	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Botswana	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Senegal	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Zimbabwe	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Congo	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Jamaica	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Namibia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Albania	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Chad	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Burkina Faso	Africa	No	15	15	—	—	18	18
Mauritius	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Mongolia	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Mali	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Nicaragua	North America	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Laos	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
North Macedonia	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
South Sudan	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Armenia	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Madagascar	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Malta	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Benin	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Tajikistan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Haiti	North America	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Bahamas	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Niger	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	13	13
Moldova	Europe	No	—	—	16	16	18	18
Rwanda	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Kyrgyzstan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Kosovo	Europe	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Monaco	Europe	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Guinea	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Liechtenstein	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Malawi	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Bermuda	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Suriname	South America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Mauritania	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
East Timor	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	14	14
Sierra Leone	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Montenegro	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Togo	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Fiji	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Eswatini	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Barbados	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Eritrea	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Andorra	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Curaçao	North America	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Guyana	South America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Maldives	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	18	18
Burundi	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Aruba	North America	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Liberia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Lesotho	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Bhutan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Cape Verde	Africa	No	14	14	—	—	16	16
San Marino	Europe	No	—	—	14	14	18	18
Central African Republic	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Belize	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Djibouti	Africa	No	15	15	—	—	18	18
Seychelles	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Saint Lucia	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Somalia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Antigua and Barbuda	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Guinea-Bissau	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Gambia	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	18	18
Samoa	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Vanuatu	Oceania	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Comoros	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Dominica	North America	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
São Tomé and Príncipe	Africa	No	—	—	14	14	16	16
Kiribati	Oceania	No	—	—	—	—	15	18
Tuvalu	Oceania	No	—	—	15	15	18	18
Syria	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	15	15
Taiwan	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
Vatican City	Europe	Yes	—	—	—	—	16	14
Gaza Strip	Asia	Yes	—	—	—	—	16	15
West Bank	Asia	No	—	—	—	—	16	16
	Africa	No	—	—	—	—	13	13