Age of Consent Worldwide


Please Note :
This table lists the age of sexual consent worldwide.
This table should only be used as general guide.
Do not rely on this information to make legal decisions.
You should contact a legal advisor in your area for a proper determination of law on any questions you might have. .

Chart Definitions

Country Male-Female Male-Male Female-Female
Albania 14 14/18?? 14
Algeria    Rev 08/2000 16 illegal illegal
Andorra           Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Antiqua (Barbuda)  Rev 01/2001 16 18 16
Argentina     Rev 01/2001 12/15/16 12/15/16 12/15/16
Armenia          Rev 01/2001 16 illegal unknown
Aruba             Rev 01/2001   16  16     16
Australia ACT   Rev 03/2001 16 16 16
Australia NSW   Rev 03/2001 16 18 * no laws
Australia NT   Rev 03/2001 16 18 no laws
Australia Queensland 
Rev 03/2002		 16 18 (READ) 16
Australia SA   Rev 03/2001 16/17 16/17 16/17
Australia Tasmania Rev 03/2001 17 17 (legalised Apr 97
after 9 years battle) 		no laws
Australia Victoria  Rev 03/2002 17 17 17
Australia WA   Rev 03/2001 16 21 16
Austria               Rev 07/2002 14 Struck Down  14 14
Azerbaijan             Rev 01/2001 16 illegal undefined
Bahamas                 Rev 01/2001 16 18 (read) 18 (read)
Bahrain                     Rev 01/2001     illegal illegal
Bangladesh             Rev 01/2001     illegal illegal
Barbados                Rev 01/2001   16   illegal     
Belarus             Rev 01/2001   16/18   16 16
Belgium          Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Belize             Rev 01/17/2001 16 legal? legal?
Benin                 Rev 01/2001        illegal   illegal
Bermuda          Rev 03/2002 16 18 16
Bhutan                 Rev 01/2001     illegal    
Bolivia                    Rev 07/2002 17        
Bosnia                  Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Botswana             Rev 01/2001 16-F/14-M illegal    
Brazil                  Rev 01/2001 14/18 14/18 14/18
Brunei                 Rev 01/2001 14/16 illegal illegal
Bulgaria    Rev 01/2001 14/15 14/18 14/18
Burkina Faso      Rev 01/2001     13 21 21
Burma     illegal    
Burundi     illegal    
Cambodia (Kampuchea)
          Rev 07/2002		 15/16 ? ?
Cameroon     illegal    
Canada              Rev 07/2002 14 18 14
Cape Verde     illegal    
Cayman Islands   Rev 03/2002            
Chile              Rev 04/2002 12 18 18
China              Rev 01/2001 14 not defined not defined
China - Hong Kong   Rev 01/2001 16 21 ?
Colombia           Rev 01/2001 12/14 14 14
Cook Islands        Rev 01/17/2001            
Costa Rica               Rev 03/2002 15/16 15- illegal - ? 15 - illegal - ?
Cote D'Ivoire    Rev 08/2000 15        
Croatia                  Rev 01/2001 14 14/18? 14/18?
Cuba     Rev 3/2002    16  16      16
Cyprus              Rev 07/2002  NEW! 17 17 17
Cyprus - SARS   Rev 07/2002 NEW! 17 17 17
Czech Republic        Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Denmark        Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Dominica           Rev 01/2001 16 ? ?
Dominican Republic Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Dutch Antilles 16 16  16  
Ecuador           Rev 01/2001     undefined? ?    
Egypt            Rev 03/2002 18 18-illegal? 18-illegal?
El Salvador         Rev 01/2001 16 ? ?
Eritrea     Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Estonia     Rev 07/2002 14 16? 16?
Ethiopa           Rev 04/2001 15        
Falkland Isl Malvinas Rev 01/2001 16 18 16
Faroe Islands 15 18 18
Fiji                Rev 01/17/2001 16 ? ?
Finland (new laws 1/1/99?)
    Rev 01/2001		 16 18 18
France              Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
French Guiana      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
French Polynesia Tahiti 15 15 15
Gabon     Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Georgia (Russia)   Rev 01/2001     illegal    
Germany       Rev 01/2001 14/16 14/16 14/16
Ghana     ?    
Greece         Rev 01/2001 15/17 17 15/17
Greenland              
Grenada    Rev 01/2001 17 illegal illegal  
Guam     Rev 09/2000 16        
Guadeloupe      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Guatemala         Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Guinea                 Rev 01/2001 15        
Guyana      Rev 01/2001 13 illegal illegal
Haiti 18 18 18
Honduras     Rev 03/2002 14/17 14 14
Hong Kong    Rev 09/2000 18M/16F 21 ?
Hungary        Rev 01/2001 14 18 18
Iceland      Rev 03/2002 14 14 14
India          Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Indonesia         Rev 03/2002 17 no laws no laws
Iran           Rev 07/2002 None outside marriage illegal illegal
Iraq        Rev 01/2001    18  ? ?
Ireland          Rev 03/2001 17 17 17
Israel         Rev 03/2001 16 16 16
Italy            Rev 06/2001 14 14 14
Jamaica         Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Japan            Rev 07/2002 16/18 16/18 16/18
Jordan   16   illegal illegal
Kenya              Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Kiribati          Rev 01/17/2001            
Korea     Rev 03/2002 13 13 13
Kosovo 14 18 14
Kuwait     illegal illegal
Latvia               Rev 04/2001 16 legal? legal?
Lebanon            Rev 03/2002 15/18    illegal  illegal 
Liberia          Rev 04/2001 16                              
Liechtenstein 14 14/18 14
Lithuania 16 18 16
Luxembourg              Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Macao       Rev 08/2000 16/17         
Madegascar      Rev 09/2001 21? 21 21
Mali     Rev 08/2000 16          
Malta              Rev 01/2001 12/18 12/18 12/18
Malaysia     Rev 08/2000 married - 16? illegal illegal
Martinique 15 15 15
Mauritius        Rev 01/2001 15 illegal illegal
México   Rev 07/2002 12 18 18
Moldova             Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Monaco            Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Montenegro      Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
Morocco      Rev 03/2001 15          
Mozambique     illegal    
Namibia           Rev 04/2001 16 illegal    
Nepal              Rev 04/2001 16 ? ?
Netherlands           Rev 03/2002 12/16 12/16 12/16
Netherland Antilles 16 16 16
New Caledonia 15 15 15
New Zealand        Rev 03/2002 16 16 16
Nicaragua     ?    
Nigeria        Rev 06/2001 13 ? ?
Niue            Rev 01/17/2001         
Norway                Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Oman             Rev 01/2001 none! illegal illegal
Pakistan          Rev 05/2003 none! (?) (read comments) (read comments)
Panama          Rev 01/2001  12/18?   ?   
Papua - New Guinea 16 illegal 16
Paraquay     Rev 07/2002 12 ?   
Peru              Rev 06/2001  14   14   14
Poland                      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Portugal             Rev 01/2001 14/16? ? ?
Philippines                Rev 03/2002 12/18 18 18
Puerto Rico          Rev 01/2001 14 Illegal (under appeal) Illegal (under appeal)
Qatar       illegal illegal
Romania                 Rev 01/2001 14 illegal illegal
Russia                      Rev 06/2002 14/16? New Law?? 14/16? 14/16?
Rwanda                 Rev 02/2001 18 18 18
San Marino   Rev 01/2001 14/16 14/16 14/16
Saudi Arabia must be married illegal illegal
Senegal   illegal illegal
Serbia                Rev 07/2002 14 18 14
Singapore      Rev 07/2002   (Read) 14/16 illegal illegal
Slovakia     Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Slovenia     Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
Soloman Islands    Rev 01/2001            
South Africa            Rev 04/2001 16 19 19
South Korea 13 13 13
Spain               Rev 01/2001 13 13 13
Sri Lanka       Rev 01/2001 16 illegal 16
St. Kitts and Nevis  Rev 01/2001 14/16        
St. Martin   (Rev 11/2000)     ?        
Surinami       16 18 16
Swaziland          Rev 01/2001 18 illegal illegal
Sweden      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Switzerland         Rev 01/2001   16  16 16
Syria               Rev 01/2001   13/15 illegal illegal
Taiwan 16 16 16
Tanzania            Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Thailand             Rev 04/2001 15 legal at all ages? ?
Togo     Rev 08/2000 14        
Tonga             Rev 01/17/2001 16 illegal     
Trinidad & Tobago  Rev 03/2002 16 illegal illegal
Tunisia        Rev 01/2001 20 illegal illegal
Turkey        Rev 09/2001 15/16
unmarried-illegal		 18 18
Tuvalu           Rev 01/17/2001    illegal    
Uganda      Rev 01/2001 18 illegal illegal
Ukraine           Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
United Arab Emirates 18 Illegal? Illegal?
United Kingdom England, Scotland & Wales  Rev 06/2001 16 18 16
United Kingdom Northern Ireland
           Rev 06/2001		 17 17 17
USA Alabama   Rev 06/2001 16 illegal illegal
USA Alaska       Rev 08/2000 16 16 16
USA Arizona    Rev 06/2001 18 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Arkansas   Rev 03/2001 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA California Rev 04/2001 18 18 18
USA Colorado  Rev 04/2002 15/17 17 17
USA Connecticut
Rev 04/2001		 16 16 16
USA D.C.    Rev 08/2000 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Delaware Rev 03/2002 16/18 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Florida Rev 06/2001 16/18 Illegal Illegal
USA Georgia   Rev 07/2002
MUST READ!		 16 16 16
USA Hawaii   Rev 03/2002 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Idaho   Rev 04/2001 16/18 Illegal Illegal
USA Illinois 17 17 17
USA Indiana 16 16 16
USA Iowa   Rev 03/2002 14/16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Kansas   Rev 06/2001 16 illegal illegal
USA Kentucky 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Louisiana Rev 03/2002 17 Illegal Illegal
USA Maine 16 16 16
USA Maryland Rev 04/2002 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Massachusetts
Rev 07/2002		 16/18 READ -Law Invalidated READ -Law Invalidated
USA Michigan Rev 04/2001 16 Illegal Illegal
USA Minnesota Rev 03/2002 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Mississippi
Rev 03/2002		 16 (laws passed June 1, 1998) Illegal Illegal
USA Missouri   Rev 03/2002 14/17 Illegal Illegal
USA Montana   Rev 10/99 16/18 18 18
USA Nebraska 17 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Nevada   Rev 1/2000 16 18 18
USA New Hampshire
Rev 03/2002		 16 18 18
USA New Jersey 16 16 16
USA New Mexico 17 13 13
USA New York  Rev 03/2002 17 17 17
USA North Carolina
   Rev 03/2002		 16 Illegal Illegal
USA North Dakota 18 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Ohio   Rev 11/2000 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Oklahoma Rev 03/2002 16 16 -illegal??? 16 -illegal???
USA Oregon 18 18 18
USA Pennsylvania 16 16 16
USA Rhode Island
      Rev 06/2001		 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA South Carolina
Rev 03/2002		 14/16-bill pending Illegal Illegal
USA South Dakota 16 Law Repealed  16 Law Repealed