back to top What does the age of consent mean?
The age of consent is the age at which a young person is legally able to understand and agree to consensual sex. There are some important laws regarding sex and young people, and these are usually known as the age of consent laws. In most countries, until you reach this age it is illegal for somebody to have sex with you, however old they may be. Sometimes the law is slightly different when the partners are of a similar age, but there is usually still a minimum age below which sex is always illegal.
back to top Why do we have the age of consent?
Although some young people may feel that they are mature enough to engage in a sexual relationship, others may lack the emotional development to deal with this or to feel confident enough to say 'no'. Age of consent laws are there to protect young people from being sexually exploited by adults. Sex before the age of 15 years and among partners where there is a large age difference may increase the risk of HIV transmission.1 2 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.
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.
back to top What is the age of consent?
There is no international age of consent and the age when a person is legally able to consent to sex depends on a country's age of consent laws. Age of consent laws are usually complex and, in many countries, the legal age to consent to sex is different 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 below 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.
back to top What counts as 'sex'?
This, too, is different, depending on the laws in the place where you live. Some places count things like kissing as sexual contact, and other places only count sexual intercourse. You should check out the laws in your state or country.
back to top What is statutory rape?
Statutory rape is the crime that someone can be charged with if they have sex with a person who has not reached the age of consent, but who agrees to have sex. Some countries have different names for this. Some states in the US for example call it 'unlawful sexual penetration' or just 'rape'.
back to top What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse is the term for an adult using their age or authority over a young person to have any type of sexual contact. There is a difference between this and two young people who are in a consenting relationship. If you are a young person involved in an abusive relationship it is important to talk to someone about this.
If you are worried because you know of a young person who you think is in an abusive sexual relationship, you must think carefully about what would be the right thing to do. Telephone helplines and sources of help in your country will be able to advise you.
back to top Age of consent by country
| Americas | Europe | Asia | Oceania | Africa | Middle East |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Albania | Bangladesh | American Samoa | Algeria | Afghanistan |
| Argentina | Andorra | Bhutan | Australia | Angola | Bahrain |
| Aruba | Armenia | Burma/Myanmar | Brunei | Benin | Iran |
| Bahamas | Austria | Cambodia | Cook Islands | Botswana | Iraq |
| Barbados | Azerbaijan | China - Hong Kong | Fiji | Burkina Faso | Israel |
| Belize | Belarus | India | French Polynesia (Tahiti) | Burundi | Jordan |
| Bermuda | Belgium | Indonesia | Guam | Cameroon | Lebanon |
| Bolivia | Bosnia | Japan | Marshall Islands | Cape Verde | Oman |
| Brazil | Bulgaria | Laos | Mongolia | Central African Republic | Qatar |
| Canada | Croatia | Malaysia | New Zealand | Chad | Saudi Arabia |
| Cayman Islands | Cyprus | Mongolia | Papua New Guinea | Cote d'Ivoire | United Arab Emirates |
| Chile | Czech Republic | Nepal | Tonga | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yemen |
| Colombia | Denmark | North Korea | Tuvalu | Dijibouti | |
| Costa Rica | Estonia | Pakistan | Vanuatu | Egypt | |
| Cuba | Faroe Islands | Philippines | Equatorial Guinea | ||
| Dominica | Finland | Singapore | Eritrea | ||
| Dominican Republic | Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | South Korea | Ethiopia | ||
| Dutch Antilles | France | Sri Lanka | Gabon | ||
| Ecuador | Georgia | Taiwan | Gambia | ||
| El Salvador | Germany | Thailand | Ghana | ||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Gibraltar | Vietnam | Guinea | ||
| French Guiana | Greece | Western Samoa | Kenya | ||
| Greenland | Guernsey | Lesotho | |||
| Grenada | Hungary | Liberia | |||
| Guadelope | Iceland | Madagascar | |||
| Guatemala | Ireland | Mali | |||
| Guyana | Isle of Man | Mauritania | |||
| Haiti | Italy | Mauritius | |||
| Honduras | Jersey | Morocco | |||
| Jamaica | Kazakhstan | Mozambique | |||
| Martinique | Kuwait | Namibia | |||
| Mexico | Kyrgyzstan | Niger | |||
| Nicaragua | Latvia | Nigeria | |||
| Panama | Liechtenstein | Reunion | |||
| Paraguay | Lithuania | Rwanda | |||
| Peru | Luxembourg | Senegal | |||
| Puerto Rico | Malta | Seychelles | |||
| St. Kitts and Nevis | Moldova | Somalia | |||
| St. Lucia | Monaco | South Africa | |||
| St. Martin | Montenegro | Sudan | |||
| Suriname | Netherlands | Swaziland | |||
| Trinidad & Tobago | Norway | Syria | |||
| United States of America | Poland | Tanzania | |||
| Uruguay | Portugal | Togo | |||
| Venezuela | Romania | Tunisia | |||
| Russia | Uganda | ||||
| San Marino | Zambia | ||||
| Serbia | Zimbabwe | ||||
| Slovakia | |||||
| Slovenia | |||||
| Spain | |||||
| Sweden | |||||
| Switzerland | |||||
| Tajikistan | |||||
| Turkey | |||||
| Turkmenistan | |||||
| Ukraine | |||||
| United Kingdom | |||||
| Uzbekistan | |||||
| Vatican State |
References back to top
- UNAIDS (2010) 'UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic'
- UNICEF (2011) 'Opportunity in Crisis: Preventing HIV from early adolescence to young adulthood'
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.
Disclaimer & Privacy Policy back to top
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.
