Age of International Consent

A-D

* Albania: 14
* Algeria: 16; same sex relationships are illegal
* Andorra: 16
* Antigua: 16; 18 for homosexual males
* Argentina: 15; though can be 12 in certain cases
* Australia
o Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Victoria: 16
o Queensland: 16 (18 for anal sex)
o South Australia and Tasmania : 17
* Austria: 14 (as of August 13, 2002)
* Belgium: 16
* Brazil: 18, but 14 and older only prosecutable after complaint by minor
* Canada: 14; 18 for anal sex, sex with an authority figure, prostitution or appearing in pornography. A 14 year old may have sex with another who is as young as 12.
* China: 14
* Chile: 14
* Croatia: 14 or 18
* Czech Republic: 15
* Denmark: 15

* Finland: 16
* France: 15; however sex with a minor under 18 in a dependency relationship may be criminalized.
* Germany:
o 18 years in dependency relationships (teacher/student etc.)
o 16 years if the older partner is over 18 and coerces the younger partner into sex other than by physical means, or if the older partner pays the younger partner to have sex (prostitution)
o 16 years if the older partner is over 21 and exploits “lack of sexual self-determination” of the younger partner (only prosecuted after complaints or “public interest”, in practice rarely prosecuted with little or no punishment)
o 14 years for all other sexual relationships
* Greece: 17 for sodomy, otherwise 14
* Hong Kong: gay 21, lesbian unknown, heterosexual females 16, heterosexual males 18
* Hungary:
o 14 if the partner is 18 or under
o 18 otherwise
o 18 for homosexuals

* Iceland: 14
* India: heterosexual 16, homosexual forbidden
* Indonesia: 17
* Iran: extramarital sex is illegal (see: Marriageable age)
* Ireland, Republic of: 17, 15 for lesbians and oral sex.
* Israel: 14, but under 18 legal if age difference is no more than 2 years.
* Italy: 14
* Japan: 13 nationwide, 16 to 18 in most prefectures; however, age of marriage for a female with parental approval is 16.
* Latvia: 16
* Lithuania: 14, for homosexual males, as of 2004, source LifeSiteNews.com
* Malaysia:
o 18, but Muslims must also be married
o homosexual sex is illegal
* Mexico: 12, but 18 under some circumstances
* Netherlands: 16; Only prosecutable after complaint of minor.
* New Zealand: 16
* Norway: 16

* Poland: 15
* Portugal: Heterosexual 14, Homosexual 16
* Puerto Rico: 14
* Romania: 10
* Russia: either 14 or 16
* Singapore:
o sex with a girl aged under 14 is considered statutory rape
o sex with a girl aged under 16 is considered an offense of “carnal intercourse with an underage female” (less severe than rape but still a punishable offense)
o homosexual sex is illegal
* Slovakia: 15
* Slovenia: 15
* South Africa: homosexual 19, heterosexual 16
* South Korea: 13
* Spain: 13
* Sweden: 15
* Switzerland: 16, under 16 legal if age difference is no more than 3 years
* Thailand: 15

* United Kingdom:
o 18 years for any sexual act if there is a relationship of trust (e.g. teacher/pupil) (unless they are a married couple, in which case the below applies)
o England and Wales: heterosexual and male and female homosexual 16
o Scotland: heterosexual and male homosexual 16
o Northern Ireland: heterosexual and male homosexual 17
o Until 2003, there was not specific law for lesbians, in England and Wales this has now been set at 16 years old. Although no such legislation exists for Scotland and Northern Ireland, a female under 16 is deemed incapable of consenting to any type of sexual behaviour which could be classed as sexual assault and the courts have taken this to mean that the age of consent is the same as for male homosexual acts.
o Jersey: 16 (18 homosexual)

(Before 2001 the homosexual age of consent in England and Wales was 18, and before the early 1990s it was 21, the age it was set at when consensual buggery was decriminalised)

A-D * Albania: 14 * Algeria: 16; same sex relationships are illegal * Andorra: 16 * Antigua: 16; 18 for homosexual males * Argentina: 15; though can be 12 in certain cases * Australia o Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Victoria: 16 o Queensland: 16 (18 for anal sex)…