The ages of consent around the world

The age at which a person can legally consent to sexual activity varies widely around the world, even within Europe. But after the Iraqi government last year changed its laws to lower the age of consent for girls to as young as nine, the difference in these laws, from country to country, are once more in the spotlight.

In most countries, the age of consent is between 16 and 18, but there are outliers. And in some countries, different restrictions apply depending on the gender and sexuality of the people involved.

The age of consent in the UK is 16, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But that rises to 18 if the sexual relationship is with an adult in a "position of trust" – such as a teacher, social worker or doctor. It is illegal for an adult in a position of trust to have sex with a child in their care.

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Europe

In most European countries, the age of consent is 15 or 16, but some countries diverge from the norm. Albania, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Germany, Montenegro and Portugal all set their age of consent at 14. Ireland's age of consent is 17, and the Vatican City's has the continent's highest age of consent at 18 – raised from 12 in 2013 – although only a handful of minors live in the microstate, mostly the children of diplomats or Swiss Guards.

The age of consent in Spain, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium is 16. In France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Greece, Denmark and Iceland, it's a year lower, at 15.

Age of consent laws in some countries include a so-called "Romeo and Juliet" clause, which allows an exemption for consensual sex between a minor and a slightly older peer – for instance, a relationship between a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old in a country where the age of consent is 16.

North America

The age of consent in Canada is 16, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. In the US, it is between 16 and 18, and decided by each individual state. Thirty-one of its 50 states have set the age at 16, eight at 17 and 11 at 18. Many states also have a "Romeo and Juliet" clause.

Roughly half of all US states allow children under the age of consent to get married with special permission, either from parents or from a court. "There are no federal laws against it, meaning minors can marry, with parental consent, before they can vote, drink, or buy lottery tickets in the majority of the country," said The Guardian.

The age of consent in Central American and Caribbean countries ranges from 13 to 18 – though some nations have different rules for same-sex relationships. In Cuba, the age of consent is 16, although a girl can marry at 14 with parental approval.

Africa

In South Africa, the age of consent is 16, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, but if both people are between 12 and 16, there will not be criminal charges. The age of consent is also 16 in Zambia, Namibia and Ghana.

It is 18 in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Burundi. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the age of consent is 14 for girls and 18 for boys. The age of consent is 14 in Madagascar (though the age of consent for homosexual couples is 21) and Angola, and 13 in Comoros and Niger.

In Libya, Morocco and Sudan, couples cannot have sex unless they are married. In Sudan, the legal age of consent is 12 for females and 13 for males, while in Libya the age of consent is 16 for females and 18 for males. Non-heterosexual sex is forbidden in all three countries.

Asia and Oceania

South Korea used to have one of the world's lowest ages of consent at 13. It's now 16. In North Korea, it's 15. Last year, the age of consent in Japan was increased from 13 to 16 after major reforms were passed in parliament. But in practice, "across many parts of the country, regional ordinances banning 'lewd' acts with minors are sometimes seen as in effect raising the age of consent to 18", said The Guardian.

In India, Vietnam, Lebanon and Turkey, the age of consent is 18 for all. In China, it is 14.

Many countries in Asia prohibit sexual activity outside of marriage, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Yemen and the Maldives. It is also illegal, but decriminalised, in the United Arab Emirates.

South America

The age of consent in most South American countries, including Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil, is 14. But in Chile and Argentina, the unrestricted age of consent is 18.

In Paraguay, the age of consent for heterosexual couples is 14, said Reuters, but "all gay sex is illegal under the age of 16, with violators facing penalties up to two years in jail".

Age of same-sex consent

Around 138 countries have equal ages of consent, but at least seven countries set a higher age for same-sex couples than for heterosexual ones. For instance, Ivory Coast and Gabon require higher ages of consent for homosexual couples, set at 18, while Madagascar, Niger, and the Congo set it at 21. Outside Africa, the Bahamas requires 18 for same-sex couples (compared with 16 for straight couples), and Paraguay sets it at 16 (compared with 14).

In four countries – Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea – the age of consent is equal between same-sex female couples and straight couples, while homosexuality amongst men is illegal. There are 64 countries which criminalise homosexuality, with nearly half of those in Africa.