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. And with the Iraqi government's recent attempt to lower the age of consent for girls from 18 to nine, global age of consent laws are in the spotlight once more.

"It's not the first time this year that the age of consent has hit the headlines," said Glamour. "In the wake of allegations made against comedian Russell Brand, many are calling for sexual consent laws to be reformed in the UK."

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

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The age of consent in the UK is 16, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. However, when an adult has a "position of trust" over a child – as do teachers, social workers, and doctors, for example – that age may be increased to 18.

Europe

In most European countries the age of consent is 15 or 16, but some countries diverge from the norm. The set age in Spain, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium is 16. France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Greece, Denmark and Iceland are a bit lower at 15. Ireland's age of consent is 17, and the Vatican's is the continent’s highest at 18, after it was raised from 12 in 2013.

Albania, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Germany, Montenegro and Portugal all set their age of consent at 14, but in some of these countries, a "Romeo and Juliet" clause, or close-in-age exemption, applies. That means legal restrictions do not always apply to two consenting partners who are close in age.

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 "Romeo and Juliet" clauses, so when only one participant is under-age or there is an age gap, legal restrictions will apply.

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. Cuba is an exception – the age of consent there is 12, as long as the other person is below 16.

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 countries including 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 13 in Comoros and Niger. At 12, Angola has one of the lowest ages of consent in the world.

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

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

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.

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 Korea used to have one of the world's lowest ages of consent at 13. It's now 16. (And in North Korea, it's 15.)

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".