Legal age of consent, country by country
This reference lists the legal age of sexual consent in countries around the world, with notes on close-in-age defences, recent reforms, and variation within federal states. It is intended as a neutral, factual orientation to how different legal systems set this threshold.
How it works
The age of consent is fixed by each country’s criminal law. Below it, the law treats a minor as unable to give valid consent, so sexual activity is an offence — commonly called statutory rape — even where the minor appeared willing. Many jurisdictions soften the edge with close-in-age provisions so that two teenagers near the same age are not criminalised, while still prohibiting adults. The age can also depend on the nature of the act, the gender of those involved historically, and whether one party holds a position of authority (a teacher, guardian, or employer), which often raises the protected age. In federal countries the threshold is frequently set by state or provincial law, producing variation inside a single nation.
Tips and notes
- Sort by age to see the spread: much of continental Europe sets 14–15, the UK and many others use 16, and a number of countries use 18.
- Recent reforms matter — Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the Philippines all raised their thresholds in the last decade, shown in the notes.
- This is general orientation only. The real rules turn on the specific act, relationships of trust, and current statutes — consult a qualified lawyer for any actual situation.