Same-sex marriage is legal in the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, excluding the Monastic community of Mount Athos. Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands,The Netherlands proper, Aruba, and Curaçao. Same-sex marriages performed there are recognized in Sint Maarten. New Zealand,New Zealand proper and the Ross Dependency. Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom,England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; the overseas territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey. the United States,50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands and multiple tribal nations and Uruguay.
Same-sex marriage is recognized, but not performed, in Israel and the United States territory of American Samoa. Furthermore, same-sex marriages performed elsewhere in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are recognized in Sint Maarten. Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry has been and remains the topic of debate worldwide. 32 countries and four jurisdictions worldwide have passed constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and sometimes other forms of legal unions as well. Sixteen countries and 34 jurisdictions worldwide have authorized civil unions or unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples as an alternative to marriage. The legal name of those unions as well as the number of rights that they provide can vary greatly.
Legislative efforts to recognise same-sex unions
National level The first legislation of unregistered cohabitation was introduced in the Netherlands in June 1979. However, the first substantial recognition of same-sex couples did not occur before the introduction of a new legal form, that of registered partnerships, which was first enacted in Denmark in June 1989. Many countries have followed with similar legislation since then. Legislation of these forms of legal unions still occur with a variety of different names, even after the introduction of same sex marriage, although sometimes they are overwritten by subsequent legislation of same-sex marriage.
As of , certain alternative form of legal recognition other than marriage has been allowed on a national level in Bolivia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino.
As of , legislation to allow an alternative form of legal recognition of same-sex couples other than marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Kosovo, Peru and Poland.
As of , same-sex marriage has been legal (nationwide or in some parts) in Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.
As of , legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending or considered in at least one legislative house on a national level in Japan.