The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts and is thus the minimum age of a person who is with whom another person is legally permitted to engage in sexual activity. The distinguishing aspect of the age of consent laws is that the person below the minimum age is regarded as the victim, and their sex partner is regarded as the offender, unless both are underage.

Definitions

Restricted by age difference: younger partner is deemed able to consent to having sex with an older one as long as their age difference does not exceed a specified amount. This column shows the younger partner's age of consent under these rules, not the age difference. Restricted by authority: younger partner is deemed able to consent to having sex with any older partner, so long as said older partner is not in a legally recognised position of trust or authority, which the latter is abusing over the former. Unrestricted: age from which one is deemed able to consent to having sex with anyone else at or above the age of consent or the marriageable age if they must be married.

The data below reflects what each jurisdiction's legislation actually means, rather than what it states on the surface.

By country Column headings explained (hover for details): Restricted by age difference. Restricted by authority between partners. No restrictions after this age.

+ Ages of consent by country, sex, sex difference, age difference, and authority between partners. Countries and states Region Must be married Asia No — — 14 Zhang, Laney (Foreign Law Specialist). "Children's Rights: China" (Archive). Library of Congress. August 2007. Last updated 16 March 2015. Retrieved on 25 April 2015. "Having sexual intercourse with a girl under fourteen years of age is statutory rape, with a sentence of heavier punishment within the range of punishments for rape." and "Having sex with girls under the age of fourteen who are acting as prostitutes may result in a fixed-term imprisonment of five years and fine." Asia No 13 16 18 Europe No — 14 18 Europe No — 16 18 Europe No — 15 18 Asia No — — 18 Europe No 13 14 16 South America No — — 14 Brazilian Penal Code - official text (see Article 217-A) North America No 12-15 16 18 Asia No 13 — 16 Europe No — — 16 Europe No — 16 18 Asia No — — 18 Europe No — 16 18 Europe No — — 18 Europe No — — 16 Asia Yes — — 18 — Europe No — 15 18 Africa No — — 18 — Europe No — 15 18 South America No — 13 18 Europe No 14 16 18 South America No — — 16 Europe No — — 16 Europe No 13 14 18 Asia Yes — 15 13 18 15 Abrahamian, History of Modern Iran, (2008), p. 190 Asia No 14 15 18 Asia No — — 18 — South America No — — 14 Africa No 12 — 16 Europe No — 15 18 Asia No — 16 — 18 — Asia No — 16 18 Singapore Statutes OnLine Asia No 14 — 16 Asia No 16 18 on 2013-02-27) Africa No 10 13 18 — Asia No — — 16 Europe No — 16 18 South America No — 14 18 Asia Yes — — 18 — Europe No — — 17 O'Dwyer, Peter. "The age of consent debate: Where does Ireland stand?" (Archive). Irish Examiner. 9 April 2014. Retrieved on 14 January 2016. Europe No — 15 18 Europe No — 14 18 Código Penal Português , Art 171-173 Asia No — — 18 The Daily Beast Asia No — — 16 Africa No — — 16 — Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture edited by David A. Gerstner page 648 Asia Yes — — 18 16 — Europe No — 15 18 117/1852 Ř.z., Zákon trestní o zločinech, přečinech a přestupcích: § 128 Zprznění South America No — 14 18 Europe No 14 16 18 Oceania No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 — Asia Yes — — 17 15 — Africa No — 14 16 Europe No 12 14 18 Europe No — — 16 Africa Yes — — 18 — South America No — — 14 Europe No — — 15 Insular America No — — 16 Africa Yes — — 13 12 — Asia Yes — — 18 — Europe No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Europe No — — 16 Insular America No — — 18 Asia No — — 16 — 16 Africa No — — 18 — Central America No — — 14 South America No 12 15 18 Uruguayan Penal Code Articles 272 and 267 Europe No 12 — 15 Europe No — — 16 Asia No — — 14 Africa No — — 18 — Asia No — — 18 Central America No — 15 18 Europe No — — 15 Interpol - National Laws - Slovenia interpol.int Central America No — 14 18 Europe No — 16 18 Africa No — — 18 — Asia No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 — Europe No — 14 18 Africa Yes — — 18 16 — Africa No — — 16 Asia Yes — — — Africa No — — 18 Asia No — — 18 Schmitt, Arno & Sofer, Jehoeda, 1992, Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies, Binghamton: Harrington Park Press, 1992, , pages 137-138/ Africa No — — 15 — 18 Asia No — 16 (married) 21 (unmarried) O'Dwyer, Peter. "The age of consent debate: Where does Ireland stand?" (Archive). Irish Examiner. 9 April 2014. Retrieved on 14 January 2016. South America No — 14 18 Africa No — — 16 —21— Europe No — — 16 (Latvian original text) South America No — — 14 16 (click on PDF file in "texto completo") Insular America No — — 18 Africa No — — 18 Africa No — — 16 Europe No — 16 18 Central America No — 15 18 Europe No — — 17 Asia Yes — — Puberty — Central America No — 14 18 . Can judiciary of Honduras Republic "RAPE, statutory rape, indecent assault, kidnapping Article 140. It is an offence of rape: sexual intercourse with a person of either sex through violence or threat of causing the taxpayer's spouse or domestic partner he or one of his relatives within the fourth (4th) degree of consanguinity or second (2nd) affinity serious and imminent harm. For purposes of this article shall mean sexual intercourse, which have vaginal, anal or oral route. It will be punishable with ten (10) to fifteen (15) years of imprisonment. They are special cases of rape sexual intercourse with a person of either sex when without any violence or threats, meet any of the following circumstances. Such cases shall be punishable by fifteen (15) to twenty (20) years of imprisonment and are as follows:1) When the victim is under fourteen (14) years of age; 2) When the victim is found deprived of reason or will or when for any reason can not resist; 3) When the active to commit the crime of rape intentionally diminishes or abolishes the will of the victim using this narcotic or psychotropic substances, including alcohol or committed the violation finding the taxpayer in the previous situation subject;. Article 141. commit acts of lust, who taking advantage of the conditions or using the means indicated in the preceding article makes victim to another or others in acts of lust other than sexual intercourse shall be punished with imprisonment of five (5) to eight (8) years. When the victim is under fourteen (14) years even if you have consented to the act or being older the taxable person suffers from a mental illness or incomplete mental development or retardation or private has reason or will or when by any cause can not resist the previous sentence is increased by half (1/2). When acts of lust consisting in the insertion of objects or instruments of any nature in the sexual organs or other natural orifices or artificial simulating the sexual organs of the taxpayer body, the offender shall be punished with imprisonment of ten (10) fifteen (15) years." Asia No — — 18 Europe No — 15 18 Africa No 15 — — 18 21 Asia No — — 15 Asia Yes — — 16 — Africa No — — 16 Europe No 14 15 18 (Icelandic) The Icelandic Penal Code

Section 202 Anyone who is 18 or older and has carnal intercourse or other sexual intimacy with a child younger than 15 years shall be subject to imprisonment for at least 1 year and up to 16 years. Asia No — — 15 Africa No — — 18 Oceania No 12 14 — — 16 17 — sections 213 and 216 of the Criminal Code (1974) Asia No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 Africa No — — 16 — Africa No — — 16 — Africa No — — 18 — Insular America No — — 16 Africa No — — 16 Europe No — 14 18 Africa No — — 16 — Africa No 15 — — 18 — Africa No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Africa No — — 15 — Central America No — 16 18 Asia No — — 15 Joe Cummings, Andrew Burke. Lonely Planet Guide to Laos, p. 256 Europe No — 16 18 Africa No — — 18 Asia No — — 16 Africa No — — 14 21 Europe No — — 16 Africa No — — 16 Asia No — — 16 Insular America No — — 15 Insular America No — — 16 18 Africa No — — 13 — Europe No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 Asia No — — 16 Europe No — — 16 Europe No — — 15 Africa No — — 15 Europe No 12 14 18 Africa No — — 16 Insular America No — — 16 South America No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 — Asia No — — 14 (WIPO Lex) Africa No — — 18 Europe No — 14 18 Africa No — — 15 Oceania No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 — Insular America No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 Europe No — 16 18 South America No — — 15 South America No — — 16 Asia Yes — — 18 — Africa No — — 18 — South America No — — 15 Africa No — — 18 — Africa No — — 18 Asia No — — 18 Africa No 14 — 16 Europe No — 14 18 Africa No — — 18 Central America No — — 16 Africa No 15 — — 18 — Africa No — — 15 South America No — — 16 Africa No — — 18 — South America No — — 16 Africa No — — 16 Africa No — — 16 18 Oceania No — — 16 Oceania No — 15 18 Africa No — — 15 — South America No — — 16 — Africa No — 14 — 16 Oceania No — — 15 18 — Oceania No — 15 18 Asia No — — 15 — Asia No — — 16 ROC Criminal Law, Article 227, 227–1 229–1 Europe No — — 18 LAW N. VIII: SUPPLEMENTARY NORMS ON CRIMINAL LAW MATTERS vaticanstate.va Asia Yes — — 18 — Asia No — — 18 Africa No — — 13

Governed by state or province Australia

+ State/territory By age By authority Unrestricted 10 16 18 .. 14 16 17... — 16 18 sch 1 s 127. — — 16. 16 17 18.. 12 17 18.. 12 16 18.... 13 16 18 sch 1 ss 320–321, 322.

Mexico

+ Ages of consent in MexicoAreaBy ageBy authorityUnrestricted 12 — 16 120 118 14 — 18 177, 182 12 — 18 286 290 12 — 18 162 164 12 — 18 235 239 14 — 18 172 177 12 — 16 229 235 14 — 18 146 148 12 — 18 181 bis 180 14 — 18 177 181 12 — 16 181 185 12 — 18 179 187 12 — 18 180, 185 12 — 18 142-L, 142-M 15 — 18 273 271 12 — 16 240 170 12 — 18 154 159 Puberty — 18 289, 291 14 — 18 267 262 12 — 18 247, 243 12 — 18 272 264, 265 12 — 18 161 167 12 — 18 127 130 12 — 16 173 179 12 — 18 180 184 12 — 18 219 215 12 — 17 150 153 12 — 18 275 270 14 — 18 289 291 14 — 16 190 Quater 189 13 — 16 315 311 13 — 18 237.1 237.4

United States