Legal Ages Around the World

At what age can you sign a contract, marry, vote, or buy a drink? The answer is different in every country, and it is not always the same for every purpose. This guide puts six legal ages for each country on one map and in one table, with a plain note wherever the general rule has a major exception.

Part of the comparative law toolkit. 70 countries are checked against national law and standard references; for the others we show the age of majority and the voting age as reported, in a lighter shade.

14 or under (0)15 or 16 (0)17 (2)18 (150)19 or 20 (4)21 or over (16)Not set by law, varies, or not yet foundLighter shade: a reported age, not yet checked against the national law

Every country, side by side

Click a heading to sort. Open a country for the notes, such as exceptions with a parent’s or a judge’s consent.


Afghanistanreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Albaniareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Algeriareported	19	–	–	–	18	–
Andorrareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Angolareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Antigua and Barbudareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Argentina	18	18^*	13^*	16	16^*	18
Armeniareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Australia	18	18	16^*	10^*	18	18
Austria	18	18^*	14^*	14	16^*	16^*
Azerbaijanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Bahamasreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Bahrainreported	–	–	–	–	20	–
Bangladesh	18	18^*	–	9	18	–
Barbadosreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Belarusreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Belgium	18	18	16	12^*	18^*	16^*
Belizereported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Beninreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Bhutanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Boliviareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Bosnia and Herzegovinareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Botswanareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Brazil	18	16^*	14	12^*	18^*	18
Bruneireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Bulgaria	18	18^*	14	14	18	18
Burkina Fasoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Burundireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Cabo Verdereported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Cambodiareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Cameroonreported	21	–	–	–	20	–
Canada	18^*	16^*	16^*	12	18	19^*
Central African Republicreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Chadreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Chile	18	18	14^*	14	18	18
China	18	20^*	14	14^*	18	18^*
Colombia	18	18	14	14	18	18
Comorosreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Cook Islandsreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Costa Ricareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Côte d'Ivoirereported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Croatia	18	18^*	15	14	18	18
Cubareported	–	–	–	–	16	–
Cyprus	18	18^*	17	14	18	17
Czechia	18	18^*	15	15	18	18
Democratic Republic of the Congoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Denmark	18	18	15^*	15	18	16^*
Djiboutireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Dominicareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Dominican Republicreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Ecuadorreported	18	–	–	–	16	–
Egypt	21	18	–	12	18	–
El Salvadorreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Equatorial Guineareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Eritreareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Estonia	18	18^*	14	14	18^*	18
Eswatinireported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Ethiopiareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Fijireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Finland	18	18	16	15	18	18^*
France	18	18^*	15^*	13^*	18	18
Gabonreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Gambiareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Georgiareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Germany	18	18^*	14^*	14	18^*	16^*
Ghana	18	18	16	12	18	18
Greece	18	18^*	15	15^*	17	18
Grenadareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Guatemalareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Guineareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Guinea-Bissaureported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Guyanareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Haitireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Hondurasreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Hong Kong	18	16^*	16	10	18	18
Hungary	18	18^*	14	14^*	18	18
Iceland	18	18	15	15	18	20
India	18	18^*	18	7^*	18	varies
Indonesia	21^*	19^*	varies	12	17	21
Iranreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Iraqreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Ireland	18	18^*	17	12^*	18	18
Israel	18	18^*	16	12	18	18
Italy	18	18^*	14^*	14	18^*	18
Jamaica	18	18^*	16	12	18	18
Japan	18^*	18^*	16^*	14	18	20^*
Jordanreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Kazakhstanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Kenya	18	18	18	12^*	18	18
Kiribatireported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Kosovoreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Kuwaitreported	–	–	–	–	21	–
Kyrgyzstanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Laosreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Latvia	18	18^*	16	14^*	18	18
Lebanonreported	–	–	–	–	21	–
Lesothoreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Liberiareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Libyareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Liechtensteinreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Lithuania	18	18^*	16	16^*	18	20
Luxembourg	18	18	16	–	18	16^*
Madagascarreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Malawireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Malaysia	18	18^*	16	10	18^*	21^*
Maldivesreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Malireported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Malta	18	18^*	16	14	16^*	17
Marshall Islandsreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Mauritaniareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Mauritiusreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Mexico	18	18^*	varies	12^*	18	18
Micronesiareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Moldovareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Monacoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Mongoliareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Montenegroreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Morocco	18	18^*	–	12	18	–
Mozambiquereported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Myanmarreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Namibiareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Naurureported	18	–	–	–	20	–
Nepalreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Netherlands	18	18^*	16^*	12	18	18
New Zealand	20^*	18^*	16	10^*	18	18
Nicaraguareported	21	–	–	–	16	–
Nigerreported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Nigeria	18	18^*	–	7	18	18
Niuereported	–	–	–	–	18	–
North Koreareported	17	–	–	–	17	–
North Macedoniareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Norway	18	18	16	15	18	18^*
Omanreported	–	–	–	–	21	–
Pakistan	18	16^*	–	10	18	varies
Palaureported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Palestinereported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Panamareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Papua New Guineareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Paraguayreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Peru	18	18	14	14	18	18
Philippines	18	18	16^*	15	18	18
Poland	18	18^*	15	17^*	18	18
Portugal	18	18	14^*	16^*	18	18
Qatarreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Republic of the Congoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Romania	18	18^*	16	14	18	18
Russia	18	18^*	16	16^*	18	18
Rwandareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Saint Kitts and Nevisreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Saint Luciareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Samoareported	21	–	–	–	21	–
San Marinoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
São Tomé and Príncipereported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Saudi Arabia	18	18^*	–	12	18	varies
Senegalreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Serbia	18	18^*	14	14	18	18
Seychellesreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Sierra Leonereported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Singapore	21	21^*	16	–	21	18
Slovakia	18	18^*	15	14	18	18
Slovenia	18	18^*	15	14	18	18
Solomon Islandsreported	18	–	–	–	21	–
Somaliareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
South Africa	18	18	16	12^*	18	18
South Korea	19	18^*	16^*	14	18	19
South Sudanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Spain	18	18^*	16	14	18	18
Sri Lankareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Sudanreported	–	–	–	–	17	–
Surinamereported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Sweden	18	18	15	15	18	18^*
Switzerland	18	18	16	10	18^*	16^*
Syriareported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Taiwan	18^*	18^*	16^*	14	20	18
Tajikistanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Tanzaniareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Thailand	20	18^*	15	12	18	20
Timor-Lestereported	17	–	–	–	17	–
Togoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Tongareported	18	–	–	–	21	–
Trinidad and Tobagoreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Tunisia	18	18^*	–	13	18	–
Turkey	18	18^*	18^*	12	18	18
Turkmenistanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Ugandareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Ukraine	18	18^*	16	16^*	18	18
United Arab Emirates	21^*	18	–	12	–	21^*
United Kingdom	18^*	18^*	16	10^*	18^*	18^*
United States	18^*	varies	varies	varies	18	21^*
Uruguayreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Uzbekistanreported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Vanuatureported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Venezuelareported	18	–	–	–	18	–
Vietnam	18	18^*	16	14	18	18
Yemenreported	–	–	–	–	18	–
Zambiareported	21	–	–	–	18	–
Zimbabwereported	18	–	–	–	18	–

An asterisk means the country page has a note on an exception. A dash means we have not yet checked that age.

Read this first

Each figure is the general rule. Many countries have exceptions: marriage below the minimum with a parent’s or a judge’s consent, close-in-age rules for the age of consent, different ages for beer and for spirits, different rules in each state or province, and different rules for religious communities. We say so in the notes. Laws change, and a figure here can be out of date: check the country’s own law, especially before you act on it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Age of majority

The age at which a person becomes an adult in civil law: able to sign contracts, own and manage property in their own name, and leave parental authority. A country may set other ages for particular purposes.

Minimum age to marry

The lowest age at which the law allows a marriage, in the general rule. Many countries allow earlier marriage with a parent's or a judge's consent; the exception is shown in the note.

Age of consent

The age at which the law treats a person as able to consent to sexual activity. Below it, the other person commits an offence whatever the young person agrees. Many countries have close-in-age exceptions, higher ages for positions of trust, and different rules by region; the note says so.

Age of criminal responsibility

The lowest age at which a child can be held criminally responsible. Below it, the child cannot be prosecuted, though welfare and protection measures can still apply. Some countries have a second, higher age for full adult responsibility.

Voting age

The age at which a citizen may vote in national elections. Some countries set a lower age for local or European elections, or for a voluntary vote; the note says so.

Alcohol purchase age

The lowest age at which a person may legally buy alcohol, in the general rule. Many countries set different ages for beer and wine and for spirits, for shops and for bars, or ban alcohol; the note says so.

Take it further

Child Travel Consent Form template$5
Permission for a child to travel with one parent or another adult.
Family Law course$15
Marriage, divorce, custody and support, step by step.
Criminal Law pocket guide$12
A short PDF reference book with self-check questions.

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