When Same-Sex Marriage Became Legal
The year marriage first became legally available to same-sex couples across the whole country, by law or by a court. The list runs to 2024.
Netherlands2001
The first country in the world.
The list is of countries where marriage was open to same-sex couples nationwide by the end of 2024; later changes are not included. Countries with civil partnerships only are not shown.
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These charts show a single number for each country, from our own knowledge: the year something first happened, or the time the law sets for it. Where a rule differs by region, by type of case or by group of people, the note says so. Rules are reformed from time to time, so check the current law. It is general information, not legal advice.
The same numbers, as a table
| Country | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2010 | The first in Latin America. |
| Australia | 2017 | After a postal survey. |
| Austria | 2019 | After a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| Belgium | 2003 | |
| Brazil | 2013 | By a ruling of the National Council of Justice. |
| Canada | 2005 | |
| Chile | 2022 | |
| Colombia | 2016 | By a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| Costa Rica | 2020 | After a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| Cuba | 2022 | By a referendum on a new Family Code. |
| Denmark | 2012 | |
| Ecuador | 2019 | By a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| Estonia | 2024 | |
| Finland | 2017 | |
| France | 2013 | |
| Germany | 2017 | |
| Greece | 2024 | |
| Iceland | 2010 | |
| Ireland | 2015 | By a referendum. |
| Luxembourg | 2015 | |
| Malta | 2017 | |
| Mexico | 2022 | All the states by 2022, after court rulings and state laws. |
| Netherlands | 2001 | The first country in the world. |
| New Zealand | 2013 | |
| Norway | 2009 | |
| Portugal | 2010 | |
| Slovenia | 2022 | By a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| South Africa | 2006 | The first in Africa, after a Constitutional Court ruling. |
| Spain | 2005 | |
| Sweden | 2009 | |
| Switzerland | 2022 | |
| Taiwan | 2019 | The first in Asia. |
| United Kingdom | 2014 | England and Wales from 2014; Scotland from late 2014; Northern Ireland from 2020. |
| United States | 2015 | By the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges. |
| Uruguay | 2013 |
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TheLawToKnow Tools. When Same-Sex Marriage Became Legal. https://tools.thelawtoknow.com/who-went-first/when-same-sex-marriage-became-legal.
