Where does this countries where prostitution is legal data come from?

Name: Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal
Creator: Rankodex

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme - Institute of Development Studies; Global Network of Sex Work Project - nswp; Prostitution is legal in countries across Europe, but it's nothing like what you think - Business Insider; Prostitution Law - Wiki.

Country rankings

Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal

Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal: compare 163 countries on 3 metrics.

Law163 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Oct 10, 2024Original page

7 sources

Legality of Prostitution

4 values across 163 entries

Legal Model in Use

11 values across 163 entries

Data

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163 countries


Afghanistan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Sex outside of marriage is punishable by death., The law against prostitution is expressed as a law against 'debauchery', 'immorality' or other such term.+1
Albania	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Prostitution is illegal under Article 113 of the Criminal Code.
Algeria	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Buying sex is not illegal except insofar as it violates Sharia law.
Angola	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Lax enforcement., Child prostitution is a problem in the country.
Antigua and Barbuda	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Prostitution is illegal under Article 22 of the Sexual Offences Act 1995.
Argentina	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Armenia	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution and sex tourism are legal, but operating a brothel is prohibited and engaging in other forms of pimping are punishable by one to 5 years imprisonment.
Australia	Limited Legality	Legalization/Prohibitionism	The law varies depending on the state from decriminalized to legally regulated to criminal
Austria	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Azerbaijan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Bahamas	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.\| Sex trafficking is a problem on the island
Bahrain	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still exists, but not prevalent.\| Sex trafficking is a problem in the country
Bangladesh	Legal	Legalization	Solicitation still illegal.
Barbados	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still exists, but not prevalent.
Belarus	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread., Sex trafficking is a problem in the country
Belgium	Legal	Legalization	Human trafficking or exploiting individuals involved in prostitution is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.
Belize	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in itself is ‘legal’ in Belize, contracting the services of a commercial sex worker is illegal. There are also offenses such as pimping, owning or operating a brothel, or living off the proceeds of prostitution, which are punishable by law.
Benin	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.\| HIV, sex trafficking and child sex tourism are problems in the country.
Bhutan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still exists, but not prevalent. Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.
Bolivia	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Botswana	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Brazil	Legal	Abolitionism	It is illegal to profit from the prostitution of others; to maintain a house for the purpose of prostitution and to entice or procure a woman for prostitution.
Brunei	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Bulgaria	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution has been legal in Bulgaria since 1990, but is not subject to any further regulation. Prostitution is neither expressly permitted nor banned under Bulgarian law.
Burkina Faso	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Burundi	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Cambodia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Cameroon	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Canada	Limited Legality	Neo-abolitionism	Selling sex is legal, but buying sex is illegal following implementation of House Government Bill C-36 of 2014.
Cape Verde	Legal	Decriminalization	Sex trafficking and child prostitution still illegal.
Central African Republic	Legal	Abolitionism	Profiting off the prostitution of others is illegal, as is coercing people into prostitution.\| Human trafficking and Child prostitution is a problem in the country
Chad	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Chile	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal and regulated under Article 41 of the Codigo Sanitario.\| Brothel keeping and procuring for prostitution are illegal.
China	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Frequent legal exception: happy ending massages.
Colombia	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated. Inconsistent enforcement.
Costa Rica	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Croatia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Cuba	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Cuba is not officially illegal; however, there is legislation against pimps, sexual exploitation of minors, and pornography.\| Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.
Cyprus	Legal	Abolitionism	It is illegal to operate brothels, organize prostitution rings, live off the profits of prostitution, encourage prostitution or force a person to engage in prostitution. Buying and selling sex are not illegal.
Czechia	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, but unregulated.\| Organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings, pimping, etc.) is prohibited
Denmark	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Denmark was decriminalised in 1999, but certain related activities remain illegal. Both buying and selling sexual services are legal, but activities such as operating brothels and pimping are illegal, as is prostitution by non-residents.
Djibouti	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
Dominican Republic	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
DR Congo	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Ecuador	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated. Inconsistent enforcement.
Egypt	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still exists, but not prevalent.\| Prostitution is illegal under Article 9(c) of Law No. 10/1961 on the Combating of Prostitution.
El Salvador	Limited Legality	Abolitionism/Prohibitionism/Legalization	Prostitution in El Salvador is not prohibited by national law, but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances., Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal.+1
Eritrea	Legal	Legalization	—
Estonia	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Eswatini	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
Ethiopia	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Fiji	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Fiji is legal, but most activities connected with it are illegal: brothel keeping, pimping and buying or selling sex in public.
Finland	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal. In Finland, Norway and Switzerland the right to sell sex is restricted based on citizenship. Aliens caught selling sex in Finland or Norway may be deported and of foreign citizens only EU citizens can get a Swiss prosti…
France	Limited Legality	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling is legal, but buying, organizing, solicitation illegal. Loopholes exist.
Gambia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Georgia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Germany	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Ghana	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Greece	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated. Illegal prostitution also common.
Guatemala	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution and brothels legal, pimping illegal.
Guinea-Bissau	Legal	Decriminalization	—
Guyana	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Haiti	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Honduras	Legal	Abolitionism	Although adult prostitution is legal for adults over the age of 18 and relatively widespread, the law prohibits promoting or facilitating prostitution.
Hong Kong	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Hungary	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Iceland	Illegal	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling is legal, but buying, organizing, solicitation illegal. Still widespread.
India	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels, solicitation and offering to sell sex in public place is illegal.
Indonesia	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Indonesia is legally considered a "crime against decency/morality", although it is widely practiced, tolerated and even regulated in some areas.
Iran	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Repeat offenders may be executed.
Iraq	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Buyer, seller, & organizer all liable. Steep penalties.
Ireland	Limited Legality	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling sex is legal, but buying sex is illegal under Articles 24 and 25 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.
Israel	Limited Legality	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling is legal, but buying, organizing, solicitation illegal.
Italy	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Italy (Italian: prostituzione), defined as the exchange of sexual acts for money, is legal, although organized prostitution, whether indoors in brothels or controlled by third parties, is prohibited.
Ivory Coast	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Jamaica	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Prostitution is illegal under Article 23 of the Sexual Offences Act 2011.
Japan	Limited Legality	Prohibitionism	The Prostitution Prevention Law, enacted in 1957, forbids the act of having ‘intercourse with an unspecified person in exchange for paymen; however ther paid sexual acts are not illegal
Jordan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
Kazakhstan	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Kenya	Legal	Abolitionism	The Kenyan Penal Code does not criminalize sex work. However, it criminalizes third parties who live on the earnings of prostitution
Kuwait	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Kyrgyzstan	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Laos	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Latvia	Legal	Legalization	Prostitution is legal and regulated under Cabinet Regulation No. 32 Regarding Restriction of Prostitution 2008.\| Sex trafficking, child prostitution, and HIV are all problems in Latvia.
Lebanon	Legal	Legalization	Prostitution in Lebanon is nominally legal and regulated. However, no licences have been issued since 1975, Sex trafficking, therefore, is a problem in Lebanon.[6]
Libya	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Lithuania	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Luxembourg	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal in Luxembourg, but the bill will criminalise customers of prostitutes who are minors, vulnerable individuals – for instance, individuals suffering from mental illness or without valid papers – or the victims of human trafficking.
Macau	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels, solicitation, & "street prostitution" illegal.
Madagascar	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Malawi	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Maldives	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still exists, but not prevalent.
Mali	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Selling sex is legal but associated activities are criminalised. Soliciting on the streets is a criminal offence.
Malta	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Selling sex is legal in Malta but it is illegal to solicit in public. Civil code makes it possible to evict from premises if sex work is taking place.
Mexico	Limited Legality	Legalization/Abolitionism/Prohibitionism	Prostitution in Mexico is legal under Federal Law. Each of the 31 states enacts its own prostitution laws and policies
Moldova	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Monaco	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Mongolia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Morocco	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Mozambique	Legal	Legalization	—
Myanmar	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Namibia	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Selling sex itself is legal but a number of other activities are criminalised. There are laws against soliciting in a public place and brothel-keeping.
Nepal	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Netherlands	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
New Zealand	Legal	Legalization	Prostitution was decriminalized under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.
Nicaragua	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Niger	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Nigeria	Limited Legality	Abolitionism/Prohibitionism	Varies by state/territory.
North Korea	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Prevalence unclear
North Macedonia	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in North Macedonia is legal, though with various restrictions.
Norway	Limited Legality	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling and brothels are legal, but purchasing illegal. Loopholes exist.
Oman	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Pakistan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still common despite steep penalties.
Palestine	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Reportedly still legal in city of Ramallah
Panama	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Papua New Guinea	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
Paraguay	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Selling sex is legal at the national level and there are no associated activities criminalised at the national level. There are, however, local ordinances which prohibit activities like soliciting in the streets.
Peru	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Philippines	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
Poland	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Portugal	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Qatar	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Steep penalties.
Romania	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Russia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Rwanda	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Samoa	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Saudi Arabia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Steep penalties.
Senegal	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Sierra Leone	Legal	Abolitionism	Soliciting and 3rd party involvement are prohibited by the Sexual Offences Act 2012.
Singapore	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Singapore in itself is not illegal, but various prostitution-related activities are criminalized. This includes public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute and maintaining a brothel
Solomon Islands	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal. Lax enforcement.
Somalia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
South Africa	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
South Korea	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
South Sudan	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal. Lax enforcement.
Spain	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Spain is not addressed by any specific law, but a number of activities related to it, such as pimping, are illegal.
Sri Lanka	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Suriname	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread. Lax enforcement.
Sweden	Limited Legality	Neo-Abolitionism	Selling and brothels are legal, but purchasing illegal. Loopholes exist.
Switzerland	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated. Pimping and forced prostitution still illegal.
Syria	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Lax enforcement.
Taiwan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Technically legal in "special zones" ... none of which exist.
Tajikistan	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution in Tajikistan is legal, but related activities such as soliciting, procuring and brothel keeping are prohibited
Tanzania	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Thailand	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Timor-Leste	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Togo	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Trinidad and Tobago	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal.
Tunisia	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Legal in two small areas of country only.
Turkey	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Turkmenistan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Uganda	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Ukraine	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Illegal but tolerated.
United Arab Emirates	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Steep penalties.
United Kingdom	Limited Legality	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal. Lax enforcement. In Northern Ireland, which previously had similar laws, paying for sex became illegal from 1 June 2015.
United States	Illegal/Legal	Prohibitionism/Legalization	Illegal in 49.5 of 50 states, but still prevalent.
Uruguay	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Uzbekistan	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Lax enforcement.
Venezuela	Legal	Legalization	Organized and regulated.
Vietnam	Illegal	Prohibitionism	—
Yemen	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.
Zambia	Legal	Abolitionism	Prostitution is legal, brothels and solicitation illegal. Lax enforcement.
Zimbabwe	Illegal	Prohibitionism	Still widespread.

Quick answers

Where does this countries where prostitution is legal data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme - Institute of Development Studies; Global Network of Sex Work Project - nswp; Prostitution is legal in countries across Europe, but it's nothing like what you think - Business Insider; Prostitution Law - Wiki.