Countries that legalized gay marriage
Gay Marriage Around the World
A growing number of governments around the world are considering whether to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages. So far, more than two dozen countries have enacted national laws allowing gays and lesbians to marry, mostly in Europe and the Americas. In Mexico, some jurisdictions allow same-sex couples to wed, while others do not.
Countries That Allow Same-sex attracted Marriage
Countries Where Same-sex attracted Marriage is Legal in Some Jurisdictions
Countries That Let Gay Marriage
Australia (2017)
On Dec. 7, 2017, the Australian Parliament passed legislation allowing gay and sapphic couples to legally wed. Passage came just three weeks after Australians voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, by a 62% to 38% margin, in a non-binding, nationwide referendum. Along with New Zealand, Australia became the second country in the Asia-Pacific region to to form same-sex marriage legal.
Malta (2017)
Malta’s parliament almost unanimously voted to legalize same-sex marriage in July 2017, despite opposition from the Catholic Church on the little Mediterranean island.
Germany (2017)
On June 30, 2017, Germany became the 15th European region to enac
Same-sex marriage represents a critical milestone in the Queer rights movement, allowing couples of the same sex to legally marry and receive the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples. The journey towards legalization has been varied across the globe, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In some regions, the push for marriage equality has gained significant traction and achieved legal recognition, often after prolonged public and legal battles.
While full marriage equality is celebrated in many places, an alternative approach through civil unions or household partnerships persists in others. These frameworks typically grant a subset of rights that marriage offers, focusing on aspects like property rights or hospital visitation. However, they often plummet short in areas such as inheritance, pension rights, and parental responsibilities, displaying a gap in the legal recognition of relationships.
The acceptance and implementation of same-sex marriage have brought substantial legal benefits, including inheritance rights, tax reductions, and enhanced health insurance options, which are key for the security and well-being of families. This progr
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the planet. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of group, national and regional advocates and disseminate tools, resources, and lessons learned to empower movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: 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 Combined Kingdom, the Merged States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
The tin anniversary – a review of the status of same-sex relationships around the world
Posted: 28/03/2024
On 29 March 2024, it will be the 10-year anniversary of the first queer marriage ceremony in England. It is sometimes uncomplicated to forget that up until 1967 homosexuality was illegal in this territory. Interestingly, it was never illegal to be female homosexual, perhaps one of the few ways women were historically overlooked by commandment makers which had an inadvertently positive effect!
It may come as a shock to some same-sex couples who move abroad that their relationship might not be recognised, or they may even be treated differently than a heterosexual couple in their fresh home country if their relationship or marriage ends.
In England, there are a myriad of financial claims arising from the breakdown of a marriage or civil partnership, and these rights could be disoriented if you move abroad.
In contrast, cohabiting couples in England still face limited financial protection on separation despite calls for reform. Our International Family Regulation Report: The Cohabitation Conundrum summarises the legal remedies for cohabiting couples on the breakdown of their relationship in England an
Here are the countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal
June 26 marks the fifth anniversary of gay marriage being legalized across the entire Together States.
To commemorate this milestone in LGBTQ history, we are taking a stare at countries around the world that have officially legalized same-sex marriage. Nearly 30 out of 195 countries have passed laws allowing gay marriage, according to the Pew Analyze Center.
Below is a timeline for the countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal. The year marks when the law was first enacted in that country.
2000: The Netherlands
The land became the first in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The monitoring year, four couples married in the world’s first same-sex wedding in 2001. [Associated Press]
2003: Belgium
Three years after the new commandment was enacted, the country’s parliament granted same-sex couples the right to adopt in 2006. [Pew Investigate Center]
2005: Canada
The nation's traditional definition of civil marriage was changed to contain the union between gay couples. [Pew Research Center]
2005: Spain
The new law gave same-sex couples all of the same marital and adoption righ