Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal

Updated On November 14, 2023
Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal

Prostitution, the selling of sexual favors for money, is called the world’s oldest profession.

However, someone in need of sex without the bother of hooking up or going on a date, will be able to find someone willing to grant it for a few minutes, an hour, or even a whole night depending on how much one is willing to pay.

In some countries, sex work is even legal, albeit heavily regulated.

CountryLegal Status
AfghanistanIllegal
AlbaniaIllegal
AlgeriaLimited Legality
AngolaIllegal
ArgentinaLimited Legality
ArmeniaIllegal
AustraliaLegal
AustriaLimited Legality
AzerbaijanIllegal
BahamasLimited Legality
BahrainIllegal
BangladeshLegal
BarbadosIllegal
BelarusIllegal
BelgiumLimited Legality
BelizeIllegal
BeninLimited Legality
BhutanIllegal
BoliviaLegal
BotswanaLimited Legality
BrazilLimited Legality
BruneiIllegal
BulgariaLimited Legality
Burkina FasoLimited Legality
BurundiIllegal
CambodiaIllegal
CameroonIllegal
CanadaIllegal
Cape VerdeLegal
Central African RepublicLimited Legality
ChadIllegal
ChileLimited Legality
ChinaIllegal
ColombiaLegal
Costa RicaLimited Legality
CroatiaIllegal
CubaLimited Legality
CyprusLimited Legality
Czech RepublicLimited Legality
DenmarkLimited Legality
DjiboutiIllegal
Dominican RepublicLimited Legality
DR CongoLimited Legality
EcuadorLegal
EgyptIllegal
El SalvadorMostly Illegal
EritreaLegal
EstoniaLimited Legality
EswatiniIllegal
EthiopiaLimited Legality
FijiLimited Legality
FinlandLimited Legality
FranceIllegal
GambiaIllegal
GeorgiaIllegal
GermanyLegal
GhanaIllegal
GreeceLegal
GuatemalaLimited Legality
GuyanaIllegal
HaitiIllegal
HondurasLimited Legality
Hong KongLimited Legality
HungaryLegal
IcelandIllegal
IndiaLimited Legality
IndonesiaLegal
IranIllegal
IraqIllegal
IrelandIllegal
IsraelIllegal
ItalyLimited Legality
Ivory CoastLimited Legality
JamaicaIllegal
JapanLimited Legality
JordanIllegal
KazakhstanLimited Legality
KenyaLimited Legality
KuwaitIllegal
KyrgyzstanLimited Legality
LaosIllegal
LatviaLimited Legality
LebanonLegal
LibyaIllegal
LithuaniaIllegal
LuxembourgLimited Legality
MacauLimited Legality
MadagascarLimited Legality
MalawiLimited Legality
MaldivesIllegal
MaliLimited Legality
MaltaLimited Legality
MexicoLimited Legality
MoldovaIllegal
MonacoLimited Legality
MongoliaIllegal
MoroccoIllegal
MozambiqueLegal
MyanmarIllegal
NamibiaLimited Legality
NepalIllegal
NetherlandsLegal
New ZealandLegal
NicaraguaLimited Legality
NigerIllegal
NigeriaLimited Legality
North KoreaIllegal
North MacedoniaLimited Legality
NorwayIllegal
OmanIllegal
PakistanIllegal
PalestineIllegal
PanamaLegal
Papua New GuineaIllegal
ParaguayLimited Legality
PeruLegal
PhilippinesIllegal
PolandLimited Legality
PortugalLimited Legality
QatarIllegal
RomaniaLimited Legality
RussiaIllegal
RwandaIllegal
SamoaIllegal
Saudi ArabiaIllegal
SenegalLimited Legality
Sierra LeoneLegal
SingaporeLimited Legality
Solomon IslandsLimited Legality
SomaliaIllegal
South AfricaIllegal
South KoreaIllegal
South SudanLimited Legality
SpainLimited Legality
Sri LankaIllegal
SurinameIllegal
SwedenIllegal
SwitzerlandLegal
SyriaIllegal
TaiwanIllegal
TajikistanLimited Legality
TanzaniaIllegal
ThailandLimited Legality
Timor-LesteLimited Legality
TogoLimited Legality
TunisiaIllegal
TurkeyLegal
TurkmenistanIllegal
UgandaIllegal
UkraineIllegal
United Arab EmiratesIllegal
United KingdomLimited Legality
United StatesMostly Illegal
UruguayLegal
UzbekistanIllegal
VenezuelaLegal
VietnamIllegal
YemenIllegal
ZambiaLimited Legality
ZimbabweIllegal

Some of the Countries Where Prostitution is Legal – In Depth

Germany

Prostitution is entirely legal in Germany, with legal brothels and licensing for sex workers.

German law permits the advertising of sexual services for hire and even the recruitment of sex workers by human resources firms.

Sex work is taxed just like any other profession.

Germany has laws that guarantee the rights of sex workers.

New Zealand

Prostitution, including brothels and even street solicitation of sex for money, is legal in New Zealand.

However, New Zealand prohibits any third party (i.e., a pimp) to recruit anyone under the age of 18 into sex work.

Australia

The legality of sex work in Australia depends on which state one happens to be in.

In New South Wales, sex work is legal, but pimping is not.

In Queensland, Tasmania, and Victoria, prostitution is legal but highly regulated.

In Western Australia, Northern Territory, and South Australia, prostitution is, for the most part, unregulated, however pimping and brothels are prohibited.

Costa Rica

Prostitution is legal in this Central American country, though pimping and similar third-party arrangements are illegal.

Bangladesh

Sex work is legal in Bangladesh.

However, sex work is highly regulated, Women entering the world’s oldest profession in this country have to be registered.

Furthermore, they are required to sign an affidavit that they are engaging in sex work of their own free will and are unable to find more respectable employment.

Finland

Prostitution is legal in Finland.

However, sex workers are prohibited from soliciting their services publicly.

They are advertised on the Internet or through ads in the personal section of a newspaper.

Turkey

Prostitution is legal in Turkey but with certain restrictions.

A sex worker has to be a woman, a Turkish citizen, and not married.

She has to work in a registered brothel and undergo an exam every two weeks for sexually transmitted diseases.

The Netherlands

Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands so long as it occurs between consenting adults.

Efforts to secure the rights of sex workers and prevent abuse are a work in progress, however.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is “marriage prostitution” in Iran?

Prostitution is illegal in Iran.

However, the country has developed a loophole through that prohibition called “sigheh.”

A man desiring sexual services will marry a woman willing to provide them for a fixed period of time.

Money changes hands between the man and the woman (called a dowery) and the mullah who performs the marriage ceremony and arranges for the divorce, perhaps as little as an hour later.

Thus, sex for hire follows the letter of sharia law.

One interesting aspect of sigheh is that a customer is not able to see his future “wife” because it is contrary to sharia law for a woman to be exposed to a man who is not a close relative.

It’s a roll of the dice whether the woman is physically attractive or plain-looking.

What about those legal brothels in Nevada?

Prostitution is illegal in the United States.

The exception to that rule occurs in ten rural counties in Nevada, where legal brothels exist.

The regulations are strict. No brothel can be close to a church or a school.

Brothels are only allowed to advertise in the county where they are located.

Sex workers must be 18 or over and be in the world’s oldest profession of their own accord.

Sex workers must use condoms and are regularly checked for sexually transmitted diseases.

They are also required to have permits to work in Nevada, which includes a background check.

Why did Maine “decriminalize” sex work?

It’s no secret that even though prostitution is illegal in the United States (with the exception of legal brothels in Nevada) the practice is widespread.

Some groups have pushed to have the practice decriminalized so that it can be regulated and taxed.

Maine recently passed legislation that would decriminalize selling sex for money but not, oddly, the purchase of that service.

The theory is that sex workers will be far less prone to exploitation if they are not in fear of prosecution.

3 Comments on Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal

  1. I believe that legalizing prostitution can have both positive and negative effects on a country. While it may provide economic benefits, it can also perpetuate exploitation and harm to those involved. It’s a complex issue that requires careful consideration.

  2. Based on the data presented in the table, it appears that the majority of people prefer option B over option A.

  3. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, but there are ongoing efforts to protect sex workers and prevent abuse.

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