In which countries is same-sex marriage legal?
Quelle: VIDEOELEPHANT (Glomex)
Same-sex marriage is becoming a reality in more and more countries. In 2025, two new countries have allowed same-sex marriage, bringing the total number of countries worldwide that allow same-sex marriage to 38. But in how many countries on each continent is this right already recognized? Europe The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Following this breakthrough in LGBTIQ+ rights, other countries also began to legalize same-sex marriage. In addition to the Netherlands, Belgium (2003), Spain (2005), Norway and Sweden (2009), Iceland and Portugal (2010), Denmark (2012), France (2013), the United Kingdom (2014), Luxembourg and Ireland (2015) have recognized this right. And since 2015, Germany, Finland, and Malta (2017), Austria (2019), Switzerland (2021), Slovenia (2022), Andorra (2023), Estonia and Greece (2024), and Liechtenstein (2025) have recognized equal marriage. America The first American country to legalize same-sex marriage was Canada in 2005. In North America, the United States (2015), Costa Rica (2020), and Cuba as well as some states in Mexico (2022) have recognized this right. In South America, the countries where same-sex marriage is recognized are as follows: Argentina (2010), Uruguay and Brazil (2013), Colombia (2016), Ecuador (2019), and Chile (2022). Africa South Africa is the only country on the African continent that has legalized same-sex marriage since 2006. Asia Taiwan was the Asian pioneer in legalizing same-sex marriage in 2019. It was followed by Nepal in 2024 and Thailand, which legalized same-sex marriage in January 2025 as the first country in Southeast Asia. In other countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, there is no law that enshrines same-sex marriage at the national level, but there are local registry offices or other methods that repeal the criminalization of homosexuality. Oceania Same-sex marriage is legalized at the national level in New Zealand since 2013 and in Australia since 2017.