Same-sex union legislation
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Marriage open to same-sex couples (rings: individual cases)
Legislation or binding domestic court ruling establishing same-sex marriage, but marriage is not yet provided for
Same-sex marriage recognized when performed in certain other jurisdictions, and accorded greater rights than local same-sex unions (if any)
Civil unions or domestic partnerships
Limited legal recognition
Local certification without legal force
Limited recognition of marriage performed in certain other jurisdictions (residency rights for spouses)
Country subject to an international court ruling to recognize same-sex marriage
Same-sex unions not legally recognized
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Civil unions and registered partnerships |
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See also
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Notes
* Not yet in effect or automatic deadline set by judicial body for same-sex marriage to become legal |
Same-sex marriage is legal (nationwide or in some parts) in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,[nb 1] the Netherlands,[nb 2] New Zealand,[nb 3] Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom,[nb 4] the United States,[nb 5] and Uruguay. Same-sex marriage is recognized, but not performed, in Israel. Furthermore, same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands are recognized in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry has been and remains the topic of debate worldwide. 32 countries and four jurisdictions worldwide have passed constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and sometimes other forms of legal unions as well.[1] 15 countries and 34 jurisdictions worldwide have authorized civil unions or unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples as an alternative to marriage. The legal name of those unions as well as the number of rights that they provide can vary greatly.
Legislative efforts to recognise same-sex unions[edit]
National level[edit]
The first legislation of unregistered cohabitation was introduced in the Netherlands in June 1979.[2][3] However, the first substantial recognition of same-sex couples didn't occur before the introduction of a new legal form, that of registered partnerships, which was first enacted in Denmark in June 1989.[4] Many countries have followed with similar legislation since then. Legislation of these forms of legal unions still occur with a variety of different names, even after the introduction of same sex marriage, although sometimes they are overwritten by subsequent legislation of same-sex marriage.
There are currently 14 countries that have an alternative form of legal recognition other than marriage on a national level. Those are Andorra, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Slovenia and Switzerland.
As of 22 January 2021, legislation to allow an alternative form of legal recognition of same-sex couples other than marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Lithuania, the Philippines, and Thailand.
As of 22 January 2021, same-sex marriage has been legal (nationwide or in some parts) in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,[nb 1] the Netherlands,[nb 2] New Zealand,[nb 3] Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom,[nb 4] the United States,[nb 5] and Uruguay.
As of 22 January 2021, legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Andorra, Chile, Czechia, Japan and Switzerland.
| Country | Date | Same-sex union | Upper house | Lower house | Head of state | Law enacted? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | |||||
 Netherlands
|
June 1979 | Unregistered cohabitation[2][3] | Passed | Passed | Signed |  Yes
| ||
| Netherlands
|
December 1980 | Unregistered cohabitation (expansion)[2][3] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Netherlands
|
November 1984 | Unregistered cohabitation (expansion)[2][3] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Denmark
|
June 1986 | Unregistered cohabitation[3][5][6] | N/A | 78 | 62 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Sweden
|
June 1987 | Unregistered cohabitation[7] | N/A | Passed | N/A[a 1] | Yes
| ||
| Denmark
|
June 1989 | Registered partnership[8][9] | N/A | 71 | 47 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
 Norway
|
July 1991 | Unregistered cohabitation[10] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Norway
|
April 1993 | Registered partnership[11] | 18 | 16 | 58 | 40 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
|
| Sweden
|
June 1994 | Registered partnership[12] | N/A | 171 | 141 | N/A[a 1] | Yes[a 2]
| |
 Spain
|
November 1994 | Unregistered cohabitation[3] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Hungary
|
May 1996 | Unregistered cohabitation[3][13] | N/A | 207 | 73 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Iceland
|
June 1996 | Confirmed cohabitation[14][15] | N/A | 44 | 1 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
 Slovakia
|
May 1997 | Registered partnership[16] | N/A | Failed | — |  No
| ||
| Netherlands
|
July 1997 | Registered partnership[2] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Andorra
|
December 1997 | De facto family union[17] | N/A | 11 | 17 | — | No
| |
 Czech Republic
|
June 1998 | Registered partnership[18] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
 France
|
October 1998 | Civil solidarity pact[19] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
 Belgium
|
January 1999 | Legal cohabitation[20][21] | 39 | 8 | 98 | 10 | Signed | Yes
|
| Sweden
|
March 1999 | Registered partnership (expansion)[22] | N/A | Passed | N/A[a 1] | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| Denmark
|
June 1999 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[23] | N/A | 61 | 48 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| France
|
November 1999 | Civil solidarity pact and concubinage[24] | Passed | 315 | 249 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Czech Republic
|
December 1999 | Registered partnership[25] | — | — | 69 | 91 | — | No
|
| Slovakia
|
February 2000 | Registered partnership[16] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
 Canada
|
April 2000 | Common-law partnership[26][27][28] | Passed | 174 | 72 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Iceland
|
May 2000 | Confirmed cohabitation (expansion: adoption and immigration rights)[29] | N/A | 49 | 1 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| Netherlands
|
December 2000 | Marriage[30][31] | 49 | 26 | 109 | 33 | Signed | Yes
|
| Norway
|
December 2000 | Registered partnership (expansion)[10][32] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Germany
|
February 2001 | Registered life partnership[33] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Portugal
|
March 2001 | De facto union[34][35] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 New Zealand
|
April 2001 | De facto relationship[36] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Czech Republic
|
April 2001 | Unregistered cohabitation[37] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Norway
|
June 2001 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[38][39] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Finland
|
September 2001 | Registered partnership[40] | N/A | 99 | 84 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Czech Republic
|
October 2001 | Registered partnership[41] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Sweden
|
June 2002 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[42] | N/A | Passed | N/A[a 1] | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| Belgium
|
February 2003 | Marriage[43] | 46 | 15 | 91 | 22 | Signed | Yes
|
| Denmark
|
May 2003 | Registered partnership (expansion)[44] | N/A | 49 | 60 | — | No
| |
| Denmark
|
May 2003 | Registered partnership (expansion)[45] | N/A | 45 | 60 | — | No
| |
| Denmark
|
May 2003 | Registered partnership (expansion)[46] | N/A | 43 | 61 | — | No
| |
| Denmark
|
June 2003 | Registered partnership (expansion)[47] | N/A | 11 | 94 | — | No
| |
 Croatia
|
July 2003 | Unregistered cohabitation[48] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Luxembourg
|
May 2004 | Free union[49] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Luxembourg
|
May 2004 | Marriage[50] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Luxembourg
|
July 2004 | Partnership[51] | N/A | 33 | 7 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Panama
|
September 2004 | Civil union[52] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Germany
|
October 2004 | Registered life partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[53] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| Norway
|
November 2004 | Marriage[54] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
 United Kingdom
|
November 2004 | Civil partnership[55] | 251 | 136 | 426 | 49 | Signed | Yes
|
| New Zealand
|
November 2004 | De facto relationship (expansion)[56] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New Zealand
|
December 2004 | Civil union[57] | N/A | 65 | 55 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Czech Republic
|
February 2005 | Registered partnership[58] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Andorra
|
March 2005 | Stable couple union[59] | N/A | Passed | Signed [a 3] | Yes
| ||
 Slovenia
|
March 2005 | Registered partnership[60] | N/A[a 4] | Failed | — | No
| ||
| New Zealand
|
March 2005 | Civil union and de facto relationship (expansion)[61][62] | N/A | 76 | 43 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Sweden
|
June 2005 | Registered partnership (expansion)[63] | N/A | Passed | N/A[a 1] | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Switzerland
|
June 2005 | Registered partnership[64] | Passed | Passed | N/A | Yes
| ||
| Specific referendum (58.04%) | ||||||||
| Spain
|
July 2005 | Marriage[65] | Vetoed [a 5] | 183 | 136 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Canada
|
July 2005 | Marriage[66] | 47 | 21 | 158 | 133 | Signed | Yes
|
| Slovenia
|
July 2005 | Partnership[67] | N/A[a 4] | 44 | 3 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Croatia
|
October 2005 | Registered partnership[68] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Czech Republic
|
March 2006 | Registered partnership[69] | 65 | 14 | 86 | 54 | Vetoed [a 6] | Yes
|
| Belgium
|
May 2006 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[70][71] | 34 | 33 | 77 | 62 | Signed | Yes
|
| Spain
|
May 2006 | Marriage (expansion: medically assisted reproduction)[72] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Denmark
|
June 2006 | Registered partnership (expansion)[73] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| Iceland
|
June 2006 | Confirmed cohabitation (expansion)[74][75] | N/A | 41 | 0 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| France
|
June 2006 | Civil solidarity pact (expansion)[76] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 South Africa
|
November 2006 | Marriage and civil partnership[77] | 36 | 11 | 229 | 41 | Signed | Yes
|
| Portugal
|
December 2006 | De facto union (expansion: immigration rights)[78] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Finland
|
December 2006 | Registered partnership (expansion)[79][80] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Spain
|
March 2007 | Marriage (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[72] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Colombia
|
June 2007 | Civil union[81] | 29 | 34 | 62 | 43 | — | No
|
| Hungary
|
December 2007 | Registered partnership[82] | N/A | 185 | 154 | Signed | No[a 7]
| |
 Uruguay
|
December 2007 | Cohabitation union[83][84] | 17 | 5 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
| Iceland
|
May 2008 | Confirmed cohabitation (expansion)[85][86] | N/A | 54 | 0 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| Norway
|
June 2008 | Marriage[87] | 23 | 17 | 84 | 41 | Signed | Yes
|
 Ecuador
|
September 2008 | De facto union[88] | General constitutional referendum (69.46%) | Yes
| ||||
| Portugal
|
October 2008 | Marriage[89] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
October 2008 | Marriage[89] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| United Kingdom
|
November 2008 | Civil partnership (expansion)[90] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Australia
|
November 2008 | De facto relationship[91] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Sweden
|
April 2009 | Marriage[92] | N/A | 261 | 22 | N/A[a 1] | Yes
| |
| Hungary
|
April 2009 | Registered partnership[93][94] | N/A | 199 | 159 | Signed | Yes
| |
| France
|
May 2009 | Recognition of unions performed abroad as PACS[95] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Finland
|
May 2009 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[96] | N/A | 108 | 29 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Denmark
|
June 2009 | Registered partnership (expansion)[97] | N/A | 107 | 2 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| Portugal
|
August 2009 | De facto union (expansion: inheritance rights)[98] | N/A | Passed | Vetoed | No
| ||
| Uruguay
|
September 2009 | Cohabitation union (expansion: adoption rights)[99][100] | 17 | 6 | 40 | 13 | Signed | Yes
|
 Austria
|
December 2009 | Registered partnership[101] | 44 | 8 | 110 | 64 | Signed | Yes
|
| Portugal
|
January 2010 | Marriage[102] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
January 2010 | Marriage[103] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
January 2010 | Registered civil union[104] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Australia
|
February 2010 | Marriage[105] | 5 | 45 | — | — | — | No
|
| Portugal
|
May 2010 | Marriage[106] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Denmark
|
May 2010 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[107] | N/A | 60 | 54 | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| |
| Denmark
|
June 2010 | Marriage[108] | N/A | 52 | 57 | — | No
| |
| Iceland
|
June 2010 | Marriage[109][110] | N/A | 49 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Ireland
|
July 2010 | Civil partnership and unregistered cohabitation[111][112] | 48 | 4 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
 Argentina
|
July 2010 | Marriage[113] | 33 | 27 | 126 | 110 | Signed | Yes
|
| Luxembourg
|
August 2010 | Partnership (expansion)[114] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Portugal
|
August 2010 | De facto union (expansion: inheritance rights)[115][116] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Germany
|
September 2010 | Marriage[117] | Failed | — | — | No
| ||
| Germany
|
October 2010 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[118] | — | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Germany
|
April 2011 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law and adoption rights)[119] | Failed | — | — | No
| ||
 Liechtenstein
|
June 2011 | Registered partnership[120] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Specific referendum (68.76%) | ||||||||
| France
|
June 2011 | Marriage[121] | — | — | 222 | 293 | — | No
|
| Germany
|
June 2011 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[122] | Failed | — | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
February 2012 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[123] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
February 2012 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[123] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Slovenia
|
March 2012 | Partnership (expansion)[124] | Specific referendum (45.36%) | No
| ||||
 Israel
|
May 2012 | Marriage[125] | N/A | 11 | 39 | — | No
| |
| Denmark
|
June 2012 | Marriage[126] | N/A | 85 | 24 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Germany
|
June 2012 | Marriage[127][128] | — | — | 260 | 309 | — | No
|
 San Marino
|
June 2012 | Unregistered cohabitation (only one entitlement)[129] | N/A | 33 | 20 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Australia
|
September 2012 | Marriage[130] | — | — | 42 | 98 | — | No
|
| Australia
|
September 2012 | Marriage[131] | 26 | 41 | — | — | — | No
|
| Germany
|
October 2012 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[132] | — | — | 253 | 288 | — | No
|
| Slovakia
|
November 2012 | Registered partnership[133] | N/A | 14 | 94 | — | No
| |
 Poland
|
January 2013 | Registered partnership[134][135] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Poland
|
January 2013 | Registered partnership[136][137] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Poland
|
January 2013 | Registered partnership[138] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Poland
|
January 2013 | Registered partnership[139] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Poland
|
January 2013 | Partnership agreement[140][141] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Germany
|
March 2013 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[142][143] | Passed | — | — | — | No
| |
| Germany
|
March 2013 | Marriage[144] | Passed | — | — | — | No
| |
| New Zealand
|
April 2013 | Marriage[145] | N/A | 77 | 44 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Colombia
|
April 2013 | Marriage[146] | 17 | 51 | — | — | — | No
|
| Uruguay
|
May 2013 | Marriage[147][148] | 23 | 8 | 71 | 21 | Signed | Yes
|
| Portugal
|
May 2013 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[149] | N/A | 77 | 104 | — | No
| |
| Portugal
|
May 2013 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[149] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Portugal
|
May 2013 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[149] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| France
|
May 2013 | Marriage[150][151] | 171 | 165 | 331 | 225 | Signed | Yes
|
| Australia
|
June 2013 | Recognition of marriage performed abroad[152] | 28 | 44 | — | — | — | No
|
| Germany
|
July 2013 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[153][154] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| United Kingdom (England and Wales) |
July 2013 | Marriage[155][156] | Passed | 366 | 161 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Austria
|
July 2013 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[157][158] | 45 | 8 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
| Netherlands
|
December 2013 | Marriage (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[159][160] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Portugal
|
March 2014 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[161] | N/A | 107 | 112 | — | No
| |
 Malta
|
April 2014 | Civil union[162] | N/A | 37 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Belgium
|
May 2014 | Marriage (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[163][164] | 48 | 2 | 114 | 10 | Signed | Yes
|
| Germany
|
May 2014 | Registered life partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[165][166] | — | — | 111 | 432 | — | No
|
| Andorra
|
May 2014 | Marriage[167][168] | N/A | 6 | 21 | — | No
| |
| Germany
|
June 2014 | Registered life partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[169] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Romania
|
June 2014 | Civil partnership[170][171] | 2 | 110 | 4 | 298 | — | No
|
| Luxembourg
|
June 2014 | Marriage[172][173] | N/A | 56 | 4 | N/A[a 8] | Yes
| |
| Croatia
|
July 2014 | Life partnership[174] | N/A | 89 | 16 | N/A[a 9] | Yes
| |
| Germany
|
July 2014 | Registered life partnership (expansion: tax law)[175][176][177] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
| San Marino
|
September 2014 | Recognition of marriage performed abroad[178] | N/A | 15 | 35 | — | No
| |
| Argentina
|
October 2014 | Cohabitation union[179][180] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Andorra
|
December 2014 | Civil union[181][182] | N/A | 20 | 3 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Portugal
|
January 2015 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[183][184] | N/A | 89 | 119 | — | No
| |
| Portugal
|
January 2015 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[183][184] | N/A | 91 | 119 | — | No
| |
| Portugal
|
January 2015 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[183][184] | N/A | 91 | 120 | — | No
| |
| Portugal
|
January 2015 | Marriage (expansion: medically assisted reproduction)[183][184] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Ireland
|
April 2015 | Civil partnership and unregistered cohabitation (expansion: step-adoption rights)[185][186] | 20 | 2 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
 Chile
|
April 2015 | Civil union agreement[187][188] | 25 | 6 | 78 | 9 | Signed | Yes
|
| Ecuador
|
June 2015 | De facto union (expansion)[189][190][191][192] | N/A | 89 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Israel
|
July 2015 | Civil union[193] | N/A | 39 | 50 | — | No
| |
| Israel
|
July 2015 | Marriage[193] | N/A | 39 | 50 | — | No
| |
| Ireland
|
August 2015 | Marriage (constitutional amendment)[194] | 29 | 3 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
| Specific constitutional referendum (62.07%) | ||||||||
| October 2015 | Marriage (statutory legislation)[195][196][197] | Passed | Passed | Signed | ||||
| Germany
|
November 2015 | Registered life partnership (expansion)[198][199] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes[a 2]
| ||
 Cyprus
|
December 2015 | Civil cohabitation[200][201] | N/A | 39 | 12 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Romania
|
December 2015 | Civil partnership[202][203][204] | 8 | 49 | Failed | — | No
| |
| Slovenia
|
December 2015 | Marriage[205][206] | N/A[a 4] | 51 | 28 | — | No
| |
| Specific referendum (36.53%) | ||||||||
 Greece
|
December 2015 | Cohabitation agreement[207] | N/A | 194 | 55 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Estonia
|
October 2014 | Cohabitation agreement (framework law)[208][209] | N/A | 40 | 38 | Signed | Yes
| |
| January 2016 | Cohabitation agreement (implementation law)[210][211] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| |||
| Portugal
|
February 2016 | Marriage and de facto union (expansion: adoption rights)[212] | N/A | Passed | Vetoed [a 6] | Yes
| ||
| Israel
|
February 2016 | Civil union[213] | N/A | 40 | 47 | — | No
| |
| Switzerland
|
March 2016 | Registered partnership (expansion: immigration rights)[214][215] | — | — | 122 | 62 | — | No
|
| Luxembourg
|
April 2016 | Recognition of marriage performed abroad before 1 January 2015[216] | N/A | 50 | 3 | N/A[a 8] | Yes
| |
| Slovenia
|
April 2016 | Partnership (expansion)[217][218] | N/A[a 4] | 54 | 15 | N/A[a 9] | Yes
| |
 Italy
|
May 2016 | Civil union and cohabitation agreement[219][220][221] | 173 | 71 | 372 | 51 | Signed | Yes
|
| Portugal
|
June 2016 | Marriage and de facto union (expansion: medically assisted reproduction)[222] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Switzerland
|
June 2016 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[223][224] | 25 | 14 | 125 | 68 | N/A | Yes
|
| Liechtenstein
|
November 2016 | Registered partnership (expansion)[225][226] | N/A | 25 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Greece
|
December 2016 | Cohabitation agreement (expansion)[227][228] | N/A | 201 | 21 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Austria
|
December 2016 | Registered partnership (expansion)[229] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Finland
|
February 2015 | Marriage (framework law)[230] | N/A | 101 | 90 | Signed | Yes
| |
| April 2016 | Marriage (implementation laws)[231][232][233] | N/A | 106 | 42 | Signed | |||
| January 2017 | N/A | 128 | 28 | Signed | ||||
| Malta
|
April 2017 | Cohabitation[234] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Lithuania
|
June 2017 | Partnership[235][236] | N/A | 29 | 59 | — | No
| |
| Ireland
|
July 2017 | Civil partnership and unregistered cohabitation (expansion: adoption rights)[237][238] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Germany
|
July 2017 | Marriage[239][240][241] | Passed | 393 | 226 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Malta
|
August 2017 | Marriage[242][243] | N/A | 66 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Chile
|
November 2017 | Civil union agreement (expansion)[244][245][246][247] | 15 | 0 | 70 | 0 | Signed | Yes
|
| Australia
|
December 2017 | Marriage[248][249] | 43 | 12 | 131 | 4 | Signed | Yes
|
| Finland
|
April 2018 | Marriage (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[250] | N/A | 122 | 42 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Greece
|
May 2018 | Cohabitation agreement (expansion: foster care)[251][252] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Israel
|
June 2018 | Marriage[253] | N/A | 39 | 42 | — | No
| |
| Malta
|
June 2018 | Marriage, civil union and cohabitation (expansion: medically assisted reproduction)[254][255] | N/A | 34 | 27 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Slovakia
|
September 2018 | Registered partnership[256][257] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| San Marino
|
November 2018 | Civil union[258][259] | N/A | 40 | 4 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Cuba
|
December 2018 | Marriage[260][261] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Germany
|
December 2018 | Marriage (codification)[262][263] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Romania
|
March 2019 | Civil partnership[264][265][266] | 2 | 68 | Failed | — | No
| |
 Taiwan
|
May 2019 | Marriage[267][268] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Austria
|
July 2019 | Marriage (expansion)[269][270] | Passed | Passed | N/A | Yes
| ||
| United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) |
July 2019 | Marriage[271][272] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Montenegro
|
July 2019 | Life partnership[273] | N/A | 38 | 4 | — | No
| |
 Monaco
|
December 2019 | Cohabitation agreement[274] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Montenegro
|
July 2020 | Life partnership[275] | N/A | 42 | 5 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Switzerland
|
Unknown | Marriage[276][277][278] | 22 | 15 | 132 | 52 | ||
| France
|
Unknown | Marriage (expansion: medically assisted reproduction)[279][280] | 153 | 143 | Pending | |||
| Chile
|
Unknown | Civil union agreement (expansion: adoption rights)[281] | Pending | 104 | 35 | |||
| San Marino
|
December 2017 | Marriage (for foreign couples - agreement in principle)[282][283] | N/A | 25 | 20 | Signed | ||
| Unknown | Marriage (for foreign couples - statutory legislation) | N/A | ||||||
 Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage (codification of federal recognition)[284][285][286][287] | 110 | 0 | 415 | 0 | Pending | |
| Andorra
|
Unknown | Marriage[288] | N/A | Pending | ||||
| Chile
|
Unknown | Marriage[289][290][291] | Pending | |||||
| Czech Republic
|
Unknown | Marriage[292] | Pending | |||||
| Germany
|
Unknown | Marriage (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[293] | Pending | |||||
 Japan
|
Unknown | Marriage[294] | Pending | |||||
| Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage[295] | Pending | |||||
 Philippines
|
Unknown | Civil partnership[296] | Pending | |||||
 Thailand
|
Unknown | Civil partnership[297] | Pending | |||||
Notes:
- ^ a b c d e f According to the 1974 Constitution, the King of Sweden is head of state but does not sign or veto any laws enacted by Parliament.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Replaced by the gender-neutral marriage law.
- ^ Only one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra signed the law.
- ^ a b c d The Slovenian Parliament is incompletely bicameral.
- ^ The Spanish Senate voted 131 "yes" to 119 "no" to veto the law. The veto was later overridden by the Spanish Congress of Deputies.
- ^ a b Veto overridden.
- ^ Ruled unconstitutional.
- ^ a b Since the 2008 constitutional change, the assent of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is not required for the enactment of laws adopted by the Parliament.
- ^ a b The President merely promulgates the laws adopted by the Parliament.
Sub-national level[edit]
- For status in U.S. states, see Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States
In countries with a federal system of governance, states and territories often may grant recognition to same-sex couples in their own jurisdictions, although unitary states with a level of devolution, such as Spain or the United Kingdom, also offer such legalities to local authorities. The first jurisdiction to enact unregistered cohabitation was British Columbia in Canada in July 1992. The first jurisdiction to legalize registered partnership was Greenland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark in April 1996. Finally, the first sub-national jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage was the Canadian province of Ontario in June 2003.
As of 22 January 2021, there are 76 jurisdictions worldwide that have legalized some kind of alternative form of legal union of same-sex couples other than marriage. Those are three prefectures of Japan (Gunma, Ibaraki and Osaka), seven special wards of Tokyo (Bunkyō, Edogawa, Minato, Nakano, Setagaya, Shibuya and Toshima), sixteen designated cities of Japan (Chiba, Fukuoka, Hamamatsu, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Niigata, Okayama, Osaka, Sagamihara, Saitama, Sakai, Sapporo and Yokohama), ten core cities of Japan (Akashi, Amagasaki, Hirakata, Kawagoe, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Naha, Nara, Takamatsu and Yokosuka), two special cities of Japan (Odawara and Takarazuka), 32 cities of Japan (Ashiya, Daitō, Fuchū, Higashikagawa, Hirosaki, Iga, Inabe, Itami, Kaizuka, Kamakura, Kanuma, Katano, Kawanishi, Kitamoto, Koga (Fukuoka), Koganei, Kokubunji (Tokyo), Kōnosu, Matsudo, Mitoyo, Miura, Nishio, Sakado, Sanda, Shibukawa, Sōja, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tondabayashi, Toyoake, Yamatokōriyama, Yoshinogawa and Zushi), three towns of Japan (Hayama, Kijō and Ōizumi), Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Cayman Islands, a territory of the UK, and the Mexican state of Veracruz.
For the time being, 77 jurisdictions worldwide have legalized same-sex marriage. Those are:
- Forty-five Native American Tribal Nations, namely the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Blackfeet Nation, the Blue Lake Rancheria, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the Cherokee Nation, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, the Northern Arapaho Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, the Osage Nation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the Suquamish Tribe, the Tulalip, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota, the White Mountain Apache Tribe and the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
- Nineteen Mexican federal entities, namely the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, and Tlaxcala, and the City of Mexico.
- As well as the British Overseas Territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey.
As of 22 January 2021, legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending or has passed at least one legislative house in Curaçao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Mexican states of Durango, Guanajuato, México, Querétaro and Veracruz.
| State/Territory | Country | Date | Same-sex union | Upper House | Lower house | Head of State | Law enacted? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | ||||||
 British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1992 | Marriage-like relationship[298][299] | N/A | 30 | 17 | Signed | Yes
| |
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1993 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[300] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1993 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[301] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1993 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[302] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
May 1994 | Domestic relationship[303] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Ontario
|
Canada
|
June 1994 | Domestic partnership[304] | N/A | 58 | 69 | — | No
| |
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
June 1995 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[305] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1995 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[306] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Greenland
|
Denmark
|
May 1993 | Inatsisartut: Registered partnership (resolution)[307] | N/A | 15 | 0 | N/A | Yes
| |
| April 1996 | Folketing: Registered partnership (statutory law)[308][309] | N/A | 104 | 1 | Signed | ||||
 Ceuta
|
Spain
|
April 1997 | De facto union[310] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1997 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[311] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Catalonia
|
Spain
|
June 1998 | Stable couple union[312][313] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Yukon
|
Canada
|
December 1998 | Unregistered cohabitation[314] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Aragon
|
Spain
|
March 1999 | Stable non-married couple[312][315] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Yukon
|
Canada
|
April 1999 | Unregistered cohabitation (expansion)[316][317] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Alberta
|
Canada
|
May 1999 | Unregistered cohabitation[318] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Quebec
|
Canada
|
May 1999 | De facto union[319] | N/A | 80 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 New South Wales
|
Australia
|
June 1999 | De facto relationship[320] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 1999 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[321] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Ontario
|
Canada
|
October 1999 | Conjugal relationship[322] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Navarre
|
Spain
|
July 2000 | Stable couple[312][323] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Castile-La Mancha
|
Spain
|
July 2000 | De facto couple[324] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
July 2000 | Marriage-like relationship (expansion)[325] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
August 2000 | Domestic relationship (expansion)[326] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Nova Scotia
|
Canada
|
November 2000 | Domestic partnership[327][328] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Canada
|
December 2000 | Conjugal relationship[329] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 New Brunswick
|
Canada
|
December 2000 | Family relationship[330] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Geneva
|
Switzerland
|
February 2001 | Registered partnership[331][332] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Valencia
|
Spain
|
April 2001 | De facto union[333] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Victoria
|
Australia
|
June 2001 | Domestic relationship[334] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Manitoba
|
Canada
|
July 2001 | Common-law relationship[335] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Saskatchewan
|
Canada
|
July 2001 | Spousal relationship[336] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Saskatchewan
|
Canada
|
July 2001 | Spousal relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[337] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
November 2001 | Domestic relationship (expansion)[338] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Canada
|
December 2001 | Conjugal relationship (expansion)[339] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Balearic Islands
|
Spain
|
December 2001 | Stable couple[340] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Madrid
|
Spain
|
December 2001 | De facto union[312][341] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Canada
|
April 2002 | Conjugal relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[342] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Western Australia
|
Australia
|
April 2002 | De facto relationship[343] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Yukon
|
Canada
|
May 2002 | Unregistered cohabitation (expansion: adoption rights)[344] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Asturias
|
Spain
|
May 2002 | Stable couple[345] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Northwest Territories
|
Canada
|
June 2002 | Unregistered cohabitation[316][346] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Quebec
|
Canada
|
June 2002 | Civil union[347] | N/A | 87 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Manitoba
|
Canada
|
August 2002 | Common-law relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[348] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Manitoba
|
Canada
|
August 2002 | Common-law relationship (expansion)[349] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Zürich
|
Switzerland
|
September 2002 | Registered partnership[350] | Specific cantonal referendum (62.70%) | Yes
| ||||
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
October 2002 | De facto relationship (expansion)[351][352] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Castile and León
|
Spain
|
October 2002 | De facto union[353] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Alberta
|
Canada
|
December 2002 | Adult interdependent relationship[354] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Queensland
|
Australia
|
December 2002 | De facto relationship[355] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Andalusia
|
Spain
|
December 2002 | De facto couple[312][356] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Prince Edward Island
|
Canada
|
December 2002 | Unregistered cohabitation[357] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
|
Argentina
|
January 2003 | Civil union[358][359] | N/A | 29 | 10 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Canary Islands
|
Spain
|
March 2003 | De facto couple[312][360] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Extremadura
|
Spain
|
March 2003 | De facto couple[312][361] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Basque Country
|
Spain
|
May 2003 | De facto couple[312][362] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Río Negro
|
Argentina
|
May 2003 | Civil union[363] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 South Australia
|
Australia
|
June 2003 | Unregistered cohabitation[364] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Tasmania
|
Australia
|
September 2003 | Significant relationship and caring relationship[365] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
January 2004 | Domestic relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[366] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Neuchâtel
|
Switzerland
|
January 2004 | Registered partnership[367] | N/A | 65 | 38 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Northern Territory
|
Australia
|
January 2004 | De facto relationship[368][369] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Aragon
|
Spain
|
May 2004 | Stable non-married couple (expansion: adoption rights)[370] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Fribourg
|
Switzerland
|
May 2004 | Registered partnership[367][371] | General cantonal referendum (58.03%) | Yes
| ||||
 City of Sydney
|
Australia
|
July 2004 | Relationship declaration program[372] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Quebec
|
Canada
|
November 2004 | Marriage (codification)[373] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Ontario
|
Canada
|
March 2005 | Marriage (codification)[374] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Northwest Territories
|
Canada
|
March 2005 | Unregistered cohabitation (expansion)[375] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Catalonia
|
Spain
|
April 2005 | Stable couple union (expansion: adoption rights)[376][377] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Cantabria
|
Spain
|
May 2005 | De facto couple[378] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia
|
United Kingdom
|
November 2005 | Civil partnership[379] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Isle of Man
|
United Kingdom
|
November 2005 | Recognition of civil partnership performed in the United Kingdom[380] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Norfolk Island
|
Australia
|
February 2006 | De facto relationship[381] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
June 2006 | Civil union[382] | N/A | Passed | Signed | No[b 1]
| ||
 Mexico City
|
Mexico
|
November 2006 | Coexistence partnership[383] | N/A | 43 | 17 | Signed | Yes
| |
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
December 2006 | Domestic partnership agreement[384] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Coahuila
|
Mexico
|
January 2007 | Civil pact of solidarity[385] | N/A | 20 | 13 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Scotland
|
United Kingdom
|
January 2007 | Civil partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[386][387] | N/A | 101 | 6 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
February 2007 | Civil partnership[388] | N/A | Passed | Signed | No[b 1]
| ||
| Alberta
|
Canada
|
February 2007 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[389] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New Brunswick
|
Canada
|
March 2007 | Marriage (expansion: adoption rights)[318] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| City of Melbourne
|
Australia
|
April 2007 | Relationship declaration program[390] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| City of Yarra
|
Australia
|
May 2007 | Relationship declaration program[391] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Villa Carlos Paz
|
Argentina
|
November 2007 | Civil union[392] | N/A | 12 | 6 | Signed | Yes
| |
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
November 2007 | De facto relationship (expansion)[393] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Galicia
|
Spain
|
December 2007 | De facto couple[394] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Melilla
|
Spain
|
January 2008 | De facto couple[395] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
April 2008 | Registered domestic relationship[396] | 29 | 10 | 54 | 24 | Signed | Yes
|
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
May 2008 | Civil partnership[397] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Prince Edward Island
|
Canada
|
May 2008 | Marriage (codification and expansion: adoption rights)[398] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
June 2008 | De facto relationship (expansion)[399] | Passed | 64 | 11 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Manitoba
|
Canada
|
October 2008 | Marriage (codification)[400] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
December 2008 | Registered domestic relationship (expansion)[401] | Passed | 47 | 34 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Municipality of Woollahra
|
Australia
|
December 2008 | Relationship declaration program[402] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New Brunswick
|
Canada
|
December 2008 | Marriage (codification) and family relationship (expansion)[403] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Río Cuarto
|
Argentina
|
May 2009 | Civil union[404] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Greenland
|
Denmark
|
May 2009 | Registered partnership (expansion: adoption rights)[405] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 New Caledonia
|
France
|
May 2009 | Civil solidarity pact and concubinage[406][407] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Wallis and Futuna
|
France
|
May 2009 | Civil solidarity pact and concubinage[406][407] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Canada
|
May 2009 | Marriage (codification)[408] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Scotland
|
United Kingdom
|
June 2009 | Civil partnership (expansion)[409] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
September 2009 | Significant relationship (expansion)[410] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
November 2009 | Civil partnership (expansion)[411] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador
|
Canada
|
December 2009 | Marriage (codification)[412] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Mexico City
|
Mexico
|
December 2009 | Marriage[413] | N/A | 39 | 20 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
February 2010 | De facto relationship (expansion)[414] | N/A | 45 | 36 | Signed | Yes
| |
| City of Blue Mountains
|
Australia
|
March 2010 | Relationship declaration program[415] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
May 2010 | Registered relationship[416][417] | 32 | 5 | 62 | 9 | Signed | Yes
|
 La Rioja
|
Spain
|
May 2010 | De facto couple[418] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Vienna
|
Austria
|
June 2010 | Registered partnership (expansion)[419][420] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Catalonia
|
Spain
|
July 2010 | Marriage (codification)[421] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
September 2010 | Registered relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[422][423][424] | 22 | 15 | 45 | 43 | Signed | Yes
|
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
October 2010 | Out-of-state unions as significant relationship[425][426] | Passed | 22 | 3 | Signed | Yes
| |
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
November 2010 | Registered relationship (expansion: surrogacy)[427] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
|
Netherlands
|
December 2010 | Recognition of unions performed aboard[428] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Isle of Man
|
United Kingdom
|
March 2011 | Civil partnership[429] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
June 2011 | Domestic partnership agreement (expansion)[430] | 14 | 5 | 24 | 15 | Signed | Yes
|
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
July 2011 | Domestic partnership agreement (expansion)[431] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Nunavut
|
Canada
|
October 2011 | Marriage (codification and expansion: adoption rights)[432] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| British Columbia
|
Canada
|
November 2011 | Marriage (codification)[433] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
December 2011 | Civil partnership[434][435] | N/A | 47 | 40 | Signed | Yes[b 2]
| |
 Guernsey
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2011 | Recognition of civil partnership performed in the United Kingdom[436] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Jersey
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2011 | Civil partnership[437][438] | N/A | 33 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
June 2012 | Registered relationship[439][440] | N/A | 69 | 8 | Signed | Yes[b 3]
| |
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
September 2012 | Civil union[441][442] | N/A | 11 | 6 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
September 2012 | Marriage[443][444] | 6 | 8 | 13 | 11 | — | No
|
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
|
Netherlands
|
October 2012 | Marriage[445] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
October 2012 | Significant relationship (expansion)[446][447] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| City of Vincent
|
Australia
|
December 2012 | Relationship declaration program[448] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Macau
|
 China
|
March 2013 | Civil union[449] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
July 2013 | Marriage[450] | — | — | Failed | — | No
| |
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
July 2013 | Significant relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[451][452] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Colima
|
Mexico
|
July 2013 | Civil union[453][454][455] | N/A | 17 | 2 | N/A | Yes[b 4]
| |
| August 2013 | N/A | Passed | Signed | ||||||
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
October 2013 | Marriage[456] | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | No
|
| Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
October 2013 | Marriage[457] | N/A | 9 | 8 | Signed | No[b 5]
| |
 Jalisco
|
Mexico
|
October 2013 | Civil union[458] | N/A | 20 | 15 | Signed | Yes
| |
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
November 2013 | Marriage[459] | 19 | 21 | — | — | — | No
|
 Campeche
|
Mexico
|
December 2013 | Civil union[460] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Coahuila
|
Mexico
|
February 2014 | Civil pact of solidarity (expansion: adoption rights)[461] | N/A | 23 | 2 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Scotland
|
United Kingdom
|
March 2014 | Marriage[462][463] | N/A | 105 | 18 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Faroe Islands
|
Denmark
|
March 2014 | Marriage[464] | N/A | 11 | 20 | — | No
| |
 Gibraltar
|
United Kingdom
|
March 2014 | Civil partnership[465][466] | N/A | 16 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Durango
|
Mexico
|
April 2014 | Marriage[467] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia
|
United Kingdom
|
April 2014 | Marriage[468] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 British Indian Ocean Territory
|
United Kingdom
|
April 2014 | Marriage[468] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Alberta
|
Canada
|
May 2014 | Marriage (codification)[469] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Coahuila
|
Mexico
|
September 2014 | Marriage[470][471][472] | N/A | 19 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
November 2014 | Out-of-state unions as registered relationship[473] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Yukon
|
Canada
|
December 2014 | Marriage (codification)[474] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Shibuya
|
Japan
|
March 2015 | Partnership certificate[475] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Kaohsiung
|
Taiwan
|
May 2015 | Registered partnership[476] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Pitcairn Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
May 2015 | Marriage[477] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Taipei
|
Taiwan
|
June 2015 | Registered partnership[478] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Taichung
|
Taiwan
|
July 2015 | Registered partnership[479][480] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Setagaya
|
Japan
|
July 2015 | Partnership certificate[481] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Town of Port Hedland
|
Australia
|
August 2015 | Relationship declaration program[482][483][484] | N/A | 6 | 2 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Michoacán
|
Mexico
|
September 2015 | Domestic partnership[485][486] | N/A | 34 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Alderney
|
United Kingdom
|
November 2015 | Recognition of marriage and civil partnership performed abroad[487][488][489] | N/A | 10 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Takarazuka
|
Japan
|
November 2015 | Partnership certificate[490] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Guernsey
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2015 | Recognition of marriage performed abroad[491][492][493] | N/A | Passed | N/A[b 6] | Yes
| ||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
December 2015 | Registered domestic relationship and domestic relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[494][495] | 31 | 8 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
December 2015 | Civil partnership[496][497] | N/A | 64 | 22 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Iga
|
Japan
|
December 2015 | Partnership certificate[498] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Nayarit
|
Mexico
|
December 2015 | Marriage and concubinage[499] | N/A | 26 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Tainan
|
Taiwan
|
January 2016 | Registered partnership[500][501] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 New Taipei
|
Taiwan
|
January 2016 | Registered partnership[502] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Greenland
|
Denmark
|
May 2015 | Inatsisartut: Marriage (resolution)[503][504] | N/A | 27 | 0 | N/A | Yes
| |
| February 2016 | Folketing: Marriage (statutory law)[505] | N/A | 108 | 0 | Signed | ||||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
February 2016 | Out-of-state union as registered domestic relationship[506][507] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Naha
|
Japan
|
February 2016 | Partnership certificate[508][509] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Chiayi City
|
Taiwan
|
February 2016 | Registered partnership[510] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Azuay
|
Ecuador
|
March 2016 | Registered symbolic marriage[511] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Taoyuan
|
Taiwan
|
March 2016 | Registered partnership[512][513] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Changhua County
|
Taiwan
|
March 2016 | Registered partnership[514][515] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Hsinchu County
|
Taiwan
|
April 2016 | Registered partnership[515][516] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Campeche
|
Mexico
|
May 2016 | Marriage[517][518][519][520] | N/A | 34 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Guernsey
|
United Kingdom
|
May 2016 | Recognition of marriage and civil partnership performed abroad (expansion)[521][522][523] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Yilan County
|
Taiwan
|
May 2016 | Registered partnership[515][524] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Colima
|
Mexico
|
June 2016 | Marriage[525][526] | N/A | 24 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Michoacán
|
Mexico
|
June 2016 | Marriage and concubinage[527][528] | N/A | 27 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Ascension Island
|
United Kingdom
|
June 2016 | Marriage[529][530] | N/A | 5 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
July 2016 | Domestic partnership agreement (expansion)[531][532][533] | Passed | 29 | 12 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Morelos
|
Mexico
|
July 2016 | Marriage and concubinage[534] | N/A | 20 | 6 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Isle of Man
|
United Kingdom
|
July 2016 | Marriage[535][536][537] | 6 | 3 | 17 | 3 | Signed | Yes
|
 Aruba
|
Netherlands
|
September 2016 | Registered partnership[538][539][540] | N/A | 11 | 5 | Signed | Yes
| |
 British Antarctic Territory
|
United Kingdom
|
October 2016 | Marriage[541][542] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Chiayi County
|
Taiwan
|
October 2016 | Registered partnership[543] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Gibraltar
|
United Kingdom
|
November 2016 | Marriage[544][545] | N/A | 15 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
November 2016 | Civil partnership and de facto relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[546][547] | N/A | 44 | 43 | Signed | Yes
| |
 San Luis Potosí
|
Mexico
|
November 2016 | Marriage[548][549] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Ontario
|
Canada
|
December 2016 | Marriage and conjugal relationship (expansion: automatic co-parenthood)[550][551] | N/A | 79 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
December 2016 | Marriage (expansion: ending forced divorce for transgender individuals)[552][b 7] | 19 | 19 | 45 | 35 | — | No
|
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
December 2016 | Registered relationship[553] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
December 2016 | Registered relationship and domestic partnership agreement (expansion: adoption rights)[554][555][556] | 13 | 4 | 27 | 16 | Signed | Yes
|
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
December 2016 | Marriage (expansion: ending forced divorce for transgender individuals)[557][b 8] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Tlaxcala
|
Mexico
|
January 2017 | Domestic partnership[558][559][560] | N/A | 18 | 4 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Durango
|
Mexico
|
January 2017 | Marriage[561] | N/A | 4 | 15 | — | No
| |
| Mexico City
|
Mexico
|
January 2017 | Marriage (constitutional codification)[562] | N/A | Passed | N/A | Yes
| ||
| Northwest Territories
|
Canada
|
March 2017 | Marriage (codification)[563] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
March 2017 | Registered relationship and domestic partnership agreement (expansion: surrogacy)[564] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Sapporo
|
Japan
|
March 2017 | Partnership certificate[565][566][567][568] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| South Australia
|
Australia
|
April 2017 | Registered relationship (expansion)[569] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Falkland Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
April 2017 | Marriage and civil partnership[570][571] | N/A | 7 | 1 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Guernsey
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2015 | Marriage (agreement in principle)[572][573] | N/A | 37 | 7 | N/A | Yes
| |
| December 2016 | Marriage (primary legislation)[574][575] | N/A | 33 | 5 | Signed | ||||
| April 2017 | Marriage (secondary legislation)[576] | N/A | Passed | N/A | |||||
| Faroe Islands
|
Denmark
|
April 2016 | Løgting: Marriage (resolution)[577][578][579] | N/A | 19 | 14 | N/A | Yes
| |
| May 2017 | Folketing: Marriage (statutory law)[580][581] | N/A | 108 | 0 | Signed | ||||
 Hsinchu City
|
Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Kinmen County
|
Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Lienchiang County
|
Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Miaoli County
|
Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Nantou County | Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Pingtung County
|
Taiwan
|
June 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Keelung City
|
Taiwan
|
July 2017 | Registered partnership[582][583] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Tristan da Cunha
|
United Kingdom
|
August 2017 | Marriage[584][585] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Nova Scotia
|
Canada
|
October 2017 | Marriage (codification)[586][587] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Saint Helena
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2017 | Marriage[588][589] | N/A | 9 | 2 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Bermuda
|
United Kingdom
|
February 2018 | Domestic partnership[590][591] | 8 | 3 | 24 | 10 | Signed | Yes
|
 Fukuoka
|
Japan
|
February 2018 | Partnership certificate[592] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Northern Territory
|
Australia
|
April 2018 | Marriage and de facto relationship (expansion: adoption rights)[593] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Nakano
|
Japan
|
May 2018 | Partnership certificate[594] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Jersey
|
United Kingdom
|
September 2015 | Marriage (agreement in principle)[595] | N/A | 37 | 4 | N/A | Yes
| |
| May 2018 | Marriage (statutory legislation)[596] | N/A | 42 | 1 | Signed | ||||
| Victoria
|
Australia
|
May 2018 | Marriage (expansion: ending forced divorce for transgender individuals)[597][598] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Alderney
|
United Kingdom
|
December 2017 | Marriage (primary legislation)[599] | N/A | 9 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
| June 2018 | Marriage (secondary legislation)[600] | N/A | Passed | N/A | |||||
| New South Wales
|
Australia
|
June 2018 | Marriage (codification and expansion)[601] | 34 | 2 | Passed | Signed | Yes
| |
| Queensland
|
Australia
|
June 2018 | Marriage (expansion: ending forced divorce for transgender individuals)[602][603] | N/A | 86 | 4 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Osaka
|
Japan
|
June 2018 | Partnership certificate[604] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Murcia
|
Spain
|
July 2018 | De facto couple[605][606] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Chiba
|
Japan
|
August 2018 | Partnership certificate[607] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
| Northern Territory
|
Australia
|
December 2018 | Marriage (codification and expansion)[608] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Western Australia
|
Australia
|
February 2019 | Marriage (expansion: ending forced divorce for transgender individuals)[609] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Toshima
|
Japan
|
March 2019 | Partnership certificate[610] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Edogawa
|
Japan
|
March 2019 | Partnership certificate[611] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Tasmania
|
Australia
|
May 2019 | Marriage (codification and expansion)[612] | 7 | 6 | 12 | 11 | Signed | Yes
|
| San Luis Potosí
|
Mexico
|
May 2019 | Marriage and concubinage[613][614] | N/A | 14 | 12 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Hidalgo
|
Mexico
|
May 2019 | Marriage and concubinage[615] | N/A | 18 | 2 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Sinaloa
|
Mexico
|
June 2019 | Marriage and concubinage[616] | N/A | 18 | 20 | — | No
| |
 Ibaraki Prefecture
|
Japan
|
June 2019 | Partnership certificate[617] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Baja California Sur
|
Mexico
|
June 2019 | Marriage[618] | N/A | 14 | 5 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Zacatecas
|
Mexico
|
August 2019 | Marriage[619] | N/A | 11 | 13 | — | No
| |
 Oaxaca
|
Mexico
|
October 2019 | Marriage (codification)[620] | N/A | 25 | 10 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Sark
|
United Kingdom
|
October 2019 | Marriage (agreement in principle)[621] | N/A | Passed | N/A | Yes
| ||
| March 2020 | Marriage (primary legislation)[622] | N/A | Passed | Signed | |||||
| April 2020 | Marriage (secondary legislation)[623] | N/A | Passed | N/A | |||||
 Cayman Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
July 2020 | Domestic partnership[624] | N/A | 8 | 9 | — | No
| |
 Baja California
|
Mexico
|
July 2020 | Marriage (Constitutional codification)[625][626][627] | N/A | 16 | 9 | — | No
| |
| Cayman Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
September 2020 | Civil partnership[628] | N/A | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Puebla
|
Mexico
|
November 2020 | Marriage (codification)[629][630][631] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Tlaxcala
|
Mexico
|
December 2020 | Marriage[632] | N/A | 16 | 3 | Signed | Yes
| |
| Western Australia
|
Australia
|
2020 | Marriage and de facto relationship (expansion: surrogacy)[633] | Pending | Passed | ||||
 Chihuahua
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage (codification)[634][635] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 Curaçao
|
Netherlands
|
Unknown | Marriage[636] | N/A | Pending | ||||
| Durango
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage[637] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 Guanajuato
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage[638] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 México
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage[639] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 Nuevo León
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage (codification)[640] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 Querétaro
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage and concubinage[641][642][643] | N/A | Pending | ||||
 Veracruz
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage[644] | N/A | Pending | ||||
| Baja California
|
Mexico
|
Unknown | Marriage (codification)[645] | N/A | Pending | ||||
Note:
- ^ a b Legislation overturned by the Australian Federal Government.
- ^ Replaced with registered relationship on 27 June 2012.
- ^ Replaced with civil partnership in December 2015.
- ^ Repealed in May 2016.
- ^ Legislation overturned by the High Court on 12 December 2013.
- ^ Ordinances and regulations do not require royal assent.
- ^ Same-sex marriage was not legal in Australia when the bill was debated.
- ^ Same-sex marriage was not legal in Australia when the bill was passed.
Constitutional efforts to prohibit same-sex unions[edit]
Thirty-two countries, one Mexican state and three British Overseas Territories have passed constitutional amendments banning a variety of same-sex unions. These amendments have taken several forms. Some are limited to banning only marriage. Others ban marriage and prohibit legislation providing "similar rights".
National level[edit]
Jamaica was the first country to prohibit same-sex marriage in July 1962. Paraguay, Honduras and Bolivia are the only cases that not only marriage is prohibited but also de facto unions. Vietnam, Cuba and Ecuador, repealed their same-sex marriage bans in November 2013, April 2019, and June 2019, respectively.
As of 22 January 2021, thirty-three countries prohibit same-sex marriage on a national level. Those are Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Honduras, Hungary, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Palau, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
As of 22 January 2021, legislation to ban same-sex marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Czechia and Panama.
| Country | Date | Ban on | Upper house | Lower house | Head of state | Final outcome | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | |||||
 Jamaica
|
July 1962 | Marriage[646] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Cuba
|
February 1976 | Marriage[647] | General referendum (97.7%) | Yes[c 1]
| ||||
 Burkina Faso
|
June 1991 | Marriage[648] | General referendum (92.83%) | Yes
| ||||
 Bulgaria
|
July 1991 | Marriage[649] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Vietnam
|
April 1992 | Marriage[650] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes[c 2]
| ||
 Paraguay
|
June 1992 | Marriage and de facto union[653] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Lithuania
|
October 1992 | Marriage[654] | General referendum (78.24) | Yes
| ||||
 Cambodia
|
September 1993 | Marriage[655][656] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Belarus
|
March 1994 | Marriage[657] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Moldova
|
July 1994 | Marriage[658] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Ukraine
|
June 1996 | Marriage[659] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Poland
|
May 1997 | Marriage[660][661][662][663][664][665] | General referendum (52.71%) | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Venezuela
|
December 1999 | Marriage and de facto union[666] | General referendum (71.78%) | Yes
| ||||
 Rwanda
|
May 2003 | Marriage[667] | General referendum (93.42%) | Yes
| ||||
 United States
|
July 2004 | Marriage[668] | 48 | 50 | 227 | 186 | — | No
|
 Burundi
|
February 2005 | Marriage[669] | General referendum (92.02%) | Yes
| ||||
 Honduras
|
March 2005 | Marriage and de facto union[670][671] | N/A | 128 | 0 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Uganda
|
September 2005 | Marriage[672] | N/A | 111 | 17 | Signed | Yes
| |
 Latvia
|
December 2005 | Marriage[673] | N/A | 65 | 5 | Signed | Yes
| |
 DR Congo
|
December 2005 | Marriage[674][675] | General referendum (84.31%) | Yes
| ||||
| United States
|
July 2006 | Marriage[676] | 49 | 48 | 236 | 187 | — | No[c 3]
|
 Serbia
|
October 2006 | Marriage[677] | General referendum (53.04%) | Yes
| ||||
| Montenegro
|
October 2007 | Marriage[678][679] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Ecuador
|
September 2008 | Marriage[680] | General referendum (69.46%) | Yes[c 4]
| ||||
 Palau
|
November 2008 | Marriage[681][682] | Specific referendum (83.56%) | Yes
| ||||
 Bolivia
|
January 2009 | Marriage and free union[683] | General referendum (61.43%) | Yes
| ||||
 El Salvador
|
October 2009 | Marriage[684] | N/A | 46 | 38 | — | No[c 3]
| |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
November 2009 | Marriage[685][686] | General referendum (43.71%) | No
| ||||
 Dominican Republic
|
January 2010 | Marriage[687] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Kenya
|
August 2010 | Marriage[688] | General referendum (68.55%) | Yes
| ||||
 Zambia
|
March 2011 | Marriage[689][690] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Hungary
|
April 2011 | Marriage[691][692][693] | N/A | 262 | 44 | Signed | Yes
| |
 South Sudan
|
July 2011 | Marriage[694][695] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Liberia
|
June 2012 | Marriage[696] | Passed | Failed | — | No
| ||
 Zimbabwe
|
March 2013 | Marriage[697] | General referendum (94.49%) | Yes
| ||||
 Macedonia
|
September 2013 | Marriage[698] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Croatia
|
December 2013 | Marriage[citation needed] | Specific referendum (65.87%) | Yes
| ||||
| El Salvador
|
February 2014 | Marriage[699] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Slovakia
|
June 2014 | Marriage[700] | N/A | 102 | 18 | N/A | Yes
| |
| Macedonia
|
January 2015 | Marriage[701][702] | N/A | Failed | — | No
| ||
| Slovakia
|
February 2015 | Marriage[703] | Specific referendum (94.50%) | No[c 5]
| ||||
 Armenia
|
December 2015 | Marriage[704][705] | General referendum (63.37%) | Yes
| ||||
| Switzerland
|
February 2016 | Marriage[706] | Specific referendum (49.16%) | No
| ||||
 Central African Republic
|
March 2016 | Marriage[707][708] | General referendum (93.00%) | Signed | Yes
| |||
 Kyrgyzstan
|
December 2016 | Marriage[709] | General referendum (79.59%) | Yes
| ||||
 Georgia
|
October 2017 | Marriage[710][711][712] | N/A | 117 | 2 | Vetoed[c 6] | Yes
| |
| Romania
|
October 2018 | Marriage[713][714][715] | 107 | 13 | 232 | 22 | N/A | No[c 7]
|
| Specific referendum (93.40%) | ||||||||
 Russia
|
July 2020 | Marriage[716][717] | Passed | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| General referendum (77.92%) | ||||||||
| Estonia
|
January 2021 | Marriage[718] | N/A | 29 | 49 | — | No
| |
| Czechia
|
Unknown | Marriage[719][720] | Pending | |||||
| Panama
|
Unknown | Marriage[721] | N/A | Pending | ||||
Notes:
- ^ Repealed in April 2019
- ^ Repealed on 1 January 2014, as the 1992 Constitution was replaced by the new one, which does not contain a definition of marriage.[651][652]
- ^ a b Failed to meet the required threshold.
- ^ Struck down by the Constitutional Court on 12 June 2019
- ^ Although the amendment received 94.5% of the vote, turnout was only at 21.4%. For referendums in Slovakia to be valid, turnout has to surpass 50% of registered voters.[703]
- ^ Veto overridden.
- ^ Although the amendment received majority of the vote, turnout was only at 20.41%. For referendums in Romania to be valid, turnout has to surpass 30% of registered voters.
Sub-national level[edit]
The first jurisdiction to explicitly ban same-sex marriage in its Constitution was the U.S. state of Alaska in November 1998, however, same-sex marriage was legalised in the state in October 2014. The first jurisdiction to enact such a ban and still has it enforced is Yucatán, in July 2009, but since August 2010 the state recognize same-sex marriages performed in Mexico.
As of 22 January 2021, four jurisdictions worldwide have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Those are three British Overseas Territories, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Mexican state of Yucatán.
| State/Territory | Country | Date | Ban on | Upper House | Lower house | Head of state |
Final outcome | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | ||||||
| Cayman Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
June 2009 | Marriage[722] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
 Yucatán
|
Mexico
|
July 2009 | Marriage[723] | N/A | Passed | N/A | Yes
| ||
 Montserrat
|
United Kingdom
|
October 2010 | Marriage[724][725] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Baja California
|
Mexico
|
May 2011 | Marriage[726][727] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes[d 1]
| ||
 Turks and Caicos Islands
|
United Kingdom
|
July 2011 | Marriage[729] | N/A | Passed | Signed | Yes
| ||
| Colima
|
Mexico
|
July 2013 | Marriage[453][454][730] | N/A | 17 | 2 | N/A | Yes[d 2]
| |
| Zurich
|
Switzerland
|
November 2016 | Marriage[732][733] | N/A | 52 | 110 | N/A | No
| |
| Specific referendum (19.09%) | |||||||||
| Veracruz
|
Mexico
|
July 2018 | Marriage[734] | N/A | 32 | 10 | N/A | No[d 3]
| |
Notes:
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tlaxcala and Mexico City as well as in some municipalities in Guerrero, Querétaro and Zacatecas. Same-sex marriages performed in these jurisdictions are recognized throughout Mexico.
- ^ a b T