The Vatican is the only jurisdiction in Europe not to have equal and gender-neutral age limits. By contrast, the age of consent is much higher in Turkey, at 18. Children as young as 14 are considered able to consent to sex in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Portugal. So how does this compare with the rest of the world?Įurope: Spain previously had the lowest age of consent in Europe, but raised it from 13 to 16 in 2013, bringing it in line with the UK, Russia, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Belgium. In the UK, the age of consent stands at 16, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Most countries prohibit sex with under-16s or under-18s, but in some places the age of consent is as low as 11, or as high as 20. However, even within counties this can vary widely between males and females and in cases of heterosexual and homosexual sex. Kentucky child marriage ban stalled by conservatives.France to set age of consent at 15 following rape outcry.
