Which countries in the world allow same-sex marriage?

A day after the Centre opposed in the Supreme Court a batch of pleas seeking legal validation of same-sex marriage, the apex court said that the issue is of seminal importance in view of interplay of various rights including right to live with dignity.

Subsequently, the court referred the petitions seeking legal recognition of marriage between same-sex couples to be heard and decided by a five-judge Constitution Bench from next month.

Current state of marriage equality in the world

As of 2023, marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognised in 34 countries, with the most recent being Andorra.

Read | 'Issue is of seminal importance': SC refers same-sex marriage matter to Constitution bench

The countries where same-sex marriage is legal are Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2023

Andorra: One of Europe's smallest countries, Andorra became the 34th country to legalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage in Andorra has been legal since February 17, 2023.

Read | Indian couples fight to legalise same-sex marriages

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2022

Mexico: Same-sex marriage is legally recognised and performed throughout Mexico since December 31, 2022.

Cuba: Same-sex marriage has been legal in Cuba since September 27, 2022, after a majority of voters approved the legalisation of same-sex marriage at a referendum two days prior.

Slovenia: Same-sex marriage in Slovenia has been legal since 9 July, 2022 in accordance with a ruling from the Constitutional Court of Slovenia.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2021

Chile: Same-sex marriage in Chile has been legal since March 10, 2022. Chile had previously recognised same-sex couples in the form of civil unions only.

Switzerland: Switzerland legalized same-sex marriage on July 1, 2022, becoming one of the last countries in western Europe to do so.

(From L) Daniel, Xavier, Laure and Aline react posing for a picture on the sideline of their respective wedding ceremony in Geneva after the 'marriage for all' Swiss law entered into force as of July 1, 2022. Credit: AFP Photo

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2020

Costa Rica: Same-sex marriage in Costa Rica has been legal since May 26, 2020 as a result of a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice. Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to recognise and perform same-sex marriages.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2019

Austria: Same-sex marriage in Austria has been legal since January 1, 2019. However, Austria indirectly saw its first same-sex marriage in 2006 when the Constitutional Court granted a transgender woman the right to change her legal gender to female while remaining married to her wife.

Taiwan: Taiwan was the first state in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Taiwan's Parliament passed legislation to legalise same-sex marriage which went into effect May 24, 2019. 526 same-sex couples got married on the day.

Taiwan’s first gay couple Shane Lin (L) and Marc Yuan kiss outside the Household Registration Office in Shinyi district in Taipei on May 24,2019. Credit: AFP Photo

Ecuador: Marriage equality for same-sex couples arrived in Ecuador on July 8, 2019 in accordance with a Constitutional Court ruling that the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional under the Constitution of Ecuador.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2017

Australia: Marriage equality became a reality in Australia on December 9, 2017. The first same-sex wedding under Australian law was held on December 15, 2017. The passage of the law followed a voluntary postal survey of all Australians, in which 61.6 per cent of respondents supported legalisation of same-sex marriage.

People celebrate after it was announced the majority of Australians support same-sex marriage in a national survey, paving the way for legislation to make the country the 26th nation to formalise the unions by the end of the year, at a rally in central Sydney, Australia, November 15, 2017. Credit: Reuters Photo

Germany: Same-sex marriage in Germany has been legal since October 1, 2017.

Bode Mende (R) and Karl Kreile stamp their marriage certificate as they became Germany's first gay couple to be legally married tying the knot at the Schoeneberg town hall in Berlin on October 1, 2017. Credit: AFP Photo

Malta: Same-sex marriage in Malta has been legal since September 1, 2017, following the passage of legislation in the Parliament on July 12, 2017.

Finland: Finland’s Parliament approved a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in 2014. However, the law came into effect on March 1, 2017.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2016

Colombia: Same-sex marriage in Colombia has been legal since April 28, 2016 in accordance with a 6-3 ruling from the Constitutional Court of Colombia that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional under the Constitution of Colombia.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2015

United States of America: The availability of legally recognised same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state (Massachusetts) in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various court rulings, state legislation, and direct popular votes.

Read | Pride marchers in Delhi call for same-sex marriage rights

Ireland: Same-sex marriages in Ireland began being recognised from November 16, 2015, and the first marriage ceremonies of same-sex couples in Ireland occurred the following day.

Luxembourg: Same-sex marriage in Luxembourg has been legal since January 1, 2015.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2014

United Kingdom: Legislation to allow same-sex marriage in England and Wales was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in July 2013 and took effect on March 13, 2014. Legislation to allow same-sex marriage in Scotland was passed by the Scottish Parliament in February 2014 and took effect on December 16, 2014. Meanwhile, legislation to allow same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in July 2019 and took effect on January 13, 2020.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2013

New Zealand: Same-sex marriage in New Zealand has been legal since August 19, 2013. 31 same-sex couples married across New Zealand that Monday.

Uruguay: The first same-sex marriage in Urugyay took place on August 5, 2013 hours after a law came into force allowing same-sex marriages in the country. Uruguay became the third country in South America to legalise same-sex marriage.

France: Same-sex marriage in France has been legal since May 18, 2013, making France the thirteenth country worldwide to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Brazil: Same-sex marriage in Brazil has been legal since May 16, 2013. Brazil became the second country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

Read | An LGBTQ revolution in India sets the pace for global change

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage in 2012

Denmark: Denmark brought a law legalising same-sex marriage on June 15, 2012. Denmark was the first country in the world to allow same-sex couples the right to register as domestic partners in 1989.

Countries that legalised same-sex marriage before 2010

Portugal: The Portuguese Parliament passed a bill law allowing same-sex marriage in 2010. The law came into effect in June 2010. A few months earlier, 5,000 people had demonstrated against the legalization of same-sex marriage in a march in Lisbon.

Iceland: In Iceland, the law legalising same sex marriage came into force on June 27, 2010.

Argentina: Same-sex marriage in Argentina has been legal since July 22, 2010. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to legalise same-sex marriage. Civil unions here were available nationwide since 2015.

Sweden: Sweden was the seventh country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples nationwide. Marriage equality became a reality in Sweden on May 1, 2009 following the adoption of a gender-neutral marriage law by the Riksdag on April 1, 2009.

Norway: Norway was the first Scandinavian country and the fourth in Europe to leagalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage was legalised on January 1, 2009 when a gender-neutral marriage law came into force after being passed by the Storting in June 2008.

Read | Legalise same-sex marriages. It’s the next logical step

South Africa: In South Africa, same-sex marriage has been legal since the Civil Union Act, 2006 came into force on November 30, 2006. South Africa was the first country in the world to safeguard sexual orientation as a human right in its Constitution.

Canada: In Canada, same-sex marriage in Canada was progressively introduced in several provinces and territories by court decisions beginning in 2003 before being legally recognised nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act on July 20, 2005.

Spain: Same-sex marriage in Spain has been legal since July 3, 2005. Spain became the third country in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry on a national level, after the Netherlands and Belgium.

Belgium: Same-sex marriage has been legal in Belgium since 1 June 2003, making it the second country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples, after the Netherlands.

Netherlands: Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands has been legal since April 1, 2001. The Netherlands was one of the first countries in the world to recognise cohabiting same-sex couples by law.