New Map Shows Marriage Equality Worldwide

Gary Carnivele July 8, 2019

Human Rights Watch has updated our marriage equality map, which provides an overview of countries with marriage equality, civil unions or registered partnership; links to the relevant legislation; and, where possible, a brief explanation of the path – legislative, judicial, or other – that these countries took to achieve marriage equality or to provide for same-sex civil unions or registered partnership.

As legal situations change in countries, this map will be further updated.

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples. Other countries followed. Today there are 28 countries with marriage equality—most recently, Austria, Ecuador and Taiwan– with Costa Rica expected to join the list soon.

An additional fourteen countries have made civil unions or registered partnerships available for same-sex couples. In some cases, civil unions or registered partnership provide all the same rights and responsibilities of civil marriage and differ in name only; countries with such laws include Croatia, Greece, Slovenia and Switzerland. In other cases, civil unions provide some, but not all, of these rights.

In 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued an advisory opinion on the interpretation of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights in respect of marriage equality. The Court encouraged member states to take actions towards eliminating discrimination and achieving marriage equality.

There are causes to celebrate during Pride Month, as laws and policies continue to improve LGBT rights around the world.

We hope this map will assist those who are looking for this type of information. We decided to only mark independent countries on our map and not overseas territories, regions, departments or possessions. That’s why we did not include Bermuda, Greenland or Aruba for instance. If you have additional information, you can contact Human Rights Watch via lgbt@hrw.org

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Click on each country for a snapshot of current legislation. For more information and Human Rights Watch reporting on LGBT rights, click on the country name in the black pop-up box.

Legislative
Judicial
Marriage
Referendum/Legislative
Judicial/Legislative
Civil Union

Cyprus

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:Civil UnionRECOGNIZED SINCE:2015HOW IT CAME TO BE:The Cypriot parliament approved a bill in 2015ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

Czech Republic

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:Civil UnionRECOGNIZED SINCE:2006HOW IT CAME TO BE:The registered partnership law was passed in 2006ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORTING:“Door Opens to Achieving Marriage Equality in Czech Republic”

Denmark

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:MarriageRECOGNIZED SINCE:2012HOW IT CAME TO BE:In 1989 Denmark became the first country in the world to grant legal rights to same-sex relationships by introducing registered partnership legislation. In 2012 Denmark replaced that law with marriage equality legislation.ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

Ecuador

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:MarriageRECOGNIZED SINCE:2019HOW IT CAME TO BE:The Constitutional Court of Ecuador issued a ruling on June 12, 2019 holding that the nation’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. ROAD:JudicialJURISDICTION:Countrywide

Estonia

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:Civil UnionRECOGNIZED SINCE:2016HOW IT CAME TO BE:Parliament passed legislation creating same-sex civil unions in July 2016. A court ruling, in December 2016, mandated that a same-sex marriage performed abroad be recognized in Estonia.ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

Finland

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:MarriageRECOGNIZED SINCE:2017HOW IT CAME TO BE:Finland introduced registered partnership for same-sex couples in 2002. In 2013, a same-sex marriage bill was voted down by Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee. Activists responded by putting forward a similar bill as a “citizens’ initiative,” under legislation that requires parliament to consider initiatives signed on to by more than 50,000 citizens. Parliament voted in favor of the initiative in December 2014, and an amended Marriage Act came into effect in 2017. ROAD:Citizens’ Initiative/ LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORTING:“Finland to Allow Same-Sex Marriage”

France

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:MarriageRECOGNIZED SINCE:2013HOW IT CAME TO BE:In 1999, parliament introduced civil unions in the form of PACS (“pacte civil de solidarité”)., which provide certain rights to couples irrespective of their sex. In 2013 the legislature adopted same-sex marriage legislation. Opponents challenged the bill before the Constitutional Tribunal, which held it to be compatible with the constitution, and the president signed it into law. ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORTING:“France: Approve Marriage Equality”, “Letter to Members of the French Parliament”, “France: First Marriage of a Same-Sex Couple”

Germany

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:MarriageRECOGNIZED SINCE:2017HOW IT CAME TO BE:From 2001 until 2017, only registered partnership was available to same-sex couples. Through several rulings by the Federal Constitutional Court, registered partnerships came to provide almost the same rights as marriage. In 2017, 62.4% of the members of parliament in the Bundestag (House of Representatives) voted in favor of introducing marriage equality. Registered partnership also remain available to same-sex couples.ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORTING:“Germany, Malta on Verge of Marriage Equality”, “Germany: Join the Move to Marriage Equality”

Greece

AVAILABLE INSTITUTION:Civil UnionRECOGNIZED SINCE:2015HOW IT CAME TO BE:Parliament legalized same-sex civil unions in December 2015.ROAD:LegislativeJURISDICTION:Countrywide