Status of Marriage Equality Worldwide
Print/view the PDF version of this fact sheet
RECOGNITION OF SAME-SEX COUPLES WORLDWIDE
Countries allowing same-sex couples to marry:
- 2000 – The Netherlands
- 2003 – Belgium
- 2005 – Canada, Spain
- 2006 – South Africa
- 2009 – Norway, Sweden
Countries recognizing same-sex couples through non-marital partnership registration, case law or other official policies:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Greenland
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Uruguay
Countries conferring a status on same-sex couples in some regions:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Mexico
RECOGNITION OF SAME-SEX COUPLES IN THE UNITED STATES
States allowing same-sex couples to marry:
- 2004 – Massachusetts
- 2008 – Connecticut
- 2009 – Iowa, Vermont
- 2010 – New Hampshire
- *California – roughly 18,000 couples married in 2008 remain married after Prop 8
States respecting same-sex couples’ out-of-state marriages include:
- California (by statute, pre-November 4, 2008 marriages honored as marriages and later out-of-state marriages treated as registered domestic partnerships)
- District of Columbia
- New Jersey (treats as civil unions)
- New Mexico (not confirmed by court or official policy)
- New York
- Rhode Island (likely for some purposes but not divorce)
Non-marriage status with marriage-like protections for same-sex couples:
- California – Broad domestic partnership
- District of Columbia – Broad domestic partnership
- Nevada – Broad domestic partnership
- New Jersey – Civil unions
- Oregon – Broad domestic partnership
- Washington State – Broad domestic partnership
States/jurisdictions offering limited recognition to same-sex couples:
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Maryland
- Wisconsin
(Rev. 2/16/10)
