Where is gay marriage legal?

Nov 13, 2015

Joe Myers

Writer, Forum Stories

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Around the world 23 nations allow gay marriage – either nationally or in the case of Mexico, in some jurisdictions. In the UK, gay marriage is devolved to national parliaments, so is only legal in England, Wales and Scotland.

The following map shows the countries around the world that allow same-sex couples to marry, with data taken from the Pew Research Center.

As the map highlights, countries where same-sex marriage is legal are found predominantly in the Americas and Europe, with South Africa and New Zealand being the only exceptions.

The first nation to legalise gay marriage was the Netherlands in 2000. Gay marriage will become legal in Finland from 2017 through a bill passed this year.

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Author: Joe Myers is a Digital Content Producer at Formative Content.

Image: Participants hold a giant rainbow flag during the Brussels LGBT Pride Parade May 17, 2014. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

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