| Afghanistan | Illegal | Married women who had sex outside marriage were stoned to death. Although prostitution is illegal in Afghanistan. Many considered 'temporary marriages' a form of prostitution. Temporary marriages lasted from one day to a few months, in exchange for a dowry. |
| Albania | Illegal | The law prohibits prostitution; however, it remained a problem |
| Algeria | Illegal | |
| Andorra | Illegal | |
| Angola | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal, but the prohibition was not consistently enforced. Many women engaged in prostitution due to poverty |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Illegal | but it remained a problem. There were a number of brothels that catered primarily to the local population |
| Argentina | Legal | Prostitution by individuals over the age of 18 is legal, but the promotion, facilitation, or exploitation of persons into prostitution is illegal. |
| Armenia | Legal | Prostitution and sex tourism are legal, but operating a brothel is prohibited and engaging in other forms of pimping are punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment |
| Australia | Click here | |
| Australian Capital Territory | Legal | However, soliciting or loitering in a public place for the purpose of prostitution remains an offence. |
| Northern Territory | Legal | |
| New South Wales | Decriminalised | In 1988 changes were made to laws in New South Wales which prohibit street prostitution in residential zones, but allow it on commercial streets. |
| Queensland | Legal | |
| South Australia | restricted | Prostitution is not illegal, but the soliciting, procuring, keeping a brothel, receiving money paid in a brothel in respect of prostitution or living on the earnings of prostitution are illegal, which makes it illegal in effect. The definition of a brothel is wide enough to include women working who work alone. |
| Tasmania | Legal | |
| Victoria | Legal | Brothels are permitted in the central area of the City of Melbourne. In all other areas, a brothel must not be within 100 metres of a dwelling or 200 metres of a church, hospital, school, kindergarten, children’s services centre or any other facility frequented by children. |
| Western Australia | Legal | |
| Austria | Legal | Laws regulating prostitution require prostitutes to register, undergo periodic health examinations, and pay taxes |
| Azerbaijan | Illegal | |
| Bahamas, The | Illegal | |
| Bahrain | Illegal | |
| Bangladesh | restricted | Female prostitution was legal. Male prostitution was illegal |
| Barbados | Illegal | but it remained a problem, fueled by poverty and tourism |
| Belarus | Illegal | it is an administrative--rather than a criminal—offense |
| Belgium | Legal | |
| Belize | Legal | The law does not explicitly address adult prostitution, and the government did not use law enforcement resources to combat prostitution |
| Benin | Legal | those who facilitate prostitution and individuals who profit financially from prostitution, including traffickers and brothel owners, face penalties including imprisonment |
| Bhutan | Illegal | Prostitution took place on a limited scale and mostly in border regions |
| Bolivia | Legal | legal for individuals age 18 and older |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Illegal | prostitution and solicitation are misdemeanors punishable by a fine only |
| Botswana | Illegal | but was widespread. Enforcement was sporadic and complicated by vague laws that made it easier to charge violators with offenses such as unruly conduct or loitering than for prostitution |
| Brazil | Legal | There are no regulations for adult prostitution, but exploiting it through associated activities, such as operating a brothel, is illegal |
| Brunei | Illegal | |
| Bulgaria | No laws | is not specifically addressed in the law |
| Burkina Faso | Legal | |
| Burundi | Illegal | there were private brothels in urban areas, and women engaged in prostitution independently in high-traffic and tourist areas around Lake Tanganyika. While police did not aggressively attempt to curb prostitution, there was no reliable evidence that they participated in or profited from the sex trade |
| Cambodia | Illegal | The constitution prohibits prostitution; however, there is no specific legislation against working in prostitution |
| Cameroon | Illegal | it was tolerated and practiced predominantly in urban areas and places frequented by tourists |
| Canada | Legal | but the law prohibits pimping; operating, being found in, or working in a brothel; and communicating in a public place for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Prostitution exists throughout the country, particularly in major urban centers. |
| Cape Verde | Legal | |
| Central African Republic | Legal | The new penal code does not specifically prohibit prostitution, but it does criminalize procuring. Procurers can receive prison sentences |
| Chad | Illegal | it was prevalent in larger urban areas and in the south |
| Chile | Legal | |
| China | Illegal | |
| Colombia | Legal | The law prohibits organizing or facilitating sexual tourism and provides penalties of three to eight years' imprisonment |
| Comoros | Illegal | was not openly practiced except at a few hotels frequented by foreigners. Arrests for prostitution were rare |
| Congo, Republic of the | Illegal | but was common, and the government did not effectively enforce this prohibition |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | restricted | The constitution prohibits forced prostitution and bans prostitution of children under age 18 |
| Costa Rica | Legal | The penal code prohibits individuals from promoting or facilitating the prostitution of persons of either sex, regardless of the persons age |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Legal | but associated activities such as soliciting, pandering or running brothels are illegal |
| Croatia | Illegal | widespread and generally punishable by fines |
| Cuba | Legal | legal for persons over age 17 |
| Cyprus | Legal | It is illegal to live off the profits of prostitution, however, and police routinely arrested pimps under this section of the law |
| Czech Republic | Legal | |
| Denmark | Legal | procuring, coercion into prostitution, solicitation of prostitution from a minor, and trafficking are illegal |
| Djibouti | Illegal | |
| Dominica | Illegal | but authorities rarely enforced laws against it |
| Dominican Republic | Legal | there are some prohibitions against sex with minors, and it is illegal for a third party to derive financial gain from prostitution. However, the government usually did not enforce prostitution laws. Sex tourism existed throughout the country |
| Ecuador | Legal | legal for persons over the age of 18 as long as the prostitution businesses are registered with the government and follow health regulations |
| Egypt | Illegal | |
| El Salvador | Legal | the law prohibits inducing, facilitating, promoting, giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute, or paying anyone under the age of 18 for sexual services |
| Equatorial Guinea | Illegal | |
| Eritrea | Illegal | |
| Estonia | Legal | |
| Ethiopia | Legal | legal for persons over age 18 and was commonly practiced around the country; however, the law prohibits pimping and benefiting from the prostitution of others |
| Fiji | Illegal | but it occurred, particularly in cities |
| Finland | Legal | but pimping, pandering, selling, and purchasing sexual services in public is illegal. Prostitution was generally limited to private apartments and nightclubs in larger cities |
| France | Legal | the law prohibits procuring, aiding, assisting, maintaining, publicly soliciting, or profiting from the prostitution of another |
| French Guiana | Illegal | |
| Gabon | Illegal | it was not a widespread problem |
| Gambia, The | Illegal | however, it was a major problem, particularly in tourist areas |
| Georgia | Illegal | |
| Germany | Legal | although communities have the authority to exclude it from specified areas, such as residential neighborhoods |
| Ghana | Illegal | |
| Greece | Legal | legal at the age of 18. Persons engaged in prostitution must register at the local prefecture and carry a medical card that is updated every two weeks |
| Grenada | Illegal | |
| Guatemala | Legal | procuring and inducing a person into prostitution are crimes that can result in fines or imprisonment, with heavier penalties if minors are involved |
| Guinea | Illegal | |
| Guinea-Bissau | No laws | |
| Guyana | Illegal | |
| Haiti | Illegal | but it remained a widespread practice, particularly among women and girls. Police generally ignored prostitution |
| Honduras | Legal | legal for adults over the age of 18 and relatively widespread, the law prohibits promoting or facilitating prostitution |
| Hong Kong | Legal | but there are laws against activities such as public solicitation, causing or procuring another to be a prostitute, living on the prostitution of others, or keeping a vice establishment |
| Hungary | Legal | but persons engaged in prostitution could only work legally in certain locations away from schools and churches |
| Iceland | restricted | however, in April the parliament passed legislation criminalizing the buying of sexual services. The law also prohibits advertising for prostitution and prohibits a third party, or pimp, from profiting from prostitution or procurement of sexual services. It is also illegal for a person to rent facilities for prostitution |
| India | restricted | most activities, such as selling, procuring, and exploiting any person for commercial sex or profiting from the prostitution of another individual, are illegal |
| Indonesia | No laws | Prostitution is not specifically addressed in the law. However, many officials interpreted "crimes against decency/morality" to apply to prostitution. Prostitution was widespread and largely tolerated, despite its contradiction with popular societal and religious norms. |
| Iran | Illegal | but it took place under the legal cover of sigheh (temporary marriage) |
| Iraq | Illegal | |
| Ireland | Legal | It was also illegal to keep or to manage a brothel. Reports of, and arrests for, these crimes were rare |
| Israel | Legal | widespread but not highly visible |
| Italy | Legal | |
| Jamaica | Illegal | it was widespread, particularly in tourist areas |
| Japan | restricted | Prostitution is illegal(only coitus act) but narrowly defined. Many sexual acts(non-coitus act) for pay that would be considered prostitution in other countries are legal. |
| Jordan | Illegal | but police and citizens reported its occurrence in certain restaurants and nightclubs throughout the country |
| Kazakhstan | Legal | although forced prostitution, prostitution connected to organized crime |
| Kenya | Illegal | but was widespread. While operating a brothel is illegal, soliciting prostitution is not a crime. Police arrested women engaged in prostitution. High rates of prostitution existed in tourist areas such as Nairobi and coastal tourist areas |
| Kiribati | Legal | however, procuring sex and managing brothels are illegal. The lack of a law against prostitution hindered the ability of the police to restrict these activities |
| Korea, North | Illegal | |
| Korea, South | Illegal | |
| Kuwait | Illegal | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Legal | although the operation of brothels, pimping, and recruiting persons into prostitution are illegal, with penalties of up to five years imprisonment |
| Laos | Illegal | However, in practice antiprostitution laws generally were not enforced, and in some cases officials reportedly were involved in the trade |
| Latvia | Legal | Requires monthly health check. |
| Lebanon | Legal | requires brothels be licensed, including regular testing for disease |
| Lesotho | No laws | It was known to occur in urban areas, but its pervasiveness was unclear. |
| Liberia | Illegal | it was widespread |
| Libya | Illegal | but there were reports that it existed in major cities |
| Liechtenstein | Illegal | however, police tolerated it in the country's few nightclubs as long as it did not cause public offense |
| Lithuania | Illegal | but remained a problem. |
| Luxembourg | Legal | |
| Macau | Legal | Nevertheless, the SAR had a large sex trade, including brothels, most of which were believed to be controlled by Chinese organized crime groups, and many of those exploited by the trade were women |
| Macedonia [FYROM] | Illegal | however, authorities did not always enforce the law. |
| Madagascar | Legal | Prostitution was pervasive and particularly visible in areas frequented by tourists |
| Malawi | Legal | prevalent around hotels and bars in urban and tourist areas |
| Malaysia | restricted | public solicitation for prostitution is illegal |
| Maldives | Illegal | but occurred on a small scale |
| Mali | Legal | was common in cities. |
| Malta | Illegal | |
| Marshall Islands | Illegal | but reportedly occurred at low levels on the Majuro and Kwajalein atolls |
| Mauritania | Illegal | |
| Mauritius | Illegal | however, it was prevalent. |
| Mexico | Legal | While pimping and prostitution of minors under age 18 are illegal |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Illegal | illegal and was uncommon, although the police alleged that a small number of prostitutes were available to fishermen temporarily docked in Pohnpei |
| Moldova | Illegal | Prostitution is punishable by a fine or administrative arrest. Pimping is a crime with penalties ranging from two to seven years in prison. Advertising prostitution in the media is punished with a fine. |
| Monaco | Illegal | overt prostitution is uncommon, although it exists in a well-hidden form |
| Mongolia | Illegal | Women's activists claimed that in Ulaanbaatar there were hundreds of brothels posing as saunas, massage parlors, and hotels. Some were occasionally raided by police. Nevertheless, the overall infrequency of raids allowed brothels to operate de facto |
| Montenegro | Illegal | Prostitution and offering sexual services are crimes, but using the services of a prostituted person is not a criminal offense. Prostitution existed but was not widespread |
| Morocco | Illegal | Closely linked to tourism and urban migration, it was a growing but not yet pervasive problem. Authorities did not effectively enforce the law |
| Mozambique | No laws | although it is governed by several laws against indecency and immoral behavior and restricted to certain areas |
| Burma | Illegal | punishable by up to five years in prison. |
| Namibia | Legal | There were continued reports that police officers threatened to arrest prostitutes who did not agree to give them free sex. |
| Nauru | Illegal | |
| Nepal | restricted | Forced prostitution is illegal, but there are no laws banning prostitution by choice |
| Netherlands | Legal | legal for persons age 18 or older who engage in the practice voluntarily. In Aruba prostitution was not a criminal offense but soliciting in public places was prohibited. |
| Netherlands Antilles | Legal | legal for persons age 18 or older who engage in the practice voluntarily. |
| New Zealand | Decriminalised | According to Prostitution Reform Act 2003 No 28, Public Act, prostitution has been decriminalized. The purpose of this Act is to decriminalise prostitution (while not endorsing or morally sanctioning prostitution or its use) and to create a framework. It is legal for citizens over 18 years old. |
| Nicaragua | Legal | which is legal for persons 14 years of age and older, was common, although the law prohibits its promotion |
| Niger | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal but remained prevalent in big cities and near major mining and military sites. |
| Nigeria | Illegal | Prostitution remained pervasive, particularly in urban areas. Statutes at both the federal and state levels criminalize prostitution. All states that adopted Sharia had criminalized prostitution but enforced such prohibitions with varying success. The police frequently used the antiprostitution statutes as tools for harassment, arresting prostitutes and holding them until they paid bribes but rarely prosecuting the cases in court. |
| Norway | restricted | It is illegal for citizens to purchase, but not to sell, sexual services. The prohibition applies to citizens regardless of where in the world the purchase takes place. |
| Oman | Illegal | Observers reported, however, despite strict cultural norms and immigration controls, women from Eastern Europe, South Asia, North Africa, and China engaged in prostitution. |
| Pakistan | Illegal | Police generally ignored the activity if they received bribes. Police raided brothels during the year but many continued to operate underground, particularly in larger cities. |
| Palau | Illegal | |
| Panama | Legal | prostitutes required to register and carry identification cards; however, the majority of prostitutes were not registered. |
| Papua New Guinea | Illegal | however, the laws were not enforced, and the practice was widespread. |
| Paraguay | Legal | Prostitution is legal for persons over the age of 18, but exploitation and trafficking of women, particularly underage prostitutes, remained serious problems. |
| Peru | Legal | legal for women over 18 years of age if they register with municipal authorities and carry a health certificate. |
| Philippines | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal but was a widespread problem. |
| Poland | Legal | but pimping, forced prostitution, and prostitution of minors are prohibited. |
| Portugal | Legal | |
| Qatar | Illegal | |
| Romania | Illegal | The law does not provide punishment for clients of prostitutes unless the prostitute was a minor and the client admitted knowing that fact before the act. |
| Russia | Illegal | The organization and operation of a prostitution business is a crime, while selling sexual services is a lesser administrative offense. |
| Rwanda | Illegal | |
| Saint Lucia | Illegal | but laws against it were rarely enforced. Some underground strip clubs were fronts for prostitution and reportedly were owned and/or protected by corrupt police officers. |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Illegal | |
| Samoa | Illegal | it existed but was not widespread. |
| San Marino | Illegal | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Illegal | |
| Saudi Arabia | Illegal | |
| Senegal | Legal | Although soliciting customers is illegal, prostitution is legal if individuals are at least 21 years of age, register with the police, carry a valid sanitary card, and test negative for sexually transmitted infections. |
| Serbia | Illegal | although being a client of a prostitute is not a criminal offense. |
| Seychelles | Illegal | |
| Sierra Leone | Legal | however, prostitutes occasionally were arrested and charged with loitering or vagrancy. |
| Singapore | Legal | Legal red-light districts, mandatory health checks, and must be 18 years or older. |
| Slovakia | Legal | Prostitution is legal, but related activities, such as operating brothels, knowingly spreading sexually transmitted diseases, or trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation, are prohibited. There were no reliable data on the extent of prostitution. |
| Slovenia | Illegal | Prostitution is decriminalized but can be considered as a misdemeanor if its performance violates the Regulation on Public Order. |
| Solomon Islands | Illegal | but the statutes were not enforced. |
| Somalia | Illegal | |
| South Africa | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal but was widespread and practiced openly. |
| Spain | Legal | but forcing others into prostitution and organizing prostitution rings are crimes; it is illegal to profit from the prostitution of another person |
| Sri Lanka | Illegal | |
| Sudan | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal but widespread throughout the country. |
| Suriname | Illegal | |
| Swaziland | Illegal | Enforcement of laws against prostitution was inconsistent, particularly near industrial sites and military bases. |
| Sweden | restricted | Selling sexual services is legal, but the purchase of sexual services and procurement are illegal. In recent years, the government has sought to curb prostitution by focusing on the demand rather than the supply and by arresting clients rather than prostitutes. |
| Switzerland | Legal | however, street prostitution is illegal except in specially designated areas in the major cities. |
| Syria | Illegal | but it was not strictly enforced |
| Tajikistan | Illegal | although in practice prostitutes who were arrested were assessed a nominal fine and released |
| Tanzania | Illegal | however, prostitution remained common. Prostituted women were occasionally arrested |
| Thailand | Illegal | although it was practiced openly throughout the country. Local officials with commercial interests in prostitution often protected the practice. |
| Timor-Leste | Legal | |
| Tonga | Legal | but activities such as soliciting in a public place, procuring, operating a brothel, and trading in women are criminal offenses. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Illegal | |
| Tunisia | Illegal | However, there were government-sanctioned brothels in which the workers reportedly had regular medical exams. There were no penalties for visiting these brothels. |
| Turkey | Legal | Women need to be registered and acquire an ID card stating the dates of their health checks. It is mandatory for registered prostitutes to undergo regular health checks for sexually transmitted diseases. |
| Turkmenistan | Illegal | but remained a problem throughout the country. Authorities actively monitored prostitution and attempted to counter it. |
| Tuvalu | Illegal | |
| Uganda | Illegal | Prostitution is illegal but common. |
| Ukraine | Illegal | Prostitution is not a criminal offense, although it can be punished as an administrative offense with a fine up to 255 hryvnia (approximately $32). However, pimping and the organization and operation of a prostitution business is a crime that carries a term of three to 15 years imprisonment. |
| United Arab Emirates | Illegal | however, it has become an increasing problem in recent years, particularly in Dubai. Although prostitution was widely acknowledged to exist, the government did not publicly address the issue. During the year the media reported several arrests for prostitution, trafficking, and operating a brothel. |
| United Kingdom | Legal | Prostitution is technically legal in the United Kingdom, but several associated activities are outlawed that make it difficult to work legally. It is illegal to solicit or advertise or own a brothel. It is also illegal for prospective clients to 'kerb-crawl'. |
| United States | Illegal | except for 11 rural counties in Nevada, where registration and health checks are required |
| Uruguay | Legal | legal for persons over the age of 18 and was practiced openly in major cities and tourist resorts. Prostitutes would be obligated to obtain an identification card from a registry which would be established within the National Police. They would also be required to submit to periodic medical examinations and to work only within designated commercial establishments and zones |
| Uzbekistan | Illegal | however, it remained a problem. Police enforced the laws against prostitution unevenly; some police officers harassed and threatened prostitutes with prosecution to extort money. |
| Vanuatu | Illegal | |
| Venezuela | Legal | |
| Vietnam | Illegal | |
| Yemen | Illegal | but it was a problem, particularly in Aden and Sana'a. Many prostitutes were third-country nationals who had traveled to the country looking for employment as domestic workers. There were reports that underage citizen girls worked as prostitutes in major cities. |
| Zambia | Legal | Although prostitution is not illegal, the penal code criminalizes certain conduct associated with prostitution. |
| Zimbabwe | Illegal | Police often tolerated prostitution at nightclubs, truck stops, and bars in urban areas. Clients were rarely arrested. |
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