From the Netherlands in 2001 to Thailand and Liechtenstein in 2025, marriage equality now exists in 38 countries. A look at how it spread and where it stalls.
Marriage equality means the law treats a couple the same way whether the two partners share a gender or not. It is one of the most visible markers of LGBTQ+ progress, and the map has changed faster than almost anyone expected. A quarter of a century ago, not a single country recognised same-sex marriage. By 2026, 38 do, and several more are inching closer through courts and parliaments.
The First to Open the Door
The Netherlands got there first. On 1 April 2001, the mayor of Amsterdam married four couples at the stroke of midnight, in a ceremony carried by news outlets around the world. The Dutch law was the first anywhere to drop the words "man and woman" from the definition of marriage entirely.
Belgium followed in 2003. Spain and Canada both legalised in 2005, and Spain's vote came despite loud opposition from the Catholic Church. What these early adopters quietly demonstrated mattered just as much as the symbolism: the social collapse that opponents had warned about never arrived. Divorce rates didn't spike, heterosexual marriage didn't disappear, and within a few years public support in these countries had climbed well past where it stood on the day the laws passed.
The 2010s: A Decade of Dominoes
South Africa had already broken ground in 2006 as the first African country to legalise same-sex marriage, the result of a constitutional court ruling rather than a popular vote. Then the 2010s arrived and the pace picked up sharply. Argentina opened the door in Latin America in 2010. A run of countries followed:
- 2012: Denmark, including Greenland
- 2013: Brazil, France, New Zealand, Uruguay
- 2014: United Kingdom (England, Wales and Scotland)
- 2015: The United States, via the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, and Ireland, which became the first country to legalise by popular referendum
- 2017: Germany, Malta, Australia
- 2019: Taiwan, the first place in Asia to recognise same-sex marriage, alongside Ecuador
Ireland's vote stands out. Putting a minority's rights to a national ballot is risky, and the Yes campaign won anyway with more than 60 percent of the vote. Taiwan's milestone carried weight of a different kind, opening a region where progress had been slow and where its neighbours were watching closely.
The 2020s: Asia and the Former Eastern Bloc
The current decade has pushed marriage equality into places that looked unreachable a generation ago. Several Latin American countries finished the job — Chile, Cuba and Slovenia in 2022, with Mexico reaching nationwide recognition the same year after a long state-by-state fight. Estonia legalised in 2023 as the first former Soviet republic to do so, a genuine break from the region's record.
Then came a cluster of firsts:
- 2024: Greece became the first majority-Orthodox country to legalise same-sex marriage
- 2025: Liechtenstein's law took effect on 1 January, and Thailand's followed on 23 January, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia overall
Thailand's debut was hard to miss. On the day the law took effect, hundreds of couples registered their marriages at a mass event in Bangkok organised with Bangkok Pride. The legislation uses gender-neutral language and grants the same rights to adoption, inheritance and medical decision-making that any other married couple holds.
Where the Lines Are Still Being Drawn
Campaigns are live in Japan, Italy, the Czech Republic and across parts of Latin America, and the direction of travel is clear even where the votes haven't landed yet. Many countries that stop short of full marriage still recognise civil partnerships or registered partnerships, which carry some or most of the same legal protections. For couples weighing where to build a life, the difference between those two categories is worth understanding in detail — our global overview of LGBTQ+ rights breaks down how legal recognition varies from one country to the next.
Why the Fight Isn't Over
Progress on paper hasn't reached everyone. Same-sex relationships are still criminalised in more than 60 countries, concentrated in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caribbean. In a handful of places, the penalty is death. Even where the law protects couples, acceptance can trail well behind it, and people still meet discrimination in housing, healthcare and adoption.
A wedding certificate is a milestone, not a finish line. Full equality means protection from discrimination in every part of daily life, access to healthcare, recognition of transgender identities and freedom from violence. That broader story runs straight back to where the modern movement ignited — the Stonewall riots of 1969 — and it carries forward into the Pride marches held each year on the worldwide Pride calendar. If you're curious how a protest became a global celebration, our explainer on what a Pride parade actually is picks up the thread.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries have legalised same-sex marriage?
As of 2026, marriage equality is legal in 38 countries. Many more recognise civil or registered partnerships that grant some or most of the rights of marriage. The number has grown almost every year since the Netherlands became the first in 2001.
Which country was the first to legalise same-sex marriage?
The Netherlands was first, with its law taking effect on 1 April 2001. The mayor of Amsterdam married four couples at midnight that day. Belgium followed in 2003, then Spain and Canada in 2005.
Which was the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage?
Taiwan became the first in 2019. Thailand followed in January 2025, making it the third Asian country and the first in Southeast Asia. Nepal also moved toward recognition through its courts during this period.
Are same-sex partnerships legal everywhere even if marriage isn't?
No. Same-sex relationships remain criminalised in more than 60 countries, concentrated in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caribbean. In a small number of these, the penalty can be death. Legal recognition varies enormously from one country to the next.
What is the difference between marriage equality and a civil partnership?
Marriage equality gives same-sex couples access to the same legal institution as everyone else, including the name and full status of marriage. Civil or registered partnerships grant some or most of those rights but not always all of them, and the protections differ by country. Adoption, inheritance and cross-border recognition are common areas where the two diverge.
Which country first legalised same-sex marriage by popular vote?
Ireland, in 2015. It put the question to a national referendum and the Yes side won with more than 60 percent of the vote. Most other countries have legalised through parliaments or court rulings rather than a direct public ballot.