Age of Consent

The age at which an individual can legally be capable of giving informed consent to sexual activity with another person.

The age of consent varies from country to country (and from state to state in the US), ranging from 12 to 21 (the average being 16-18). Spain has the lowest age of consent in Europe (13), whilst Turkey and Malta have the highest (18).

The age of consent in England and Wales is 16 (as specified by the Sexual Offences Act 2003), although it is illegal for a person to engage in sexual activity with an individual under the age of 18 if they are in a position of trust in relation to that individual (for example, a teacher, care giver, guardian, etc).