Legal status of human sterilization by country

Laws regarding sterilization for contraceptive purposes around the world:

   Legal from the age of 18

   Legal from the age of 21, 25 or 18 for those with two children

   Legal from the age of 25

   Legal from the age of 30, 35 or 40

   Legal for those with at least 3, 4 or 5 children sometimes with additional age requirements

   Illegal

   No data

This article provides an overview of human sterilization by country. While many countries permit voluntary sterilization for contraceptive purposes, some permit it only for medical or eugenic purposes. Additional restrictions may include minimum age, parental or spousal consent.[1]

Country	Compulsory	Voluntary for contraceptive purposes	Notes
Albania	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Andorra	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	Since 1996
Argentina		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Australia		Yes[1]	Since 1977
Austria	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes. Since 1974
Bahamas		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Bangladesh	For refugees	Yes[1]
Belarus		Yes[1] [1]	35+years or at least two children
Belgium	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Belize		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Botswana		Yes[1]
Brazil	Illegal in most cases, although both the US and Brazilian governments have carried out sterilisation of Brazilians in the 20th and 21st centuries under various rationales	Yes[1][2]	21+ years or <21 with two children for contraceptive purposes. Since 2022
Canada	Varies per province; sterilisations particularly of indigenous individuals performed in the 20th and 21st centuries	Yes[1]	Since 1979
Cape Verde		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Chile		Yes[1]	Since 2001
China	De juris illegal	Yes[1]
Colombia		Yes[1]	Since 1984
Comoros		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Costa Rica		Yes[1]	Since 1999
Côte d'Ivoire		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Croatia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	35+ for contraceptive purposes. Since 1978
Cuba		Yes[1]	32+ years with several children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1968
Cyprus	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Czech Republic		Yes[1]	21+ years for contraceptive reasons. Since 2012
Denmark	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive reasons. Since 1976
Dominican Republic		Yes[1]	40+ years with one child, 35+ with three children, 30+ with five children or 25+ with six children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1972
Ecuador		Yes[1]	25+ years with three children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1992
El Salvador		Yes[1]	Since 1979
Estonia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[3]	35+years or at least 3 children. Since 1998
Fiji		Yes[1]
Finland	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	30+ years or <30 years and three children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1985
France	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	Since 2001
Georgia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[2]	As of 2009
Germany	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Ghana		Yes[1]
Greece	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Guatemala		No[1]
Honduras		Yes[1]	35+ years with one child or 24–43 with three children for contraceptive purposes.
Hungary		Yes[4]	40+ years or three children
Iceland	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes
India		Yes[1]	20+ (women) or 25+ (men) years for contraceptive purposes, less if couple has two children. Spousal consent and has to have had one child that is a year old
Indonesia		Yes[1]
Iran		No	In 2021 sterilization was prohibited except for medical purposes.[5]
Ireland	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Israel		Yes[1]
Italy	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Japan		No[1]	Current law since 1996. In practice, contraceptive sterilizations are performed routinely, with health reasons given as the justification.[1]
Kenya		Yes[1]
Kyrgyzstan		Yes[6]
Latvia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Lesotho		Yes[1]
Liechtenstein	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes.
Lithuania		No[7]
Luxembourg	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Mali		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Malaysia		No	According to 1981 fatwa sterilization is forbidden for men and women. Temporary contraceptive methods may be permitted for health and economic reasons.[8]
Malta	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Mexico		Yes[1]
Moldova	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[2]	As of 2009
Monaco	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Mongolia		Yes[1]	Woman must have many^[quantify] children
Montenegro	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Morocco		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Myanmar		No[1]	Since 1963
Namibia		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Nepal		Yes[1]
Netherlands	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
New Zealand		Yes[1]
Nicaragua		Yes[1]
Niger		Yes[1]	35+ years with four children for contraceptive purposes.
Nigeria		Yes[1]
North Macedonia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[2]	As of 2009
Norway	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes
Pakistan		Yes[1]
Panama		Yes[1]	Five children for contraceptive purposes.
Paraguay		Yes[1]
Peru		Yes[1]
Philippines		Yes[1]
Poland	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	No	Reproductive sterilisation of men (vasectomy) is legal in Poland, while other sterilization methods have been defined as a criminal act since 1997[9]: 19  and remains so as of 5 September 2019^[update], under Article 156 §1, which also covers making someone blind, deaf or mute, of the 1997 law.[10]: 64  The original 1997 law punished contraventions with a prison sentence of one to ten years[9] and the updated law as of 5 September 2019^[update] sets a prison sentence of at least 3 years.[10] The prison sentence is a maximum of three years if the sterilisation is involuntary, under Art. 156 §2.[9][10]: 64
Portugal	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes.
Romania	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Russia		Yes[1]	35+ years or <35 with two children.
San Marino	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
Singapore		Yes[1]
Slovenia	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	35+ years for contraceptive purposes
Rwanda		No[1]
Saudi Arabia		No[1]
Senegal		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Slovak Republic		Yes[2]	As of 2009
South Africa		Yes[1]
South Korea		Yes[1]	Since 1973
Spain	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Sri Lanka		Yes[1]
Sudan		No[1]	Since 1990
Sweden	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]	25+ years for contraceptive purposes; 18–25 for eugenic, health (women only) or sex change reasons.
Switzerland	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
Taiwan		Yes[1]	Since 1984
Tanzania		Yes[1]
Thailand		Yes[1]
Trinidad and Tobago		Yes[1]
Tunisia		Yes[1]	Since 1973. At least four children required.
Turkey		Yes[1]	Since 1983
Uganda		Yes[1]	Since 1993
Ukraine	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
United Arab Emirates		No	Women can opt for sterilisation if they have had "any medical illness that could endanger their life in future due to pregnancy".[11]
United Kingdom	Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect	Yes[1]
United States		Yes[1]
Uruguay		Yes[2]	As of 2009
Venezuela		No[1]	Since 1971
Vietnam		Yes[1]	Since 1989
Zambia		Yes[1]	Since 1965
Zimbabwe		Yes[1]	Since 1985

See also

• compulsory sterilization § By country

References

1. EngenderHealth (2002). "4". Contraceptive sterilization : global issues and trends. John A. Ross. New York, NY: EngenderHealth. ISBN 1-885063-31-8. OCLC 49322541.
2. Reproductive Health Laws Around the World
3. "Raseduse katkestamise ja steriliseerimise seadus". Riigiteataja. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
4. "Year 1997. CLIV. Hungarian law about healthcare".
5. Iran: Population Law Violates Women’s Rights, 10 November 2021
6. "Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on the protection of citizens' health in the Kyrgyz Republic".
7. "2016–2017 Human Rights in Lithuania" (PDF). Lithuania has not legalized voluntary surgical sterilization, as a family planning method
8. "Reproductive rights: Malaysia" (PDF). p. 94.
9. "553 Ustawa z dnia 6 czerwca 1997 r. – Kodeks karny" [553 Law of 6 June 1997 – Criminal code] (PDF). Sejm. 6 June 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
10. "Ustawa z dnia 6 czerwca 1997 r. – Kodeks karny – Opracowano na podstawie t.j. Dz. U. z 2018 r. poz. 1600, 2077, z 2019 r. poz. 730, 858, 870, 1135, 1579" [Law of 6 June 1997 – Criminal code – Updated on the basis of Dz. U. 2018 parts 1600, 2077, and Dz. U. 2019 parts 730, 858, 870, 1135, 1579] (PDF). Sejm. 5 September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
11. Muslim, Nina (2 April 2008). "Women now able to undergo sterilisation at private hospitals". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.