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Age of civil majority

What this indicator measures

The age of civil majority is the age at which the law considers a person an adult: they can then sign contracts, manage their property and make their own decisions. Each country sets this age; countries where it varies by region or by subject are left out.

How to read this?

The number is the age, in years, at which a person is legally an adult.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

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187countries with data
21 yrsmaximum · Côte d’Ivoire
18 yrsmedian
16 yrsminimum · Vietnam
2026data year(s)

In brief

Age of civil majority: across 187 countries and territories, values range from 16 yrs (Vietnam) to 21 yrs (Côte d’Ivoire), with a world median of 18 yrs. Data: 2026. The top 10% of countries exceed 19 yrs, while the bottom 10% stay below 18 yrs. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (18 yrs) and lowest in South America (18 yrs).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Africa 18 yrs (50)
  • North America 18 yrs (20)
  • Asia 18 yrs (46)
  • Oceania 18 yrs (12)
  • Europe 18 yrs (44)
  • South America 18 yrs (12)

Why this indicator matters

The age of majority sets the point at which a person can sign a contract, manage their property and decide for themselves. Comparing it shows at what age each society entrusts these responsibilities to young people.

What makes this indicator vary

The age of majority depends on legal history, family traditions and civil law reforms. Some laws have lowered the age over the decades, while others have kept it unchanged for a very long time.

Reading precautions

Civil majority is not the same as criminal majority, the voting age or the marriage age, which may differ. Countries where the age varies by region or by subject are not shown.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire21 yrs2026
1er🇨🇲 Cameroon21 yrs2026
1er🇪🇬 Egypt21 yrs2026
1er🇬🇦 Gabon21 yrs2026
1er🇬🇩 Grenada21 yrs2026
1er🇭🇳 Honduras21 yrs2026
1er🇰🇼 Kuwait21 yrs2026
1er🇱🇸 Lesotho21 yrs2026
1er🇲🇬 Madagascar21 yrs2026
1er🇲🇿 Mozambique21 yrs2026
1er🇳🇪 Niger21 yrs2026
1er🇸🇬 Singapore21 yrs2026
1er🇸🇿 Eswatini21 yrs2026
1er🇹🇩 Chad21 yrs2026
1er🇼🇸 Samoa21 yrs2026
1er🇿🇲 Zambia21 yrs2026
17e🇳🇿 New Zealand20 yrs2026
17e🇹🇭 Thailand20 yrs2026
19e🇩🇿 Algeria19 yrs2026
19e🇰🇷 South Korea19 yrs2026
21e🇦🇫 Afghanistan18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇴 Angola18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇱 Albania18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇩 Andorra18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇷 Argentina18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇲 Armenia18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇺 Australia18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇹 Austria18 yrs2026
21e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇮 Burundi18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇪 Belgium18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇯 Benin18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇩 Bangladesh18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇬 Bulgaria18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇭 Bahrain18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇸 Bahamas18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇾 Belarus18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇿 Belize18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇴 Bolivia18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇷 Brazil18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇧 Barbados18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇳 Brunei18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇹 Bhutan18 yrs2026
21e🇧🇼 Botswana18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇫 Central African Republic18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇭 Switzerland18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇱 Chile18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇴 Colombia18 yrs2026
21e🇰🇲 Comoros18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇻 Cape Verde18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇷 Costa Rica18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇾 Cyprus18 yrs2026
21e🇨🇿 Czechia18 yrs2026
21e🇩🇪 Germany18 yrs2026
21e🇩🇯 Djibouti18 yrs2026
21e🇩🇲 Dominica18 yrs2026
21e🇩🇰 Denmark18 yrs2026
21e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic18 yrs2026
21e🇪🇨 Ecuador18 yrs2026
21e🇪🇷 Eritrea18 yrs2026
21e🇪🇸 Spain18 yrs2026
21e🇪🇪 Estonia18 yrs2026
21e🇪🇹 Ethiopia18 yrs2026
21e🇫🇮 Finland18 yrs2026
21e🇫🇯 Fiji18 yrs2026
21e🇫🇷 France18 yrs2026
21e🇫🇲 Micronesia18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇪 Georgia18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇭 Ghana18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇳 Guinea18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇲 Gambia18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇷 Greece18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇹 Guatemala18 yrs2026
21e🇬🇾 Guyana18 yrs2026
21e🇭🇷 Croatia18 yrs2026
21e🇭🇹 Haiti18 yrs2026
21e🇭🇺 Hungary18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇩 Indonesia18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇳 India18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇪 Ireland18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇷 Iran18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇶 Iraq18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇸 Iceland18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇱 Israel18 yrs2026
21e🇮🇹 Italy18 yrs2026
21e🇯🇲 Jamaica18 yrs2026
21e🇯🇴 Jordan18 yrs2026
21e🇯🇵 Japan18 yrs2026
21e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan18 yrs2026
21e🇰🇪 Kenya18 yrs2026
21e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan18 yrs2026
21e🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇦 Laos18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇧 Lebanon18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇾 Libya18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇨 St. Lucia18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇮 Liechtenstein18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇹 Lithuania18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇺 Luxembourg18 yrs2026
21e🇱🇻 Latvia18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇦 Morocco18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇨 Monaco18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇩 Moldova18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇻 Maldives18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇽 Mexico18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇭 Marshall Islands18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇰 North Macedonia18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇱 Mali18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇹 Malta18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇪 Montenegro18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇳 Mongolia18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇷 Mauritania18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇺 Mauritius18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇼 Malawi18 yrs2026
21e🇲🇾 Malaysia18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇦 Namibia18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇬 Nigeria18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇱 Netherlands18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇴 Norway18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇵 Nepal18 yrs2026
21e🇳🇷 Nauru18 yrs2026
21e🇴🇲 Oman18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇰 Pakistan18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇦 Panama18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇪 Peru18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇭 Philippines18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇼 Palau18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇱 Poland18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇹 Portugal18 yrs2026
21e🇵🇾 Paraguay18 yrs2026
21e🇶🇦 Qatar18 yrs2026
21e🇷🇴 Romania18 yrs2026
21e🇷🇺 Russia18 yrs2026
21e🇷🇼 Rwanda18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇩 Sudan18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇳 Senegal18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇻 El Salvador18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇲 San Marino18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇴 Somalia18 yrs2026
21e🇷🇸 Serbia18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇷 Suriname18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇰 Slovakia18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇮 Slovenia18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇪 Sweden18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇨 Seychelles18 yrs2026
21e🇸🇾 Syria18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇬 Togo18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇯 Tajikistan18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇴 Tonga18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇳 Tunisia18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇷 Türkiye18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇼 Taiwan18 yrs2026
21e🇹🇿 Tanzania18 yrs2026
21e🇺🇬 Uganda18 yrs2026
21e🇺🇦 Ukraine18 yrs2026
21e🇺🇾 Uruguay18 yrs2026
21e🇺🇿 Uzbekistan18 yrs2026
21e🇻🇦 Vatican City18 yrs2026
21e🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines18 yrs2026
21e🇻🇪 Venezuela18 yrs2026
21e🇻🇺 Vanuatu18 yrs2026
21e🇽🇰 Kosovo18 yrs2026
21e🇾🇪 Yemen18 yrs2026
21e🇿🇦 South Africa18 yrs2026
21e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe18 yrs2026
182e🇰🇵 North Korea17 yrs2026
182e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste17 yrs2026
184e🇨🇺 Cuba16 yrs2026
184e🇰🇭 Cambodia16 yrs2026
184e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)16 yrs2026
184e🇻🇳 Vietnam16 yrs2026

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Age of civil majority"?

The highest value is in Côte d’Ivoire, at 21 yrs (2026).

Which country has the lowest value for "Age of civil majority"?

The lowest value is in Vietnam, at 16 yrs (2026).

What is the world median value of "Age of civil majority"?

The world median is 18 yrs, calculated across 187 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Age of civil majority" for France?

France scores 18 yrs (2026), ranking 21 out of 187 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Age of civil majority" data come from?

It comes from Wikipédia (en) – Age of majority. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

What does civil majority mean?

It is the age at which the law considers a person an adult. They can then sign contracts, manage their property and make decisions without their parents' consent.

Is civil majority the same as the voting age?

Not always. Each country sets the age of civil majority, the voting age and the age of criminal responsibility separately. This indicator covers civil majority only.

Source and update

Source : Wikipédia (en) – Age of majority. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Family & Nationality