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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Adolesc Health. 2014 Feb 7;55(1):114–121. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.12.008

Table 2.

Country-level characteristics in 17 European nations

Age Norms for Sexual Initiation Timinga Overall Mean Age Norms for Sexual Initiation Timingb Youth Cohort Mean Age Norms for Sexual Initiation Timingc Parent Cohort Mean Legal Age of Consent
TOTAL 16.3 15.5 16.3 14.8
North 16.4 15.5 16.4 15.2
 Denmark 15.9 15.1 15.8 15
 Estonia 16.7 15.8 16.7 14
 Finland 16.7 15.6 16.7 16
 Great Britain 16.6 15.9 16.6 16
 Sweden 16.1 14.9 16.1 15
East 16.9 16.4 16.9 15.0
 Bulgaria 16.6 15.9 16.6 14
 Hungary 16.7 16.3 16.8 14
 Russia 16.8 16.3 16.9 16c
 Ukraine 17.3 17.0 17.1 16
South 16.2 15.3 16.1 15.0
 Portugal 15.9 15.1 15.7 14
 Slovenia 16.4 15.4 16.5 15d
West 15.9 15.2 15.9 15.0
 Austria 15.2 14.5 15.4 14
 Belgium 16.3 15.3 16.3 16
 France 16.1 15.3 16.2 15
 Germany 15.4 14.8 15.4 14
 Netherlands 16.2 15.8 16.1 16
 Switzerland 16.0 15.2 15.9 16
a

Average within-country response to ESS question “At what age is someone is too young to have sexual intercourse?”

b

Average within-country response to ESS question “At what age is someone is too young to have sexual intercourse?” among those age 15-19

c

Average within-country response to ESS question “At what age is someone is too young to have sexual intercourse?” among those age 31-65

c

In 2003, Russia changed the legal age of consent from 14 to 16

d

In 1999, Slovenia raised their legal age of consent from age 14 to age 15

e

In 1999, Spain raised their legal age of consent from age 12 to 13