Table 3.

Comparison by age (years) of adolescent legal frameworks across six countries

	India	Lebanon	Nigeria	Peru	Sweden	USA
Age of majority*	15–18	18	21	18	18	18–21
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None	None
Other exceptions	Marriage	Marriage	Marriage		Marriage	State varience
Minimum working age	None	13	None	14	13–18	14
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	None	None	None	None
Other exceptions	Nature of work				Work nature
Minimum drinking age	18 or Illegal	16 or Illegal	18 or Illegal	18	None–20	21
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None	None
Other exceptions	State varience				Alcohol strength
Minimum smoking age	18	None	None	18	18	None–20
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	None	None	None	None
Other exceptions						State variance
Age of criminal responsibility†	7	7	None	12–18	15	6–14
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	Yes	None	None	None
Other exceptions						State variance
Minimum age of marriage	Puberty–21	9–18	9–18	16	18	16–21
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None	None
Other exceptions	Gender	Gender	Gender		Special reason	None State variance
Heterosexual age of sexual consent	None–18	None–15	Puberty–18	14	15	16–18
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None
Other exceptions	Marriage, gender	Maturity	State variance			State variance, gender
Same-sex age of sexual consent	No information	No information	No information	14	15	16–18
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	None	None	None	None
Other exceptions	Legally restricted	Legally restricted	Legally restricted			State variance
Age of consent to medical treatment	12 or 18	18	16	18	18	12–18
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	None	None	None	None
Other exceptions					Maturity	State variance
Age to access contraceptives‡	None	18	Unknown	None	None	Varies
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None	None
Other exception	Provider discretion	Marriage				State variance
Age to access abortion§	18	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	None	18
Customary or religious law exception	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None	None
Other exception	Marriage	Mother’s life	Mother’s life	Mother’s health¶		State variance
Age of consent to HIV test‖	None	Unknown	18	18	None	12
Customary or religious law exception	None	None	None	None	None	None
Other exception						State variance

Range of ages reflects variation within a country, such as by state.

^*Age of majority: the age at which a person, formerly a minor or infant, is recognized by law to be an adult.

^†Age of criminal responsibility: the age at which an individual can be seen as capable of committing a criminal offence and stand trial and be convicted.

^‡Age to access contraceptives: the age at which adolescents or minors can access contraceptives without parental consent.

^§Age to access abortion: the age at which adolescents or minors can consent to an abortion without parental consent.

^‖Age of consent to an HIV test: the age at which adolescents or minors can consent to an HIV test without parental consent.

^¶Avoid grave and permanent harm to the woman.