Full List: 33 African countries that have criminalised LGBTQ activities and their penalties

Maxwell Nyagamago 16:21 - 02 June 2026

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Ghana's Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, has once again placed the country's position on LGBTQ issues at the centre of both national and international debate.

Ghana's anti-LGBTQ bill has been passed by Parliament but is yet to become law.
A total of 33 African countries currently criminalise same-sex relations.
Penalties range from fines and imprisonment to life sentences and the death penalty in some countries.

Although Parliament passed the legislation on May 29, 2026, the bill has since encountered fresh hurdles.

Speaker Alban Bagbin has directed lawmakers to revisit aspects of its passage over procedural concerns, while President John Mahama has indicated that the legislation must undergo further legal and constitutional scrutiny before it can become law.

Speaker Alban Bagbin directs reconsideration days after passage

If eventually assented to, the bill would strengthen Ghana's existing laws by imposing penalties of up to three (3) years for same-sex sexual relations and between three (3) and five (5) years for the promotion, advocacy, or sponsorship of LGBTQ activities.

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Ghana is far from alone in maintaining laws against same-sex relations. Across Africa, at least 33 countries currently criminalise same-sex activity, with penalties ranging from fines and short prison terms to life imprisonment and, in some jurisdictions, the death penalty.

Countries such as Uganda, Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan maintain some of the harshest punishments on the continent, while others impose custodial sentences ranging from one (1) year to more than twenty (20) years.

An image of an flag LGBTQ

The table below provides an overview of the 33 African countries that currently criminalise same-sex relations, including who is affected under the law and the maximum penalties that may apply.

33 African countries that have criminalised LGBTQ activities

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No.	Country	Who is Criminalised	Maximum Penalty
1	Algeria	Males & Females	2 years + fine
2	Burkina Faso	Males & Females	5 years + fine of up to 10 million francs
3	Burundi	Males & Females	2 years + fine
4	Cameroon	Males & Females	5 years + fine
5	Chad	Males & Females	2 years + fine
6	Comoros	Males & Females	5 years + fine
7	Egypt	Males only	3 years + fine
8	Eritrea	Males & Females	3 years
9	Eswatini	Males only	Unspecified imprisonment
10	Ethiopia	Males & Females	Up to 5 years
11	Ghana	Males only (current law)	3 years (current)
12	Guinea	Males & Females	3 years + fine
13	Kenya	Males only	14–21 years
14	Lesotho	Males only	Unspecified
15	Liberia	Males & Females	1 year
16	Libya	Males & Females	5 years
17	Malawi	Males & Females	14 years + possible corporal punishment
18	Mali	Males & Females	Up to 7 years + fine
19	Mauritania	Males (death); Females (prison)	Death by public stoning (males)
20	Morocco	Males & Females	3 years + fine
21	Nigeria	Males & Females	14 years (federal); death in 12 northern Sharia states
22	Senegal	Males & Females	10 years + fine up to 10 million CFA
23	Sierra Leone	Males only	Life imprisonment
24	Somalia	Males & Females	3 years (federal code); death in some regions
25	South Sudan	Males & Females	10 years + fine
26	Sudan	Males only	100 lashes + 5 years; death on third conviction
27	Tanzania	Males & Females	Life imprisonment (minimum 30 years)
28	The Gambia	Males & Females	14 years
29	Togo	Males & Females	3 years + fine
30	Tunisia	Males & Females	3 years
31	Uganda	Males & Females	Death (aggravated); Life imprisonment (standard)
32	Zambia	Males & Females	15 years to life
33	Zimbabwe	Males only	1 year + fine

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