Legal recognition of non-binary gender
17 countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender identities.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender
Most countries around the world only legally recognize male and female on official documents such as passports, licenses, birth certificates, and other official identification documents. However, in recent years, some countries, provinces, and states have begun offering the ability for non-binary and intersex individuals to request a change to official documents.
Usually, official documents will be marked with an "X" gender marker (rather than "M" or "F" for male or female).
Summary
Timeline of legal recognition of non-binary gender
Recent & Upcoming Changes
Upcoming Changes
2023
- PakistanRecognizedDecember 13
- Rio Grande do NorteRecognizedOctober 6
- ArkansasNot legally recognizedOctober 1
- GoiásRecognizedSeptember 5
- Distrito FederalRecognizedAugust 23
- IllinoisRecognizedJuly 1
- Minas GeraisRecognizedJune 7
- PakistanNot legally recognizedMay 19
- MexicoRecognizedMay 17
- ParanáRecognizedFebruary 22
- PernambucoRecognizedFebruary 16
- ParaíbaRecognizedJanuary 27
2022
- QueenslandRecognizedDecember 2
- RondôniaRecognizedNovember 7
- HidalgoRecognizedNovember 3
- ChileRecognizedOctober 14
- KenyaIntersex onlyJuly 26
- VermontRecognizedJune 26
- QuebecRecognizedJune 17
- BahiaRecognizedMay 12
- Rio Grande do SulRecognizedApril 29
- Santa CatarinaRecognizedApril 23
- AmazonasRecognizedApril 18
- United StatesRecognizedApril 11
- Rio de JaneiroRecognizedApril 5
- ColombiaRecognizedMarch 1
2021
- MichiganRecognizedNovember 2
- São PauloRecognizedNovember 1
- AlagoasRecognizedOctober 15
- TocantinsIntersex onlyAugust 24
- AcreIntersex onlyAugust 24
- RoraimaIntersex onlyAugust 24
- AmapáIntersex onlyAugust 24
- Mato Grosso do SulIntersex onlyAugust 24
- Espírito SantoIntersex onlyAugust 24
- CearáIntersex onlyAugust 24
- ParáIntersex onlyAugust 24
- MaranhãoIntersex onlyAugust 24
- Mato GrossoIntersex onlyAugust 24
- SergipeIntersex onlyAugust 24
- BrazilIntersex onlyJuly 23
- PiauíRecognizedJuly 23
- ArgentinaRecognizedJuly 21
- New YorkRecognizedJune 12
- OhioRecognizedMay 1
- Prince Edward IslandRecognizedMarch 6
Legal recognition of non-binary gender by Country
Recognized
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is recognized in 17 regions.
- Antarctica (1)
- Antarctica
Intersex only
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is intersex only in 4 regions.
Not legally recognized
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is not legally recognized in 174 regions.
- Asia (40)
- Afghanistan
- Bahrain
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- North Korea
- Oman
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia 1932
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Europe (43)
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Finland
- France 2016
- Georgia
- Greece 2018
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom 2004
- Vatican City
- North America (19)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa (52)
- Algeria 1966
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya 1951
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia 1960
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Data on legal recognition of non-binary gender is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 2 regions.
- Europe (1)
- Spain
- North America (1)
- Costa Rica
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