List of red-light districts


are areas associated with the sex industry and sex-oriented businesses. In some of these places prostitution occurs, whether legally or illegally. The enforcement of prostitution laws varies by region.
Following is a partial list of well known red-light districts around the world, both current and historical.

Africa

Algeria

Prostitution is legal but third party involvement is prohibited.
Prostitution is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution in Egypt is illegal.
Prostitution in Ivory Coast is legal.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution in Mauritania is illegal.
Prostitution is illegal.

South Africa

Prostitution is illegal.

Tunisia

Prostitution is regulated.

Bangladesh

Prostitution in Bangladesh is legal and regulated.

Cambodia

Prostitution is illegal, but tolerated.
Prostitution is illegal.

Hong Kong

Prostitution itself is not illegal but operating a brothel is illegal.
Prostitution is not illegal when performed by a person acting alone in private but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are illegal.

Indonesia

Prostitution is illegal in non-regulated areas. Prostitution is legal in some locations.

Iran

Prostitution in Iran is illegal, and incurs various punishments ranging from fines and jail terms to execution for repeat offenders.
Prostitution is illegal but narrowly defined. Many sexual acts for pay that would be considered to be prostitution in other countries are legal.

Jordan

Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is legal but pimping and operating a brothel are illegal.
Prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and regulated.

Malaysia

Prostitution in most of Malaysia is legal and widespread, though there are laws against prostitution-related activities. However, prostitution is illegal in Malaysia's Kelantan state.
Prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is somewhat tolerated although not regulated.

Philippines

Prostitution is illegal, but widespread and generally tolerated.
Prostitution itself is not illegal; however, public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute, and maintaining a brothel are illegal.
Prostitution in Taiwan was made illegal under a 1991 law. Legislation was introduced in 2011 to allow local governments in Taiwan to set up "special zones" where prostitution is permitted. Outside these zones prostitution is illegal. As of 2017 no "special zones" had been opened.
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, and solicitation and public nuisance laws are in effect. In practice it is tolerated and partly regulated.

Turkey

Austria

Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is legal, though brothels are not. Enforcement of the law can be lax.

Croatia

Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but brothels and other forms of procuring are prohibited.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Paying for sex, pimping and keeping a brothel are illegal. Prostitutes commit no offence unless soliciting.

Germany

Prostitution is legal and regulated.

Gibraltar

Prostitution illegal.
Paying for sex is illegal, as is soliciting in a public place, operating brothels, and other forms of pimping.
Prostitution in Italy is legal, although organized prostitution, whether indoors in brothels or controlled by third parties, is prohibited.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution and associated activities are legal and common. A total of 11 cities in the Netherlands have red light districts with window prostitution.

Portugal

Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Brothels are illegal, but "clubs" and "wiskerias" are fronts for prostitution and are tolerated.

Switzerland

Prostitution is legal and regulated.

United Kingdom

England

Prostitution is not illegal when performed by a person acting alone in private, but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 makes it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been “subjected to force” and this is a strict liability offence.

Northern Ireland

Wales

Antigua and Barbuda

Prostitution is legal but related activities are prohibited.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.
Prostitution itself is legal but the purchase of sexual services is not. Many associated activities are also illegal.
Prostitution is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal but procuring is prohibited.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.

Panama

Prostitution laws vary by state and territory, however it is illegal except for some rural counties of Nevada. Strip clubs are legal in most areas, including fully nude strip clubs. Many massage shops offer "happy endings", which is an illegal form of prostitution.

Oceania

Australia

Prostitution laws vary by state, either being legal or decriminalized.

New Zealand

Prostitution and associated activities are legal.