Prostitution around the world

Prostitution law varies widely from country to country, and between jurisdictions within a country. At one extreme, prostitution or sex work is legal in some places and regarded as a profession, while at the other extreme, it is a crime punishable by death in some other places.

In many jurisdictions, prostitution – the commercial exchange of sex for money, goods, service, or some other benefit agreed upon by the transacting parties – is illegal, while in others it is legal, but surrounding activities, such as soliciting in a public place, operating a brothel, and pimping, may be illegal. In many jurisdictions where prostitution is legal, it is regulated; in others it is unregulated. Where the exchange of sex for money is criminalized, it may be the sex worker (most commonly), the client, or both, who are subject to prosecution.

Prostitution has been condemned as a single form of human rights abuse, and an attack on the dignity and worth of human beings. Other schools of thought argue that sex work is a legitimate occupation, whereby a person trades or exchanges sexual acts for money and/or goods. Some believe that women in developing countries are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation and human trafficking, while others distinguish this practice from the global sex industry, in which "sex work is done by consenting adults, where the act of selling or buying sexual services is not a violation of human rights.

List

Country/territory	Legality (prostitution legal or illegal)	Decriminalized (yes or no)	Regulation (Regulated or unregulated or illegal)	Notes
Caphiria	Legal	Yes	Regulated
Kiravia	Illegal	Select States	No (one state loophole)	Prostitution is illegal throughout the Kiravian Federacy, but has been decriminalised in Fariva and three counties in West Æonara. Pimping and bordello operation remain illegal and prosecuted in Fariva, and purchasing prostitution has not been decriminalised (though prosecution is lax). Paid performance in pornography is also considered prostitution, though in Argévia it has been creatively decriminalised in a manner that effectively creates a regulated adult film industry.