Is prostitution legal in Yemen?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal in Yemen with three-year imprisonment, though it occurs in hotels and among women from Yaffai.
Yemen is one of 105 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 48% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Djibouti
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal but tolerated, with a red-light district and foreign military presence increasing demand.
- Eritrea
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, with restrictions near schools and hospitals, and arrests for foreign encounters.
- Somalia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal, though sex trafficking and child prostitution are problems.
- Saudi Arabia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Saudi Arabia with punishments including prison, flogging, and deportation, with death penalty possible for adultery.
- Ethiopia
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal but procuring and brothel operations are illegal, with significant sex tourism and child exploitation issues.
- Qatar
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Qatar with severe prison sentences and deportation of sex workers.
Other laws in Yemen
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal
- Age of Consent
- Must be married
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Not permitted
- Marriage Age
- Under 16 possible
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.