Legality of corporal punishment worldwide
| Country | Home | Alternative care | Day care | Schools | Penal institutions | Sentence for crime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | NO ^ |
| Albania | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Algeria ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| American Samoa | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Andorra | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Angola ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Anguilla | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Antigua and Barbuda | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Argentina | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Armenia ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Aruba | NO | NO | NO | [YES] | NO | YES |
| Australia | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES |
| Austria | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Azerbaijan ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Bahamas | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | NO | YES ^ | NO ^ |
| Bahrain | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Bangladesh ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES ^ | NO | NO |
| Barbados | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO |
| Belarus ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Belgium | NO ^ | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Belize ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | SOME ^ | YES |
| Benin | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Bermuda | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Bhutan ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | [YES] | YES |
| Bolivia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Botswana | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Brazil | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| British Virgin Islands | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Brunei Darussalam ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO |
| Bulgaria | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Burkina Faso ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | [YES] | YES |
| Burundi | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Cabo Verde | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Cambodia | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Cameroon | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Canada | NO ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES ^ | YES | YES |
| Cayman Islands | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Central African Republic | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Chad ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Chile ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| China | NO ^ | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Colombia | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES ^ | YES ^ | SOME ^ |
| Comoros ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Congo, Republic of | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Cook Islands | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | YES |
| Costa Rica | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Cote d'Ivoire | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| Croatia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Cuba ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Curacao | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Cyprus | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Czech Republic | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Denmark | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Djibouti | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Dominica | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO |
| Dominican Republic ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| DPR Korea ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| DR Congo | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Ecuador ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | SOME ^ |
| Egypt | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES ^ | YES |
| El Salvador ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Equatorial Guinea | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Eritrea | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Estonia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Ethiopia ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | NO | NO | NO | [YES] | YES | YES |
| Faroe Islands | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Fiji ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES ^ | YES | YES |
| Finland | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| France ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES ^ | YES | YES |
| French Guiana | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| French Polynesia | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Gabon | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Gambia | NO | NO ^ | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Georgia ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Germany | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Ghana ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | SOME ^ | YES |
| Gibraltar | NO | NO | NO | NO | [YES] ^ | YES |
| Greece | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Greenland | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Grenada | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ |
| Guadeloupe | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Guam | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Guatemala ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Guernsey | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | [SOME] ^ | YES |
| Guinea | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Guinea-Bissau ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Guyana | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| Haiti | NO ^ | YES ^ | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Honduras | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Hong Kong | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Hungary | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Iceland | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| India ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO ^ | SOME ^ | YES ^ | SOME ^ |
| Indonesia ^ | NO | NO ^ | NO | NO | YES | SOME ^ |
| Iran | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO ^ | YES | NO |
| Iraq | NO ^ | NO | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES |
| Ireland | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Isle of Man | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Israel | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Italy | NO ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Jamaica | NO | YES | SOME ^ | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| Japan ^ | SOME ^ | NO | NO | YES ^ | NO | YES |
| Jersey | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Jordan ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Kazakhstan | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Kenya | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Kiribati ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO |
| Kuwait ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Kyrgyzstan ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Lao PDR | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Latvia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Lebanon | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Lesotho ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Liberia | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES |
| Libya | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | NO |
| Liechtenstein | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Lithuania | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Luxembourg | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Macau | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Madagascar | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Malawi | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES ^ | YES | YES |
| Malaysia | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ |
| Maldives ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | NO |
| Mali | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Malta | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Marshall Islands ^ | NO | NO | NO | [YES] ^ | YES | YES |
| Martinique | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Mauritania | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | NO |
| Mauritius ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | YES |
| Mayotte | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Mexico ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Micronesia ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Monaco | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Mongolia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Montenegro | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Montserrat | NO | NO | NO | NO | [YES] ^ | YES |
| Morocco ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| Mozambique ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| Myanmar | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES ^ |
| Namibia ^ | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES ^ | YES ^ |
| Nauru | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Nepal ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Netherlands | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| New Caledonia | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| New Zealand | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Nicaragua | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Niger ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Nigeria | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| Niue | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Northern Mariana Islands | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Norway | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Oman ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | YES |
| Pakistan ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| Palau ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Panama ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Papua New Guinea ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Paraguay | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Peru | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Philippines ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Pitcairn Islands | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Poland | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Portugal | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Puerto Rico | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Qatar ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | NO |
| Republic of Korea ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES |
| Republic of Kosovo | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Republic of Moldova | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Reunion | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Romania | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Russian Federation | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Rwanda ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Samoa ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES |
| San Marino | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Sao Tome and Principe ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | [YES] | YES |
| Saudi Arabia ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | NO |
| Senegal ^ | NO | NO | NO | SOME ^ | [YES] | YES |
| Serbia ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Seychelles ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Sierra Leone ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Singapore | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | NO |
| Slovakia ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Slovenia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Solomon Islands ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES ^ |
| Somalia | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| South Africa ^ | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| South Sudan | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Spain | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Sri Lanka ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | SOME ^ | YES |
| St Barthelemy | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| St Kitts and Nevis | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES ^ |
| St Lucia ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| St Maarten | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| St Martin | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| St Pierre et Miquelon | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| State of Palestine | NO | NO | NO | SOME ^ | [SOME] ^ | [SOME] ^ |
| Sudan | NO | NO | NO | SOME ^ | NO | YES ^ |
| Suriname | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | YES | YES |
| Svalbard and Jan Majen Islands | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Swaziland | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Sweden | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Switzerland | NO ^ | [SOME] ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Syrian Arab Republic | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | NO | YES |
| Taiwan | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Tajikistan ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | NO | YES |
| TFYR Macedonia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Thailand ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Timor-Leste ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Togo | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Tokelau | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ | [NO] | YES |
| Tonga | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | NO ^ |
| Trinidad and Tobago | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Tunisia | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Turkey ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Turkmenistan | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | NO | NO | NO | NO | [YES] ^ | YES |
| Tuvalu ^ | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| Uganda ^ | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| UK | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES ^ | YES | YES |
| Ukraine | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| United Arab Emirates | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | NO |
| United Republic of Tanzania | NO | SOME ^ | NO | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ |
| Uruguay | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| US Virgin Islands | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| USA | NO | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | SOME ^ | YES |
| Uzbekistan | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Vanuatu | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | SOME ^ |
| Venezuela | YES ^ | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Viet Nam | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Wallis and Futuna Islands | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Western Sahara | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Yemen | NO | NO | SOME ^ | YES | YES | YES |
| Zambia ^ | NO | NO | SOME | YES | YES | YES ^ |
| Zimbabwe ^ | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO ^ |
The above information is based wherever possible on examination of national legislation; additional information is gathered from many sources, including reports to and by the UN human rights treaty bodies. We are very grateful to government officials, UNICEF and other UN agencies, NGOs and human rights institutions, and many individuals who have assisted us in our research. We welcome corrections and updates: email sharon@endcorporalpunishment.org. For further details on all states and territories see the individual country reports on this website.