Countries Where Condoms are Banned 2025

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Condom Use Legality

Illegal

Legal, but culturally discouraged

Partially illegal

5 Countries Where Condoms are Banned

Nigeria Flag

Nigeria

Partially illegal

North Korea Flag

North Korea

Partially illegal

Indonesia Flag

Indonesia

Legal, but culturally discouraged

Philippines Flag

Philippines

Legal, but culturally discouraged

Zambia Flag

Zambia

Legal, but culturally discouraged

Country
Condom Use Legality↓
Additional Condom Ban Details
NigeriaPartially illegalIt is illegal to encourage the use of condoms in Nigeria. Government rulings have stated "Continued advisement of condoms indirectly legalizes fornication and adultery." Condom quality is also a concern, which has caused many potential users to distrust condoms' reliability.
North KoreaPartially illegalNorth Korean national leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly encouraged a higher birthrate in the country “so that it will have more socialist workers." Consequently, the manufacture and sale of condoms is banned, though possession and use are still legal.
IndonesiaLegal, but culturally discouragedMuslim leadership in Indonesia strongly discourages condoms, maintaining that condom use leads to promiscuity.
PhilippinesLegal, but culturally discouragedAlthough not illegal, condoms are frowned upon by the Catholic Church in the Philippines, which advocates for abstinence instead. Many adults forego condoms in order to avoid the shame associated with their use.
ZambiaLegal, but culturally discouragedCondom use is equated with weak character by Zambia's ideological Christian government.
AfghanistanIllegalThe ruling Taliban have declared condom use illegal and ordered retailers to cease condom sales.
  • As of 2023, only one country (Afghanistan) has legally banned the use of condoms nationwide. Additionally, a handful of countries have allowed condoms to remain legal, but have come out strongly against condom use, creating a cultural ban rather than a legal ban.
  • Countries in which condoms are illegal or strongly discouraged tend to be ruled by conservative Christian or Muslim governments, which consider condom use immoral and a gateway to sexual impropriety.
  • In 19th-century Italy and Germany, contraceptives were mostly illegal due to social and religious norms, but condoms were allowed specifically for disease prevention, especially to curb the spread of syphilis. This exception highlighted a focus on public health over reproductive control

Highlighted Countries

Nigeria

Of course, countries with a long history of high population distribution and access to other services have freely and openly criticized the use of contraceptives, regarded as immoral or impractical. The issue becomes when many children are born without one or both parents with the means to raise them properly. Condoms were hardly ever used in Nigeria, but have seen an increase in the last few years due to health organizations within the nation.

Only 52% of sexually active citizens use condoms, or so it is reported - for “high-risk” sexual activities that could end with pregnancy or transmission of sexual diseases. It is illegal to encourage condom use in certain parts of Nigeria, most commonly in the southeast’s Anambra State, as the leaders there believe they encourage immorality and promote sex for purposes other than procreation. It is worth noting that most other parts of Nigeria have the complete opposite view, and more leaders are supporting the use of contraceptives.

The Philippines

The Philippines has one of the lowest condom usage in the entirety of the Asian continent. It is one of seven other countries in the world where HIV cases have risen by 25 percent, or even more, since 2001. These stats have been provided by the UNDP. The reasons could be like many other countries, which include a high amount of poverty and a large diaspora. Another possible reason is that more than 80% of the population identifies with the Catholic religion, which shames and stigmatizes those who are using contraceptives against the will of the Church.

Due to this, many believers and churches in the Philippines have fought against the state’s effort to stop the spread of HIV and other diseases through the use of condoms and other sexual education. Of course, this may seem like a humanitarian issue - but the faithful have argued their case that a change in lifestyle rather than the use of further contraceptives will be the real driver.

Indonesia

Indonesia has one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in Asia, and 81% of all recent cases in the country were due to unprotected sex - especially in the commercial sex industry. The minister of health, Nafsiah Mbo, has championed increased awareness of condom and contraceptive usage in order to curb infection rates. Indonesia is a highly religious country, with many of its citizens adhering to the Muslim religion. Islamic leaders are against this usage as they are saying the stance is promoting promiscuity, which is both against the religion and horrible for the country.

Government agencies in Indonesia are attempting to ban the sale of condoms to teenagers altogether. Although condoms can still technically be sold, those who are found to purchase them do so at a huge risk of being ostracised by the community, some governmental agencies, and various leaders. Even still, the rampant sex industry is still a huge indicator that although a country with a strong adherence to religion may be possible, poverty and lifestyle must be tackled first.