# Historically, what has been the highest "age of majority" and in what country was it legislated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073 "2016-09-27T20:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnboy3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@johnboy3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy3434)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/1 "2016-09-27T20:33:17Z")
Nowadays, the highest age of majority is 21, which is followed in countries such as Egypt, Cameroon, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in the American state of Mississippi. However, I’ve read before that in bygone days that the threshold of adulthood was even higher. I read in one source that it used to be 25 is Spain and some other countries, and a source from the early 1900s says that the age of majority can be up to 27 in some European countries, but it doesn’t give specifics. So, what is the “record”? What country or region specified the most time you had to spend on this Earth before the government considered you a grown-up? I can’t imagine it being higher than 27, but then again I couldn’t imagine it being higher than 21, either. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/2 "2016-09-28T00:57:57Z")
Many countries have different ages of majority for different purposes. For example, in most of the US, you’re allowed to have sex at 16, vote at 18, drink at 21, and serve as President at 35. Which of those do you count as our “age of majority”? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/3 "2016-09-28T01:21:54Z")
Generally the phrase is understood to mean when somebody becomes legally competent to enter into a contract. That’s 18 everywhere in the US, except for Mississippi (noted above) and Puerto Rico which is also 21. The highest number on [this list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_majority#Countries_and_subdivisions) is 21, but I assume there may have been higher ages of majority in the past somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/4 "2016-09-28T01:29:14Z")
Saudi Arabia doesn’t really have an age of majority for women; regardless of her age a woman is essentially a minor under the guardianship of her nearest male relative (who may be _her own son_ if he’s of age). ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/5 "2016-09-28T02:44:37Z")
At least one locality in India has a drinking age of 30, IIRC. Some other regions have a drinking age of 25. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/6 "2016-09-28T03:38:58Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Saudi Arabia doesn’t really have an age of majority for women; regardless of her age a woman is essentially a minor under the guardianship of her nearest male relative (who may be _her own son_ if he’s of age). Not true. Saudi women can enter into contracts, purchase, rent out or lease property, be held criminally responsible. What that “guardianship” you are mentioning is more akin to a power of attorney. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@johnboy3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy3434)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/7 "2016-09-28T16:13:16Z")
So, no one knows offhand which country it was that put the majority age at 27? Or if anyone ever put the age higher than that? Also, to resolve an ambiguity: I mean “the moment when minors cease to be considered children and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over them” (Wikipedia). ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/8 "2016-09-28T18:19:20Z")
Not what you’re looking for, but you have to be at least 35 to be President of the United States. No young whipper-snappers need apply! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/9 "2016-09-29T05:16:41Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Not what you’re looking for Or if you were, you already got to see it in post #2. Anyway, our own **naita** in [an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408981) mentioned the majority age in Norway being set at 25 from 1619 to 1869. I believe the same was true in Argentina into the early 20th century? AFAICT the practice of setting majority age at 25 dates back to Roman law, whence it was inherited by a lot of the Latin-speaking world. It was apparently [26 in Geneva in 1735](https://books.google.com/books?id=O1XFCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49), but I’ve found no cite for the OP’s figure of 27 anywhere. I would be surprised if significantly higher majority ages are historically attested; generally you’d want young people counted (and taxed) as adults as soon as they were basically capable of fulfulling adult roles. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/10 "2016-09-29T07:54:11Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Not true. Saudi women can enter into contracts, purchase, rent out or lease property, be held criminally responsible. > > What that “guardianship” you are mentioning is more akin to a power of attorney. Please don’t try and diminish the barbaric treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. You might be right that they can in theory purchase property without a guardians permission but this is the reality: “For me to go to any government agency or to the court to buy or sell property, as a woman I am obligated to bring two men as witnesses to testify to my identity, and four male witnesses to testify that the first two are credible witnesses, and actually know me. Where is any woman going to find six men to go with her to the court?” > **[Women's rights in Saudi Arabia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia#Economic_rights)** > > Member State of the Arab League > > Women's rights in Saudi Arabia is a topic of international concern and controversy. Women in Saudi Arabia experience widespread discrimination in Saudi politics, economy and society. They also can’t get a passport, or a bank account without a guardian’s permission, and of course they can’t go in public unless accompanied as well, so how are they going to buy or rent a property if their guardian doesn’t let them have a bank account, or go outside to a meeting to do that? Saudi Women got the right to vote, in 2015 , but in every other way they have roughly equivalent status to a minor under the protection of a parent in the west (children can also be held criminally responsible in the west). ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/11 "2016-09-29T08:14:03Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Please don’t try and diminish the barbaric treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. You might be right that they can in theory purchase property without a guardians permission but this is the reality: > “For me to go to any government agency or to the court to buy or sell property, as a woman I am obligated to bring two men as witnesses to testify to my identity, and four male witnesses to testify that the first two are credible witnesses, and actually know me. Where is any woman going to find six men to go with her to the court?” > > [Women's rights in Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia#Economic_rights) > > They also can’t get a passport, or a bank account without a guardian’s permission, and of course they can’t go in public unless accompanied as well, so how are they going to buy or rent a property if their guardian doesn’t let them have a bank account, or go outside to a meeting to do that? > > Saudi Women got the right to vote, in 2015 , but in every other way they have roughly equivalent status to a minor under the protection of a parent in the west (children can also be held criminally responsible in the west). :rolleyes: Where the fuck did I “diminish” anything? I simply simply pointed out that legal encumbrances do not equate to minority? Or do you think that all blacks in Apartheid SA were minors. Or all US people under 26, who can stay on their parents insurance are minors? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/12 "2016-09-29T08:20:12Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Anyway, our own **naita** in [an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408981) mentioned the majority age in Norway being set at 25 from 1619 to 1869. I believe the same was true in Argentina into the early 20th century? And I just looked it up on Wikipedia in response to this thread and would have posted it again if it weren’t for you meddling kids! 😃 I’ll forgive myself from not remembering a 10 year old discussion though. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/13 "2016-09-29T10:21:11Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > :rolleyes: > Where the fuck did I “diminish” anything? I simply simply pointed out that legal encumbrances do not equate to minority? Or do you think that all blacks in Apartheid SA were minors. Or all US people under 26, who can stay on their parents insurance are minors? When you said it was just power of attorney. Clearly the restrictions describe in the post you quoted are more than that. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/14 "2016-09-29T10:31:02Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I would be surprised if significantly higher majority ages are historically attested; generally you’d want young people counted (and taxed) as adults as soon as they were basically capable of fulfulling adult roles. Income tax is a relatively new addition to the quiver, and it doesn’t apply only to adults. Taxes on goods applied equally regardless of who was making or trading them. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/15 "2016-09-30T00:35:43Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Income tax is a relatively new addition to the quiver, and it doesn’t apply only to adults. Taxes on goods applied equally regardless of who was making or trading them. Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that pre-modern tax assessments were automatically applied to individual adults, after the fashion of modern income tax eligibility versus dependent status. What I didn’t make clear enough is that in many medieval systems it was **households** rather than individuals that were taxed (at least, ones that met certain criteria), and that attaining legal majority was typically the first step for formerly dependent children towards setting up their own households. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/16 "2016-09-30T00:50:08Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > When you said it was just power of attorney. > > Clearly the restrictions describe in the post you quoted are more than that. To be fair, all **AK84** said was that Saudi “male guardianship” requirements for adult women are “more akin” to a power of attorney than to actual minority status in law. IANAL, but that seems like a reasonable assessment to me. One important difference is that minor children are generally legally prohibited from taking on certain adult responsibilities (entering into contracts, discontinuing schooling, undertaking most kinds of employment, or marrying, at least below a certain cutoff age) **even if their guardians consent to it**. A power of attorney, on the other hand, is generally for adults who **are** still legally allowed to undertake adult responsibilities, but only with their attorney-in-fact’s explicit permission because they’re considered in some way “incapacitated”. Note that I am not in any way condoning or justifying the Saudi male-guardianship system and its sexist assumption that merely being female automatically renders an adult “incapacitated” for full legal autonomy, and I don’t think **AK84** is either. I’m just pointing out that considering such guardianship as **more** akin to a POA situation than to actual minor-child status is not unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-what-has-been-the-highest-age-of-majority-and-in-what-country-was-it-legislated/767073/17 "2016-09-30T01:03:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Many countries have different ages of majority for different purposes. For example, in most of the US, you’re allowed to have sex at 16, vote at 18, drink at 21, and serve as President at 35. Which of those do you count as our “age of majority”? Actually, this could be a fun game (for varying values of fun): 50: Men get annual colonoscopy (AMA recommendation, I think 59: Various IRA penalties change 65: Medicaid 13: Bar Mitzvah (actually this is OP direct referent–it means “son of”–\>beholden to, responsible for the mitzvah (mitzvot, plural): the Jewish religious age of majority, where all of them are on you 16: Sweet Sixteen 8 days: Jewish male. Hello world.